Seeing the close competition with Nusantara, makes students more curious to explore and express their creativity with works. The context of the varied natural wealth is certainly interesting to be explored further. Along with the issue of the already high extinction of flora and fauna in Indonesia, the International Architectural Competition WEX 2022 carries the tagline "If Architecture is The Nature".

According to the IUCN Red List 2021, endangered animal species rose by 49% in the last decade. Currently, the number of endangered wildlife species is 147 mammal species, 144 bird species, 28 reptile species, 29 fish species, and 28 invertebrate species. This phenomenon is getting worse due to community urbanization activities that are increasingly widespread and shifting the habitat of flora and fauna in Indonesia.

This competition will invite participants from all over the country to create unique works that can be a solution to protect wildlife. Animals in the wildlife center are expected to receive good treatment and service so that they can reduce extinction, as well as become a means of education to increase human awareness of the importance of flora and fauna habitat in maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

IAC WEX 2022 involves reliable starchitects namely Hwang Yun Hye (Associate Professor, National University of Singapore), Anton Siura (Founder of SIURA Studio, Singapore), and Yori Antar (Director of HAN AWAL & partners, Indonesia). Apart from the architects who have practiced for a long time, this competition also included Wildlife Reproductive Biotechnology Expert and Sumatran Tiger Studbook Keeper Regional Indonesia, Dr. Drh Ligaya ITA Tumbelaka, SpMP, MSc.

The designs of the finalists will be exhibited at the International Architectural Exhibition WEX 2022 which will be attended by international students, academics, practitioners, activists, and architects from 14 to 22 May 2022. Interested in competing internationally at IAC WEX 2021? Registration is open from February 2 to April 25, 2022.