From guided tours of stunning private homes to playful installations in Katong-Joo Chiat, this year’s Archifest invites everyone to explore how design shapes daily life – no architectural degree required.
27 June 2025
Top image: Spice Terraces by RT+Q
Text by Janice Seow
This year’s Singapore Archifest (SGAF) is going beyond the blueprint. From 25 June to 25 July 2025, the citywide celebration returns with the rallying call: “Don’t (Just) Think Like an Architect!” Organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), the festival champions a broader conversation on how design shapes everyday life – and in its 19th edition, it’s clearer than ever that this is not just an industry affair.
While the event still boasts heavyweight roundtables and a star-studded conference – featuring Pritzker laureates and cross-disciplinary creatives – it’s the SGAF+ public programme that brings architecture to the streets and into the lives of everyday Singaporeans.
One of the festival’s most anticipated highlights, ArchiTours offers a rare chance to tour exceptional private residences as well as civic and commercial landmarks, and discover how architecture shapes personal and communal spaces – from climate-conscious design to culturally rooted renovations.
Some highlights include:
Eclipse by Aedas – Formerly known as Sandcrawler, this elevated horseshoe-shaped office complex is now a lush, light-filled business park inspired by rainforest canopies.
Library House by EHKA Studio – A home for book lovers, featuring a dramatic atrium lined with curving bookshelves and a sculptural central staircase.
Window House by Yume Studio – A net-zero energy terrace house that merges preserved heritage structure with ecological living.
Silo House by OMG Atelier – A suburban residence organised around three volumes, balancing privacy, natural ventilation, and nostalgic materials.
Kampung House by RT+Q – An elevated family home in Bukit Timah that channels kampung spirit while addressing urban heat with natural ventilation strategies.
Artyzen Hotel by ONG&ONG – A hospitality concept inspired by 1940s Villa Marie, featuring sky gardens and sustainable building skins.
Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Campus Court by RSP – Part of Punggol Digital District, the SIT Campus Court is designed as a people-first learning environment. Academic blocks are woven with landscaped courtyards and green spaces, fostering community interaction while supporting a memorable, biophilic campus experience
Woodlands Health Campus by SAA – Singapore’s first fully integrated hospital campus, designed around biophilic healing and future-ready healthcare.
Over in Katong-Joo Chiat – a neighbourhood rich in heritage and character – interactive installations will activate everyday spaces in playful and meaningful ways. Commissioned in collaboration with URA and SUTD, these temporary works explore identity, memory, and placemaking in the historic east.
Don’t miss:
Kueh Kueh at Katong – Taking visual cues from Peranakan sweets like Pulut Tekan and Kueh Salat, this trio of pavilions explores food and architecture as vessels of cultural memory.
Sit In with Tiffin – A multisensory experience built like a tiffin carrier, this installation features scent diffusers and nostalgic artefacts from Roxy Square shops.
The Jetty – A lively nod to the former coastline, this gathering spot evokes the spirit of old Marine Parade’s fishing jetties.
ArchiPavilion by RT+Q – A three-dimensional reimagining of the Archifest logo turned into a seating space in front of Roxy Square.
Festival-goers can also head to ArchiHouse (341 Joo Chiat Road), a pop-up hub for exhibitions and community engagement. Here, design students and urban visionaries present bold concepts for Singapore’s future – from speculative Long Island masterplans to Resourcity, a collaborative board game about building sustainable cities under pressure.
Prefer stories to structures? On 12 July, YAL Human Narratives invites the public to engage with placemakers outside the profession – artists, social workers, and activists whose work shapes space and society from the ground up.
Singapore Archifest 2025 runs from 25 June – 25 July 2025
Visit archifest.sg or follow @singaporearchifest for full programme and ticketing details.
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