WAE-Women In Architecture & Engineering

04/07/2026

🎥 We are proud to share the third Build4People Visual Utopias clip — Revitalizing the Public Space in Front of Phnom Penh Post Office!

👉 https://youtu.be/5vZvvFehCAA?si=LltO7vA2765JMdhG

The public space in front of Phnom Penh Post Office, surrounded by iconic French colonial architecture, is currently mainly used as a parking area. This limits its potential as a vibrant, inclusive, and people-centered urban space.

This Visual Utopia reimagines the site with raised pedestrian crossings, wider sidewalks, shaded areas, sidewalk cafés, seating, and improved accessibility. It creates a safer, greener, and more welcoming space for everyone, day and night. ♿☀️

The clip was created by Meng Vathana from The Gentry Hub, whose creative visual storytelling brings this urban vision to life. 👏✨

03/07/2026

🎥 We are proud to share the second Build4People Visual Utopias clip: Reconnecting Pedestrians to Wat Phnom Park

👉 https://youtu.be/9kJuMgvkQ30

Wat Phnom is one of Phnom Penh's most important cultural and public landmarks, welcoming both local residents and visitors from around the world. However, the surrounding roundabout presents significant challenges for pedestrians. Narrow sidewalks, tree obstructions, informal parking, and the lack of safe pedestrian crossings make access to the park difficult, uncomfortable, and unsafe.

This Visual Utopia reimagines the area with a raised pedestrian crossing, wider sidewalks, accessible tree grates, and thoughtful urban amenities such as benches and waste bins. These practical interventions prioritize pedestrian safety, accessibility, and comfort while reconnecting people to Wat Phnom Park and creating a more inclusive, welcoming public space for everyone.

This clip was created by our talented student, William Cheav, from the Architecture and Urbanism program at Norton University, with survey support from Kimleng Keam from BELTEI International University.

Special thanks to our mentors, Vathana Meng and Daro Hor, for their guidance throughout the project.

This work was made possible through our collaboration with Build4People, which inspired and supported the development of the Visual Utopias initiative as a powerful communication tool for promoting inclusive, sustainable, and gender-sensitive urban transformation in Phnom Penh.

20/06/2026

WAE is delighted to take part in Build4People Transition Manufactory 2026.

This video clip is a brief documentation of the first B4P Transitio...

08/06/2026

🎥 We are proud to share the first B4P Visual Utopias Clip — Central Market for All

👉 https://youtu.be/-1rWzwkmeVI

The Central Market is one of Phnom Penh's most iconic landmarks, a vibrant economic heart of the city. Yet like many urban spaces, it still has room to become more inclusive and welcoming for everyone. This visual utopia imagines elevated crosswalks for pedestrians and people with disabilities, greener and cooler streets, improved market stalls, and solar panels for better energy efficiency. Small but powerful changes that put people first. 🌿🚶🏽‍♀️♿

This clip was created by our wonderful students, Va Meng Er and Norak Silver, from the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia. We are so proud of their creativity, dedication, and vision. 🙏✨

This work was made possible through our collaboration with Build4People who inspired and guided the development of Visual Utopias for Phnom Penh as a powerful communication tool to foster inclusive and gender-sensitive urban transformation. Thank you, Build4People, for believing in the voices of young designers. ❤️

07/06/2026

✨Our highlighted collaboration in March

Women in Architecture & Engineering (WAE) was proud to be part of the Build4People Transition Manufactory 2026 #1. Over 4 days, our students worked hard to explore and raise awareness about designing inclusive urban spaces (Creating Animated Visual Urban Utopias: Inclusive Urban Development of Phnom Penh).

Guided by our dedicated mentors, they poured their ideas into animated video outcomes and confidently showcased their urban utopias for Phnom Penh to diverse stakeholders on 12 March 2026.

