Erwin Viray was the Chief Sustainability Officer until March 2025, leading the Sustainability Initiatives in SUTD to address the university’s approach to environmental responsibility with the goal to minimise environmental impact. Prior to that, he was the Head of Architecture and Sustainable Design Pillar from May 2016 – July 2021. Erwin was Global Excellence Professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology and Head of the Graduate School of Architecture and Design in 2012 for two years. In addition, he holds several professional leadership roles including Chief Communications Officer for the Kyoto Design Lab and a member of the Singapore President’s Design Awards jury since 2012 and the Chair of the jury since 2013. He is also an Award Ambassador for the HolcimLafarge Awards in Asia Pacific, a jury chair of archiprixSEA 2012 and 2016, a member of management board the TOTO Gallery MA, an Advisory Council member for the Barcelona Institute of Architecture. Erwin has been Editor of the influential magazine, a+u (Architecture + Urbanism) since 1996.
Erwin’s research passions revolve around the influence of new technologies and their related tools in broadening the impact of architecture.
For the past four years he has led the introduction of many new tools and technologies at KIT and driven a curriculum which balances between traditional architecture and new technologies. At KIT, collaboration is established with students from Harvard GSD and ETH-Zurich to work with masters student in Japan to explore the city and the gardens of Kyoto through spatial 3D design point cloud scanning and sound documentation.
Erwin is inspired by Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Smart Nation initiative, which seeks to understand how architecture and design can work with new technologies to create new experiences and spaces.
Awards.-
. Honorary Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Architects.
. Japan Foundation Fellowship.
. Council of Europe – Swedish Institute Fellowship.
. Kyoto City Grand Vision Appreciation.
