Article by : Z.N. Ahmed, Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology-BUET

Published on: http://nation.ittefaq.com

"The architecture of the built environment needs to be climate-responsive in order to cope with these changing variables. At the same time, one needs to examine the present characteristics of the built-environment and seeks means of adaptation so that the existing stock can serve parameter that are being modified due to climate change. Due to the importance of the built-environment in influencing climate change, the role of architects is considered vital in the immediate future, towards designing buildings which are not too demanding on environmental conditions.

I work for Development Alternatives (India) and part of what we do is develop environmentally friendly building materials.

We are considering exporting a machine to some African countries that manufactures fly ash bricks and mud bricks without the need to fire them and I was wondering if you think that there would be demand for this product.

If you want a detailed description please see http://www.tara.in/tara/websitepages/TARADefault.aspx?catalogid=133

ADAO Gathering - Wednesday July 1st 2009, Florence, Italy

ADAO is preparing the 2° Organic Architecture Friends Gathering open to everyman "having at heart" Organic Architecture as a valid creative way of meaning life and human existence space-time. It will be a chance to know each other, to exchange ideas and opinions about the principles and manners of Organic Architecture making, to spread more organic ideals of love, truth and harmonic living space integrity.

2007 July 1st Wednesday foreseen program :

a) from 9.00 AM to 12.00 AM - ADAO Gathering at the Highway Church (designed by Giovanni Michelucci) on the Firenze Nord A1 highway exit.

b) 1.00 PM Lunch "Osteria del Gambero Rosso" Restaurant  ( 29,00 euro ) ,
designed by Giovanni Michelucci in Collodi ( near Pescia in Pistoia province ).

c) during the afternoon organic conversations strolling trough the Collodi Garden ( 8,00 euro ) and 6.00 PM till gathering farewell.

To help ADAO with the gathering organisation final details , please let us know if you are planning to attend, indicating your name, address, email, telephone numbers and participants number.

Please forward your assent to:

We are a Brazilian industry of OFFICE FURNITURE, OFFICE SEATING and THEATER/AUDITORIUM SEATING. We are looking for some sales representative, dealer, architect or any who could be our commercial agent in Africa. We have many products for stadiums, specially because of the World Soccer Cup 2010 in Africa.

Please ask to contact us by e-mail mobilli@mobilli.ind.br or by phone (5554) 3025-4333 (english spoken)

Fabio Rezler
Sales Director
Mobilli - Brazil
http://www.mobilli.ind.br

On the occasion of Frank Lloyd Wright's birthday, June 8, the Guggenheim Museum and Google launched Design It: Shelter Competition, a global, online initiative that invites the public to use Google Earth and Google SketchUp to create and submit designs for virtual 3-D shelters for a location of their choice anywhere on Earth.

The competition takes its inspiration from Learning By Doing, an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum's Sackler Center for Arts Education, which features plans, photographs, and models of shelters built by students at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.

= William J. R. Curtis, prestigious critic of architecture, is to chair the jury

= The total prize fund for the Awards is 60,000 Euros for the three categories

= Martha Thorne (Pritzker Awards director), Carme Pinós, Francesc Rifé, Juan Domingo Santos, Ramón Vilalta and Ramón Monfort will be part of the jury.

The Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers' Association (ASCER) is launching the eighth edition of Tile of Spain Awards of Architecture and Interior Design competition. The Awards are made in recognition of projects that best reflect the development of Spanish ceramic tiles in cutting edge architecture.

The deadline for handing in the projects is 30th October 2009. The Awards count on with a high recognition and prestige among the professional field and each year they have a jury comprise the most renowned architects. This year the jury will be chaired by the prestigious architect William J. R. Curtis and the architects Martha Thorne (architect and executive director of the Pritzker Awards), Carme Pinós, Ramón Vilalta (RCR Arquitectes), Juan Domingo Santos and Ramón Monfort; and the interior designer Francesc Rifé.

From Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 1, Rotterdam

The Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR) offers four days to enjoy architecture in film. Here are the world's best movies, recent documentaries and most stunning animations that depict the city and architecture in a special way. The screenings will be introduced by filmmakers and designers, debated with experts and the world premieres will be celebrated. The fifth edition of the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam takes place from October 29 to November 1.

The 60 films that AFFR screens are rarely or never seen before in the Netherlands. The program is extremely varied - from documentaries to tearjerker, from short to long, from premiere film to cult classic. Stories take place against the spectacular backdrop of a megacity Shanghai, the landscape of Iceland, the always sunny Palm Springs or cities in distress as Havana and Asmara. With new biographies of world famous architects and lesser known creative self builders. But a documentary about the new Vinex neighborhood in the Haarlemmermeer and a portrait of the Rotterdam Kop van Zuid area are also included in the program.

Special guests

"The aim of the competition is to promote online discussion and research through which to generate insights and visions, ideas and proposals that help us envisage what the city and the habitat of the 21st century will be like.