arch-peace: all latest news

Alvaro Maz on Creative Suburbs - Thursday 9 May 2013

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:00 GMT

Date: Thursday 9 May, 2013
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: Elisabeth Murdoch Building, Victorian College of the Arts (Southbank campus), 234 St Kilda Road, Melbourne

Last month’s panel discussion raised questions around how we occupy space – and the problems with existing planning and governance structures that limit and sometimes prohibit socially just access to space.

To continue this conversation, next month we have Alvaro Maz from Creative Suburbs – talking about ways to empower communities and individuals to shape the city they live in.

Alvaro is a former international development devotee interested in spreading ideas, examining and connecting places and people – when he’s not feeding his chocolate addiction. Originally from Colombia, he now lives, eats and blogs in Melbourne. Alvaro is also the founder of Creative Suburbs, a community consultation platform established to share and support ideas to enhance the built environment in suburban Melbourne.

Refreshments provided/gold coin donations welcome!

Image credit: Alvaro Maz

Volunteers session in Melbourne - Wednesday 24 April

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:50 GMT

Interested in volunteering with us?

We'll be holding an introductory session in Melbourne later this month for anyone interested in getting actively involved in the Architects for Peace team.

When
Wednesday 24 April 2013, 6.30pm-8pm

Where
The Basement Cafe (1:1 Architects office) 31 Niagara Lane, Melbourne

Why
This is an opportunity to be part of a supportive team of enthusiastic volunteers, expand your professional and social network, and have some fun - all while contributing to the promotion of sustainable urban development based on social justice, solidarity, respect and peace. As an active volunteer, you will be mentored in our operations, but also encouraged to initiate and implement your own ideas to further our shared objectives and take ownership of your contributions.

Come along to find out more about what's happening behind the scenes, and how you can contribute. For specific positions we're looking to fill, please check out details on our website here.

To register your interest, please RSVP to team@architectsforpeace.org by Friday 19 April.

PS Not in Melbourne? You're not alone - we have team members based in other parts of Australia and in far flung parts of the world. There are a number of ways you can contribute remotely - to find out more see our current position descriptions here.

Charla de lanzamiento del libro "La espacialidad del niño que no ve"

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:06 GMT

Inaugural speech for the launch of the book: "Spatiality of the child who doesn´t see" (Dic.20, 2012).

En el nombre de Mónica Díaz Vera y Constanza Mena Maino, autoras del libro “Espacialidad del niño que no ve”, y en mi nombre (Beatriz), les doy las gracias a todos por estar aquí. Para mí fue una sorpresa y es un verdadero honor haber sido invitada a lanzar este profundo, sutil e importante libro y que además cuenta con un prólogo especialmente escrito por Juhani Pallasmaa.

A través de la investigación realizada por las autoras y a través de los estudios a los que ellas se refieren—desde la perspectiva del aprendizaje espacial de los niños que no ven—este libro nos educa, nos sensibiliza y nos hace receptivos a una percepción distinta de lo cotidiano. De la misma forma en que un niño ciego enfrenta el mundo—como bien explican sus autoras, desde el detalle (o de lo particular) a lo general—este libro nos asiste a entender que quizás el cambio que necesitamos hacer para acoger diversidad, no es tan dificultoso, es más que nada un cambio de visión (me gusta la intencionalidad con que Mónica y Constanza han usado este término) y de voluntad.

Invitación al lanzamiento del libro, Dic. 20, 2012.

Volunteer with Architects for Peace! Latest position descriptions

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 03:05 GMT

Been thinking about getting involved with Architects for Peace but not sure where to start?

Public art project at Architects for Peace forum 'IntentCity'

Maybe you've been a member for a while, made the odd comment on Facebook - even come along to an event or two? Or perhaps you just stumbled across us and are wondering what it's all about? Architects for Peace is always looking for members to join our active team. Our organisation is fundamentally defined by our principles and the talents and energy of the volunteers behind it.

We are an inclusive and close-knit bunch. We are all volunteers juggling work, study and whatever else comes along. We're more than happy to have a chat to you about what's involved, what you're looking to get out of volunteering and what our expectations are. The role descriptions below give you an idea of the time commitment involved for certain key positions - though this is a guide only. If you are interested in a particular role, please email team@architectsforpeace.org with a CV and a bit about why you'd like to be involved. Remember to state the position for which you are applying.

1. Pro bono service team members (Melbourne):

If you believe good design is a right that should be accessible to everyone, we need you! We are looking for people to facilitate matches between willing pro bono architects and community groups in need of design services.

You have:

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Access to email to provide timely responses to pro bono enquiries
A general understanding of and interest in establishing design project parameters

Role

Receive applications for design services from community organisations, review with the pro bono team and determine eligibility
Work with applicants for services to help develop briefs and project scopes
Prepare notices for Expressions of Interest from service providers
Assess applications from service providers and identify suitable matches
Update project information on the website
Assemble and maintain a database of interested service providers
Promote the pro bono service among not-for-profit organisations

Time commitment: one pro bono meeting per quarter (max. 2 hours), plus 4-8 hours per month

2. Talk series coordination team members (Melbourne):

The monthly Words talk series has been running since 2005. It provides an alternative forum for the discussion of social justice in the built environment. Previously based at the RMIT public art department, we've recently moved to a brand new venue at the Victorian College of the Arts, and are exploring the notion of 'spatial justice' from a range of angles in 2013.

This position would suit members with a demonstrated interest in contributing to a critical discourse on current urban, architectural and environmental issues affecting our cities and communities.

The series is well-established and there is a wealth of information available to the new coordinator, plus an experienced team available to help you get started and provide ongoing mentorship and support.

