ARES Whitepaper Volume 4: Powering communities – The catalysts of urban evolution

The Asia Real Estate Summit Digital White Paper Vol. 4 brings together leading thinkers and practitioners to explore how the built environment can evolve to meet the social, environmental, and cultural challenges of our time. Drawing insights from the 10th edition of the Asia Real Estate Summit, this volume offers a collection of perspectives on sustainable urbanisation, changing lifestyles, and the shifting values shaping the future of cities.

In the opening article, Stephen Oehme, Value Management Specialist and Sustainability Advocate at Quantum, outlines how a value-driven approach to real estate can align profitability with purpose. He demonstrates that by integrating sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals into project planning, developers can achieve both long-term gains and immediate impact without additional costs.

Jessica Bianca Sy, VP and Head of Design, Innovation, and Strategy at SMDC, discusses how developers can design with people in mind. Through SMDC’s Good Guys Impact initiative, she explores how accessibility, smart technology, and community-driven spaces redefine residential living and help create more resilient, wellness-oriented communities.

From a different lens, Anton Wormann, content creator and entrepreneur known as Anton in Japan, uncovers the hidden beauty in Japan’s abandoned homes. He reveals how restoring rather than rebuilding these properties can reduce environmental waste, preserve craftsmanship, and revitalise neighbourhoods, proving that renovation can be both sustainable and inspiring.

Bill Barnett, Founder and Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, challenges the provocative claim that “Luxury is dead.” He examines how the concept of luxury has shifted from excess to experience, where authenticity, wellness, and purpose matter more than grandeur. His piece reflects on how these changing values are influencing consumer behaviour and modern real estate design.

Turning to the workplace, Gynen Kyra Toriano, Senior Digital Content Manager at PropertyGuru Group, highlights how the post-pandemic era is transforming office design. Drawing from insights shared at the Asia Real Estate Summit, she discusses how culture, collaboration, and employee well-being are now the central pillars of workplace planning and productivity.

In a complementary piece, Chelsea Perino, Managing Director of Global Marketing & Communications at The Executive Centre, delves deeper into the concept of human-centricity. She explains how aligning company culture with workplace design fosters innovation, inclusivity, and loyalty, urging organisations to treat well-being as a strategic foundation rather than a perk.

Finally, Gynen Kyra Toriano returns to close the whitepaper with a forward-looking discussion on Architecture for the Next Generation. Featuring voices from Zaha Hadid Architects, SPARK Architects, Enter Projects Asia, SMDC, and GSA Vietnam, this article explores how purpose-driven, adaptable, and nature-integrated design can create cities that serve people and preserve culture for decades to come.