Our colleagues from the Asia Obayashi Design (AOD) Singapore Unit hosted the 4th AOD Forum 2026 in Tokyo, bringing together design professionals from Obayashi Group Companies across the Asia-Pacific region for a three-day programme of learning, collaboration and exchange.
Held under the theme “Empowering People Through AI,” the programme featured leadership sharing, Group Company showcases, construction-site visits and a guided tour of Obayashi Corporation’s Technical Research Institute.
A key highlight was the collaborative design workshop, where multidisciplinary teams explored how AI could support the conceptual design of a fictional woodland research outpost. Participants used AI to organise information, identify missing requirements, compare design options and visualise ideas, while keeping professional judgement and accountability at the heart of the design process.
The forum concluded with team presentations and discussions on how AI can be applied responsibly to strengthen design thinking and collaboration. AOD Forum 2026 reinforced the importance of early design consideration, cross-disciplinary teamwork and stronger knowledge sharing across the Obayashi Group.
The AOD Singapore team looks forward to continuing the forum and strengthening the integration of design practices across the Asia-Pacific region.
