President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) met with the 2024 winners of the Yuan Ye architectural and garden awards Monday. In his congratulatory statements, he encouraged industry officials present to continue to work in cross-field collaboration to help bring Taiwan into a better, more sustainable future.
The Yuan Ye awards is regarded as Taiwan’s Oscar in architecture. The annual award ceremony is held by private organizations and features the year’s best green buildings. 2024 marked the award’s 30-year milestone and featured three new categories for net-zero buildings, humanistic architecture, and smart buildings, all of which are in line with global trends.
Meeting with representatives for the award-winning parties at the Presidential Palace Monday, President Lai praised the award organizers and affiliated organizations for their attention not only to the quality of architecture and construction, but also to ideals such as landscape impact and environmental sustainability.
President Lai pointed out that all award-winning parties used their works to alter the urban and rural landscape of Taiwan, citing the animal shelter he recently visited in Pingtung county, which transformed historical sites into a caring environment for Taiwan’s strays. He also used the example of Kaohsiung’s own Pier-2, which repurposed the original abandoned warehouses as a new creative base for local residents.
President Lai encouraged industry representatives to continue adopting green infrastructure and promoting smart living spaces with the ultimate goal of creating a smart net-zero building industry chain. Such advancements create better buildings and environments, both enhancing Taiwan’s competitiveness and creating a better place for all of Taiwanese society.