A big thank you to Build4People for this meaningful opportunity, to our mentors for their unwavering support, and to our students for their hard work and creativity. We look forward to more collaborations ahead. 🙏

Students: Va Meng Er, Bet Theary, Keam Kimleng, Prak Norak, Neal Linda, Cheav William
Mentors: Hor Daro, Meng Vathana

09/03/2026

Today marked a great start to our workshop and Build4People kick-off conference! 🌟

In the morning, there were experts from diverse sectors and students from different universities. They came together across four groups to connect and exchange ideas. We are proud that Women in Architecture and Engineering (W.A.E.) is one of the partner projects contributing to this initiative. 🤝🏽✨

In the afternoon, our group explored storytelling and inclusivity in urban development. Participants conducted site observations, discussed local contexts, drafted short concept briefs, and learned video editing tools to help transform their ideas into creative visual storytelling. 🎥📝

Excited to see how these ideas will evolve into inspiring visual urban utopias for Phnom Penh in the coming days!

05/03/2026

🚨 Last Call for Applications!

Applications are still open for the workshop Creating Animated Visual Urban Utopias: Inclusive Urban Development of Phnom Penh, part of the Build4People Transition Manufactory 2026 #1.

Join this 4-day design sprint where youth, designers, and urban thinkers will explore ideas for inclusive urban development and transform them into animated visual concepts.

✨ Flexible Participation
To make it easier for everyone to join, the workshop is organized in a hybrid format:

💻 Remote sessions for learning, discussions, and mentoring
📍 On-site sessions for site observation, teamwork, and final presentations

This flexible schedule allows participants to balance their commitments while still fully engaging in the workshop.

📅 Duration: 4 days (9th-12th, March 2026)
🎯 Who should apply: Students, young professionals, designers, planners, and anyone interested in inclusive cities and animation.

⏳ Don’t miss the opportunity, this is the final call to apply!

🚀 Ready to Reimagine the Future of Inclusive Urban Development of Phnom Penh?
📣 Call for Applications is Now Open!

WAE is co-hosting “Creating animated Visual Urban Utopias: Inclusive urban development of Phnom Penh”, a 4-day design sprint under the Build4People Transition Manufactory 2026 #1.

Through guided learning and simple animation tools, participants will create short before–after videos transforming Phnom Penh into sustainable, inclusive, and people-centered urban futures. It is inspired by German artist Jan Kamensky (Video Sample: https://youtu.be/O4WDaZMhJEQ?si=_d1yztoRvfQ0fyJG).

The results will be showcased in the Build4People Transition Manufactory, a collaborative urban visioning initiative connecting German experts, the Phnom Penh city government, a major local real estate company, and local universities.

👥 Open to everyone:
- Students & young professionals in architecture, engineering, planning, design, media, or related fields
- Youth advocates, creatives, and storytellers
(No advanced animation skills required, while basic editing skills are a plus.)
🏆 Certificate/ mentorship /opportunity to showcase your work at Phnom Penh City Hall
🗓 Deadline: 5 March 2026 (6:00 PM)
📍 Workshop: 9–12 March 2026
👉 Ready to shape the future?
Apply Here: https://forms.gle/yA1p12SksF6qqVvk8

04/03/2026

⏳ 2 Days Left to Apply!

🚀 Ready to Reimagine the Future of Inclusive Urban Development of Phnom Penh?
📣 Call for Applications is Now Open!

WAE is co-hosting “Creating animated Visual Urban Utopias: Inclusive urban development of Phnom Penh”, a 4-day design sprint under the Build4People Transition Manufactory 2026 #1.

Through guided learning and simple animation tools, participants will create short before–after videos transforming Phnom Penh into sustainable, inclusive, and people-centered urban futures. It is inspired by German artist Jan Kamensky (Video Sample: https://youtu.be/O4WDaZMhJEQ?si=_d1yztoRvfQ0fyJG).

The results will be showcased in the Build4People Transition Manufactory, a collaborative urban visioning initiative connecting German experts, the Phnom Penh city government, a major local real estate company, and local universities.