This is an opportunity to gain experience, and be part of a dynamic team of enthusiastic volunteers. We are looking for people with any or all of the following skills to join the team:

You have:

An interest in creating informative and enjoyable social events, enjoy publicity, promotion and graphic design and/or ongoing debate via web based communications
Advance planning of future events
Lead brainstorming sessions with the team to plan future talks and other event initiatives

The roles

Graphic design (event flyers, online and print media)
Advanced blog posting
Writing (flyer content, event reviews)
Video recording and editing
Distribute promotional material (online and print media)

Time commitment: 4-8 hours a month

3. Blogger (anywhere in the world):

Do you enjoy blogging?

We need people who enjoy blogging and are familiar with the Facebook interface and HTML language.

You have:

A creative and a proactive approach
Great graphic design skills (colours, fonts, composition)
Preferably, a familiarity with uploading documents to web services such as Scribd/Issuu and generating scripts to be used in websites and newsletters.

Role:

Participate in our editorial group (Google based)
Receive and upload news and articles provided by other team members
Provide guidance on uploading material to other members
Respond to and act promptly on requests to post material online

Additionally (only if interested), we would also encourage you to find great and relevant articles and seek permission for their re-publication in arch-peace, commenting and/or writing your own posts.

Time commitment: 3-4 hours per month

4. Newsletter editor (anywhere in the world):

Do you enjoy graphic design and blogging?

We need people who enjoy graphic design and are able to take responsibility for our monthly newsletter. The information (articles, editorial, activities) will be there for you. You will edit an interactive and dynamic newsletter with links to the website, based on a web-based newsletter service template (we have just started using MailChimp: http://mailchimp.com/) .

You have:

A creative and a proactive approach
Great graphic design skills (colours, fonts, composition)
An eye for detail
Preferably, a familiarity with uploading documents to web services such as Scribd/Issuu and generating scripts to be used in websites and newsletters.

Role:

Participate in our editorial group (Google based)
Complete the newsletter template on a monthly basis
Identify possible ways to develop the newsletter design and raise with the core team

Time commitment: 4- 8 hours per month

5. Members’ coordinator (Melbourne):

This role would suit someone with excellent interpersonal skills, computer skills and the ability to strategically match needs with skills and interests.

This is an important role and the incumbent will have the opportunity to developed a clear and deep understanding of arch-peace operations to answer enquiries and be supported by the Committee of Management.. We will provide training in this area, however an interest in getting to know us how the organisation works and our activities is an essential pre-requisite.

You have:

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Regular access to email to provide timely responses to enquiries and membership applications
An interest in learning more about Architects for Peace and strengthening links with our members all over the globe

Role:

Follow up with a personal welcome to the automatic email acknowledgement of new members, and try to match expressed interest with active roles.
Respond to specific queries and/or forward as applicable to Steering Committee or Sub committee coordinators
Identify opportunities for the new member to be involved in specific arch-peace activities
Maintain a database of members including past correspondence and possibilities for future engagement
Work in conjunction with the finance officer to create a database of financially up-to-date members
Regularly report to the steering committee (monthly basis)
Stay up to date with current arch-peace operations
look for opportunities for membership drive and promotion

Time commitment: 8 - 12 hours per month

For specific information about working with Architects for Peace please click: here

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00 GMT

Archinect Interviews George Brugmans, IABR - Part 1, Making City

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 04:58 GMT

This article was first published in Archinect and has been republished with the permission of its author Orhan Ayyüce, member of the editorial board of Architects for Peace.

“I do not believe in throwing good stuff away. Every IABR edition builds on earlier editions. We refocus, change perspective, pick up new elements; we re-use and reconfigure, and then we scramble and stir. Compared to most other Biennales, we’re poor and small, so we have to be smart, not waste what we have, choose our battles, break rules, find shortcuts, work with good people, make friends and truly commit ourselves.” - George Brugmans

IABR, International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam is the most engaged urban Biennale in the world. Supported by the Dutch Government, the city of Rotterdam, the municipalities where the IABR runs test sites and the collaborators from NGO's, this urban biennale continues to discuss, engage, make, critique and invent solutions for pressing problems regarding the present and the future of the cities in this so called urban century with rapidly growing megalopolises and populations.
IABR holds that when we would all be living in better-made cities our future would be more sustainable, socially as well as economically. It therefore considers Making City to be the principal imperative of our times.
This is my second interview for Archinect with the Executive Director of IABR, George Brugmans, and the conversation continues from where we left it two years ago.

by Orhan Ayyüce

PART 1 Making City

A short introduction to the 5th IABR: Making City (Courtesy of IABRfilm)

Design team appointed for the Ligingi Community Learning Centre, Uganda

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:33 GMT

We're delighted to report that a pro bono design team has been appointed for the LCLC project in Uganda!

The team is made up of Australian architects Charity Edwards, Leila Allbrook and Jessica Black (who collectively go by the name Some Kind of Studio: an emerging Melbourne-based design studio) along with Charles Newman, an American architectural designer, currently based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Charles is working in Bukavu, in eastern DRC as a reconstruction manager for the International Rescue Committee, while Charity, Leila and Jessica all hold down day jobs at an architecture office in Melbourne. Geographic differences aside, all four have already been busily exploring architecture's potential to improve lives, in various ways, and bring a combined passion for community-driven design to the project.

An international team is a first for the Architects for Peace pro bono service, but it seems very much in the spirit of the LCLC and its co-founders Anna and Dennis - who have powerful ties to both Melbourne and Ligingi and seem to move effortlessly between these worlds. We wish the team well and look forward to bringing you progress updates soon! You can also keep in touch with the great stuff that the LCLC is up to at their website http://www.ligingi.com/

Architects for Peace, the LCLC and the SKOS team - all in one place for the first time