AIA Southeast Asia - Understanding Neurodiversity: Supporting Sensory Needs in The Workplace

When: Friday 10 July 2026 @ 03:30 (Eastern US time)/ 15.30 (Malaysia time)
Where: Haworth International Malaysia Showroom, Suite #12-01, 12th Floor, Menara Keck Seng, 203 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia/ ONLINE

Speaker

Alessandro Cesana, Director of Ideation International, Haworth; AP & EMEA

Description

An interactive session exploring neurodiversity in the workplace and its influence on how people work, process stimuli, and experience office environments. The session introduces insights from Haworth’s latest neurodiversity research and examines how different sensory needs and cognitive styles can inform more inclusive workplace design. Combining a concise presentation with a hands-on workshop, participants will use personas to understand diverse perspectives and work in teams to develop practical workplace solutions that support well-being, creativity, and innovation.

PLEASE NOTE: Spaces at the Haworth showroom are strictly limited to 15 maximum.

Speaker Bio

Alessandro leads the Ideation team at Haworth across EMEA and AP, a creative, multicultural, and distributed team that serves as the workplace advisory and research arm of the business. With over 13 years of experience in the architecture and design industry, Alessandro is a skilled design strategist and innovative thinker, known for his ability to address client needs through a solutions-oriented approach.

Haworth Ideation has spent the past few years researching how the workplace is evolving, particularly as hybrid work continues to reshape the physical office and the overall employee experience. Its latest research initiative focuses on neurodiversity, exploring how both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals perceive and are supported by the built environment, and how workplace design can better accommodate a broader range of cognitive, sensory, and social needs.

AIA International - Bangalore: A Dual Feature on Sustainable & Transformative Architecture

When: Saturday 4 July 2026 @ 00:30 (Eastern US time)/ 10:00 (India time)
Where: D-Collative Associates Pvt. Ltd., 452, First Floor, 8th Cross, 5th Main, HIG (Dollars Colony), RMV 2nd Stage, New BEL Road, Bangalore 560094, India/ ONLINE

Speakers

Sharath Ravindran, Director / Architect, D-Collative Associates Pvt. Ltd.

Yogeshwar Kulkarni, Executive Director, NZD Studio

Description

We invite you to join us in person or online for a hybrid presentation hosted by AIA International members in India!

This event is open to all - anyone can join online! Whether you are an architect, student, designer, or built environment enthusiast, you are welcome to attend.

We are bringing together two incredible design leaders in Bengaluru for a dual feature on sustainable, forward-thinking architecture.

Featured Presentations

1. The Regenerative Shift: Transforming the Built Environment -

   Sharath Ravindran, Director / Architect, D-Collative Associates Pvt. Ltd.

2. Select Works 2016–2026 -

   Yogeshwar Kulkarni, Executive Director, NZD Studio.

We look forward to an impactful morning of architectural dialogue.

How to Join:

In-Person at D-Collative Associates Pvt. Ltd., New BEL Road, Bengaluru. No registration required.

📌 Google Maps Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Rncpr2Rz421xwdfbA?g_st=iw.

Online (Google Meet): https://meet.google.com/tfr-tksi-tyv.

AIA International Mentorship Program 2026 - Design Dialogues: A Meet and Greet Discussion Session

The AIA International Global Mentorship Program invites everyone to join our May Program on May 21. This event is open to all.

When: Thursday 21 May 2026 @ 09:00 (Eastern US time)
Where: Online

Description

The AIA International Global Mentorship Program invites everyone to join our meet and greet mentor session on May 21!

In this session, we will focus on creating the pairings for this year through a virtual meet and greet session. In this session, we will meet in breakout sessions with potential mentors and mentees to shortly share a bit about yourself as well as your goals for this mentorship program. In this way we can facilitate the best pairing for everyone for the 2025 season. 

To join this open session, please register using the link below.

The theme of the 2026 AIA International Mentorship Program is Design by Discovery. 

To design is to experiment. By questioning norms and continuously testing ideas, we unlock new forms, materials, and spatial experiences. This series highlights the power of experimentation—from re-use to radical rethinking—to expand the limits of what architecture and design can be. Participants are invited to share and discover processes that challenge, refine, and ultimately elevate our practice.

The mentorship program includes regular online group events which are open to all, as well as one-to-one mentoring.

If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Bryant at emergingprofessionals@aiainternational.org.