👥 Open to everyone:
- Students & young professionals in architecture, engineering, planning, design, media, or related fields
- Youth advocates, creatives, and storytellers
(No advanced animation skills required, while basic editing skills are a plus.)
🏆 Certificate/ mentorship /opportunity to showcase your work at Phnom Penh City Hall
🗓 Deadline: 5 March 2026 (6:00 PM)
📍 Workshop: 9–12 March 2026
👉 Ready to shape the future?
Apply Here: https://forms.gle/yA1p12SksF6qqVvk8

01/03/2026

🚀 Ready to Reimagine the Future of Inclusive Urban Development of Phnom Penh?
📣 Call for Applications is Now Open!

WAE is co-hosting “Creating animated Visual Urban Utopias: Inclusive urban development of Phnom Penh”, a 4-day design sprint under the Build4People Transition Manufactory 2026 #1.

Through guided learning and simple animation tools, participants will create short before–after videos transforming Phnom Penh into sustainable, inclusive, and people-centered urban futures. It is inspired by German artist Jan Kamensky (Video Sample: https://youtu.be/O4WDaZMhJEQ?si=_d1yztoRvfQ0fyJG).

The results will be showcased in the Build4People Transition Manufactory, a collaborative urban visioning initiative connecting German experts, the Phnom Penh city government, a major local real estate company, and local universities.

👥 Open to everyone:
- Students & young professionals in architecture, engineering, planning, design, media, or related fields
- Youth advocates, creatives, and storytellers
(No advanced animation skills required, while basic editing skills are a plus.)
🏆 Certificate/ mentorship /opportunity to showcase your work at Phnom Penh City Hall
🗓 Deadline: 5 March 2026 (6:00 PM)
📍 Workshop: 9–12 March 2026
👉 Ready to shape the future?
Apply Here: https://forms.gle/yA1p12SksF6qqVvk8

21/02/2026

✨️WAE proudly celebrates the publication of the Planning & Design Guideline: Governance & Participation by Build4People , co-published with the Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies.

We are honored that our Founder, Sokunlanita May, contributed as a reviewer to this important publication.

Build4People is thrilled to announce the publication of the Planning and Design Guideline Governance & Participation in Khmer language, a key element of the B4P Transformation Toolbox. Co-publisher is the Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies.

https://build4people.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/B4P_TTB_02-6_Design_Guideline_Khmer_GP_2026_02_24.pdf

This newly released guideline is the result of several years of intensive transdisciplinary collaboration within the Build4People project. It synthesizes conceptual and methodological insights from participation research, practical experiences gathered through the implementation of participatory formats in close cooperation with local research partners, and the expertise of future Build4People partners in the field of digital participation tools.

The documented practical experiences reflect important lessons learned from adapting and further developing widely established participatory approaches to the specific socio-cultural context of Phnom Penh.

Participation is always an open, evolving process. In this sense, the guideline should also be understood as a living document, one that will continue to grow through future experiences and contextual adaptations in Phnom Penh, allowing it to remain relevant and impactful over time.

Our particular thanks go to all of the authors and reviewers who made this publication possible.

Authors:

- Anke Blöbaum Blöbaum, Department of Environmental Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg
- Michael Waibel, Department of Geography, University of Hildesheim
- Anja Jannack, Laboratory of Knowledge Architecture at TU Dresden
- Sovanarith Sieng, UN-Habitat Bangkok Programme Office, formerly SMMR project
- Andreas Deuß, Department of Environmental Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg
- Christina Karagianni, Department of Sustainable Building Technology, Technical University of Applied Sciences Lübeck
- Yannick Müller, CityLAB Berlin, Germany

Reviewers

- Rolf Messerschmidt, Eble Messerschmidt Partner, Tübingen, Germany
- Sokunlanita May, Chair of die Association WAE-Women In Architecture & Engineering