Events

Architecture – but not as we know it….

Seven potential futures for architecture and architects. Which future do you want to have?

This event has seven invited speakers who will each present their perspective on the future for architects and architecture, on how architects, their institutions, relationships, skills and ways of working should evolve to address the challenges and opportunities of the next five years.

 

Supported by Queen’s University Belfast, The Royal Society of Ulster Architects, University of Ulster, The Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG), PLACE

 

Sponsor patton – http://www.patton.co.uk/

“Established 100 years ago, we take great pride in our commitment to quality and high levels of customer service, two differentiating factors that set us apart from the competition. With 400

members of staff and a wide geographical coverage across the UK, Ireland and more recently Europe, we offer one of the most comprehensive services available in the construction industry.”

 

When – Friday 24th February 2012 – 2pm – 6.30pm

Where – Lecture Theatre 0G 024, Peter Frogatt Centre, The Quad, Queen’s University Belfast.

Attendance – Architects, students of architecture, teachers and researchers of architecture, policy makers, architects and representatives of organisations and institutions promoting and supporting architecture and architects.

How much – The event is free but we are anticipating high demand, so access is by registration and ticket only and on a first come first served basis.

Registration – Those wishing to attend must register through:

Members of the RSUA: gillian.rsua@dnet.co.uk 02890323760

Staff and students currently enrolled on a University of Ulster programme: To be confirmed

Staff and students currently enrolled on a Queen’s University programme: d.agnew@qub.ac.uk 02890974006

Invitations will also be sent out through MAG and PLACE.

 

Neil Baxter

Neil became secretary and treasurer of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in 2008. Neil was previously principal of his own architectural and interpretation consultancy and Development Director of Glasgow Building Preservation Trust. He has lectured on urbanism, written for numerous newspapers and journals and is a frequent media spokesman on the subject of architecture and design. Neil wrote ‘The Wee Green Book’, a history of Glasgow Green, co-authored Pat Lally’s ‘Lazarus Only Done it Once’, edited the Glasgow medieval history, ‘A Tale of Two Towns’, and ‘A Life in Cities’, the autobiography of David Mackay (MBM, Barcelona). In May 2008, Neil received Glasgow’s Lord Provost’s Award for services to heritage. In recent years the RIAS has enjoyed an increasingly better relationship with the Scottish government and its ministers and a higher profile in the cultural life of Scotland.

 

Brendan Kilpatrick

Brendan is originally from Pomeroy, Co Tyrone and after completing his architectural education in Liverpool he began practice in London. Brendan now leads the largest design group within PRP Architects, London, which specialises in large-scale urban regeneration and masterplanning. PRP Architects have partnered with Northern Ireland based practices to undertake some joint projects. Brendan’s group comprises of multi-disciplinary specialist teams covering urban design, landscape architecture, environmental sustainability and technical delivery. His expertise spans all forms of UK housing, with a special emphasis on social-led urban regeneration schemes. He has extensive experience in design and build as a method of procurement both for refurbishment and new-build projects. PRP Architects also have offices in Moscow, China and South Africa.

 

Michelle Fagan

Michelle Fagan graduated from Dublin Institute of Technology in 1990. After practicing in Germany she returned to Dublin in 1996 to work with ABK Architects and set up FKL Architects with Paul Kelly and Gary Lysaght in 1998. FKL is award winning, design orientated and focused on environmental issues and research through the medium of practice. Michelle is a contributor to the Urban Reports symposium and publication at the ETH Zurich and is President of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland from 2012-14. During her Presidency Michelle ….”would like to open discussions about methods for engaging the public, for becoming essential to our communities…… I would like to focus on how we can encourage and support a general practice model and to encourage architects to become embedded in their communities culturally and politically. The RIAI, its members, the Council and the President are there to promote and support them. As a profession we must support each other, be proud of ourselves and have the courage of our convictions.”

 

Willie Watt

Willie is a partner of the Nicholl Russell Studios located in Dundee, Scotland. He is a fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects of Scotland and is the convenor of the RIAS Practice Committee. He spoke at the recent Scottish Government National Procurement Conference in Glasgow. His interest in procurement matters has led him to sit on the Royal Institute of British Architect’s Procurement Reform Group. First and foremost an architect, Willie has built a growing knowledge base related to procurement practice in the construction industry as both a bidder and an assessor – technical advisor and via his work with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland to create the 2011 report documenting the review by the RIAS’s President’s Commission on Procurement. This review, chaired by a QC, was over one year in preparation, and reveals that architectural procurement in Scotland is very costly, highly inefficient and damaging to Scotland’s economy. This is at a time when public projects are vitally important for local employment and to the micro-organisations and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) which employ most of the workforce within the construction industry.

 

Peter Trebilcock

Peter is a chartered architect and design director for Balfour Beatty Northern, a major contractor and client based in Manchester. He was a member of RIBA National Council 1997-2003 and has won various design competitions and judged a number of design awards. He recently announced at a RIBA event that in the previous year he had paid out £15M in architects fees and the same amount to engineers. Practices he has appointed for projects include those with RIBA Awards and having been shortlisted for the Stirling Prize. At a RIBA Futures debate in November 2011, Peter spoke in support of the motion, ‘This house believes that contractors are the architects of the future – is traditional, independent practice set to become a thing of the past?”. He is Building Information Modelling (BIM) champion within his organisation.

 

Simon Foxell

Simon is principal of The Architect’s Practice in North London. He has sat on RIBA Council and been Chair of the RIBA Small Practice Committee. Simon is the editor, author or co-author of a number of reports and publications looking at the future of practice and the profession. These include being editor and contributor to “The professionals choice: The future of the built environment professions” (2003) and author of “RIBA Good Practice Guide: Starting a Practice”, 2006, which has been described as “part of the RIBA Good Practice series, Guide to Starting a Practice is an essential first point of reference for all architects considering setting up their own business.” He authored “Mapping London Making Sense of the City” in 2007 and the review by Wallpaper* confirmed this publication as, “A treat for cartophiles, Foxell’s epic survey of the history of the capital’s maps tracks the burgeoning metropolis through hundreds of different images… An excellent introduction to a subject of limitless scope”. He is also author of “Mapping England” (2008) and was co-editor of “Education and Creativity: The Edge Futures” in 2008.

 

David Saxby

David is co-founder of Architecture 00:/, a London based strategy & design practice. The practice is driven by an aspiration to create genuinely sustainable places founded on evidenced social, economic, and environmental principles. They work with a broad spectrum of clients and collaborators to new service delivery infrastructures for healthcare, learning, and creative enterprise, alongside a number of ultra-low-energy private houses. David is a qualified architect having spent eight years with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios working on schemes including the RIBA Award-winning Northampton Academy, Yorkshire ArtSpace and Queen Mary’s Student Village. Currently David leads 00:/ project teams designing and constructing sustainable neighbourhoods, innovative workspace, new educational environments, and ultralow energy homes. David co-authored “A Right To Build: The Next Mass House-Building Industry”, and a UK Government Sponsored Study on building integrated renewable energy sources. He has worked closely with the BRE understanding the reality of delivery of zero-carbon housing and retrofits in the UK. David is a member of the Ethical Property Foundation’s Register of Property Professionals and has lectured and taught at University of Bath. David writes on architecture for the RIBA Journal.