FROM THE EDITOR

Perhaps never before has our emotional engagement been so coveted by brands across a spectrum of contexts and channels. And never before have consumers been so particular about what they consume, and how.

Transactional retail engagements have been superseded by longer-term relationships between brands and consumers. New modes of consumer – and community – courtship are appearing in hotels and F&B. And elements of hospitality are expected in many other sectors of design.

Our theme for issue 99, Emotive Spaces, recognises that at the core of the experience economy is emotion. We put the spotlight on the ways we experience and engage through design – how it can speak to our emotions, captivate us, and perhaps even benefit us in ways we didn’t expect.

In the Indesign Media offices, emotions hit a high point recently when a record number of entries poured in for our INDE. Awards 2020 – a fantastic sign of a resilient regional industry coming together despite the challenges of the day. Stay tuned for announcement of the shortlist and winners in the coming months. With this year’s special Best of the Decade celebration, as well as the very first INDE. Summit in August, the passions and insights of leading Indo-Pacific designers and architects will be front and centre for regional discussion.

This issue of Cubes marks my last at its helm. It has been an honour and a privilege to tell the stories of so many talented architects and designers from Singapore and our region over five rewarding years. As Cubes enters triple digits with its upcoming hundredth issue, I wish all of us in the built environment industries – practitioners, clients, suppliers, writers, photographers and design aficionados – continued passion and diligence in steering what we do and love in the most insightful, resilient and inspirational direction we can.

Cubes Editor, Narelle Yabuka