Blueprints of the Future: Reflections from the RICS–REDAS Singapore Conference 2025

On 16 October 2025, leaders and consultants from across the built environment gathered at the RICS–REDAS Singapore Conference 2025 to explore “Blueprints of the Future: Navigating Change in the Built Environment.” 

The event brought together voices from government, industry, and academia, examining how sustainability, technology, and human values intersect to create a resilient, future-ready built environment. 

Setting the Tone: Sustainability, Technology, and Human Values 

The conference opened with Sr Dr. Eugene Seah , Chair of the RICS SEA Advisory Board, who set the stage by urging the industry to blend sustainability with human values. He noted that advances in AI and technology are not only transforming how we design and manage assets, but how we think about the role of the built environment in shaping communities. 

Choon Li Lee , Managing Director at Frasers Property Singapore, echoed this sentiment, observing that ESG and sustainability are now at the forefront of all real estate and construction decisions. His message was one of collective ambition to “shape the next decade of growth together.”

Keynote Address: Resilience Through Collaboration and Innovation 

Kelvin Wong keynote addressed the need for strategic foresight and collaboration amid global and local shifts. He emphasised the importance of scenario planning to withstand trends, tensions, and stress, urging the industry to turn disruption into competitive advantage. 

Key themes from his address included: 

• Strengthening fundamentals and maintaining excellence through reputation and asset stewardship; 

• Early contractor involvement in design to foster feedback loops and improve constructability; 

• Collaborative contracting and lean construction to streamline sourcing, supply, and delivery; 

• Utilising AI, robotics, and automation for model checking and retrofitting; and

• Recognising that every stakeholder has a role to play in upholding collaboration, innovation, and excellence. 

Navigating Economic and Geopolitical Uncertainty 

Economist Teck Kin SUAN, CFA 全德健 explored how global tariffs and geoeconomic fragmentation are reshaping markets, while Seng Tiok POH, FICE addressed how firms can respond to the ongoing global disorder through collaboration, reinvention, and cultivating talent. Both underscored the importance of recognising risks early and building resilience through innovation and partnership. 

Building Amidst Uncertainty and Integration 

Jonathan Yap of CapitaLand outlined a threefold strategy for growth: 

1. Diversified Scalability: Deepening relevance and market scale;

2. Building Sustainability: Integrating sustainable development into every facet of the business; and

3. Fostering Communities: Embedding placemaking, eco-smart design, and urban integration. 

His message on industry integration across academia, policymakers, and practitioners reinforced the collective approach needed to navigate volatility. 

Built by Intelligence: Integrating AI in Design, Planning, and Execution 

Thomson Lai of AECOM demonstrated how AI now assists with MEP design, Revit annotation, and generative BIM modelling, revealing that while technology is transformative, data governance and purpose must come first. His call to focus on “value before scale” and to keep “people at the centre” encapsulated the human-technology balance central to this year’s discussions. 

Panel 1: Market Volatility and Risk Management 

Moderator: Bernard Lim MRICS , Senior Director, JLL  Panelists: Elizabeth Laws Fuller 骆怡蓓 , Andrew Melvyn Sim , Soon Yean Wong

The first panel explored how firms can position themselves in a dislocated market, with distress across multiple sectors in Southeast Asia. The discussion highlighted that government interventions, fiscal, economic, and social, have been essential in maintaining industry stability during uncertain times. 

Panelists agreed on the need for: 

• Greater flexibility in asset use, noting that “flexible space is no longer confined to Class B offices”; 

• Customer-focused strategies that address shifting demand in commerce and work-from-home dynamics; 

• Recognition that replacement costs are typically higher in current market conditions; and 

• The strategic use of AI in forecasting and stress testing, supporting operational resilience in volatile markets.

The conversation underscored that while external uncertainty is inevitable, strategic foresight and adaptive planning are within reach. 

Panel 2: Valuing the Future — ESG at the Core 

Moderator: Darren Teoh 張學廣 , Director, Sustainability Strategy, Warburg Pincus  Panelists: Nicolas Konialidis, CFA, CVA, ASA-BV , Josephine Hong , Nigel Sellars 

The panel explored how ESG is reshaping real estate valuation and investment. Panelists discussed the growing importance of global standards such as the RICS Red Book and IVSC frameworks, which establish consistency in how sustainability is factored into valuation assumptions. 

They agreed that ESG should move from being considered an add-on to being integral to valuation methodology, influencing risk assessment, financing, and long-term feasibility.  The conversation also recognised that valuations now serve multiple intended users investors, developers, regulators, and the public, each requiring transparency and credibility in how ESG is represented. 

Panel 3: New Frontiers — Building the Future of High-Demand Asset Classes 

Moderator: Sally Tan, Senior Managing Director, Savills Singapore  Panelists: Gabe Carter, Bart Price, Calvin Chia, Colin Eddison 

This session examined the emerging asset classes driving Southeast Asia’s next phase of development, including data centres, life sciences, renewable power, and healthcare facilities.

Panellists discussed: 

• The role of circular economy principles and embodied carbon reduction in achieving net zero; 

• The rise of timber construction as a sustainable, efficient solution; 

• The critical role of utilities, power, water, and connectivity, as pinch points for growth; and 

• How digital infrastructure and renewable energy investments are reshaping urban and industrial development. 

The message was clear: innovation must align with infrastructure capacity, ensuring sustainability and scalability move hand in hand. 

Panel 4: Smart Real Estate — Repositioning Assets for Long-Term Performance 

Moderator: Kabi Subramaniam, Associate Principal, Arup  Panelists: Professor Lam Khee Poh (NUS), Keith Koh (ISS Facility Services), Teo Junrong (The Ascott), Calvin Yeo (Knight Frank Singapore) 

The final panel turned its focus to existing assets, recognising that aging buildings will increasingly define future challenges. Panelists emphasised that facility management (FM) has evolved beyond technical maintenance to become a strategic, experience-driven discipline.   

Key insights included: 

• FM now contributes directly to ESG outcomes, health and wellness, and user experience; 

• Predictive maintenance and data-informed decision-making improve both longevity and sustainability; 

• Ease of maintenance should be considered as early as design stage; and 

• FM teams must be engaged from project inception to ensure long-term performance and compliance. 

This holistic view redefines FM as an integral part of the building lifecycle, not an afterthought. 

A Collective Blueprint for the Decade Ahead 

The overarching message was clear: 

Resilience, innovation, and collaboration are no longer aspirations, they are essentials. 

As the industry faces growing complexity, we must continue to integrate technology intelligently, embed sustainability meaningfully, and place people and purpose at the heart of every decision. 

#RICS #REDAS #BuiltEnvironment