Pictures of the excellent AAI Site Visit lead by Garry Mongey of Box Architecture along with Ross Millaney now up on their own website which is also worth a visit.
Thanks to Umberto for delivering an excellent lecture last night.
LAN (Local Architecture Network) was created by Benoît Jallon and Umberto Napolitano in 2002, with the idea of exploring architecture as an area of activity at the intersection of several disciplines. This attitude has developed into a methodology enabling LAN to explore new territories and forge a vision encompassing social, urban, functional and formal questions. LAN’s projects seek to find elegant, contemporary answers to creative and pragmatic concerns.
LAN has received several awards: the Nouveaux Albums de la Jeune Architecture (NAJA) prize awarded by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication (2004); the International Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Urban Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, the Archi-Bau Award, the Special Prize at the 12th World Triennale of Architecture, Sofia (2009); the AR Mipim Future Projects Award and the Europe 40 Under 40 Award (2010).
The gallery is online for Building Material's online call for submissions on the theme of mapping.
We initially sought submissions that explored mapping as a means of analysing and understanding the effects of our current position in the economic cycle on architecture and the built environment. We looked for submissions from all disciplines including anthropologists, archaeologists, artists, cartographers, geographers, illustrators, sociologists, scientists, surveyors… and architects.
Building Material is the journal of the Architectural Association of Ireland. The images below are Mark Halpin's N11 Traffic Analysis and James Young's Water Towers of Ireland, which can be seen in the gallery along with further images and details on both projects.
From the 1940s to the 1990s, the AAI regularly published a number of newsletters for its members capturing something of the spirit of the time from which they date. We will be uploading excerpts from these over the coming months.
The following series of ads for AAI membership are from the 1986 AAI Newsletter, designed by John O'Regan and featuring a series of luminaries berating readers into resubscribing.
Robert Venturi (Vol. 6, No. 1 - June 1986)
Oswald Mathias Ungers (Vol. 6, No. 2 - August 1986)
Aldo Van Eyck (Vol. 6, No. 3 - September 1986)
From the 1940s to the 1990s, the AAI regularly published a number of newsletters for its members capturing something of the spirit of the time from which they date. We will be uploading excerpts from these over the coming months.
Monday 4th April 2011, 6pm - 7.30pm
In conjunction with Michelle Browne, the journal of the Architectural Association of Ireland, Building Material, hosted an evening of presentations and discussions on the theme of mapping and vacant spaces. Speakers included Professor Rob Kitchin, Director of NIRSA; Blaithin Quinn, visual artist, architect and Director of TransColonia; Miriam Delaney, architect and Teaching Fellow at Queenâs University Belfast; and Conor McGarrigle, artist and researcher. The event was chaired by Stephen Mulhall architect, editor and studio tutor.
Audio podcasts and images also available at:
http://www.archive.org/details/ExhibitionsTalkMapping
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The following are the results of the Architectural Association of Ireland’s AAI Awards 2011 – the 26th in this series of annual awards for excellence in architectural design – which were adjudicated on Friday, 29.10.10.
ASSESORS 2011:
WILLIAM JR CURTIS, critic
JO TAILLIEU, architect, De Vylder Vinck Taillieu Architects
TONY FRETTON, architect, Tony Fretton Architects
MERRITT BUCHOLZ, architect, Bucholz McEvoy Architects
SENATOR IVANA BACIK, distinguished non-architect
MEDAL
The Downes Bronze Medal was not awarded. (note: it was not awarded in 7 of the previous 25 years)
AAI AWARDS
The maximum number of AAI Awards is seven. This year the jury selected 7 projects for Awards, including 4 for Special Awards.
They are (in alphabetical order by architect):
SPECIAL AWARDS
RATHMINES SQUARE, Dublin 6 — DONNELLY TURPIN ARCHITECTS
SOCIAL & AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, SANTRY — DTA ARCHITECTS
A HOUSE, Rathmines, Dublin 6 — FKL ARCHITECTS
HOUSE IN WOODS, Co Kildare— HASSETT DUCATEZ ARCHITECTS
AWARDS
BORD GÁIS ABOVE-GROUND INSTALLATION, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1— John McLaughlin, DDDA & MARTIN RICHMAN, artist
AVIVA STADIUM, Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4 — POPULOUS & SCOTT TALLON WALKER ARCHITECTS
€25,000 HOUSE, Cloone, Co Leitrim— DOMINIC STEVENS ARCHITECTS
SPECIAL MENTIONS
Any number of entries may be selected for Special Mention. This year the jury selected 15 projects For Special Mention.
They are (in alphabetical order by architect):
ARTIST’S PRODUCTION SPACE, Vienna— A2 ARCHITECTS
BRICK A BACK, Gordon Street, Dublin 4 — ARCHITECTURE REPUBLIC
LOGGIA – Student Workshop, Angone, Italy — ATTLEY DONNELLAN KELLY O’BRIEN ARCHITECTS
BALLYROAN PASTORAL CENTRE, Rathfarnham, Dublin— BOX ARCHITECTURE
HOUSE REFURBISHMENT & EXTENSION, Dartry, Dublin 6— CARSON AND CRUSHELL ARCHITECTS
FLITCH, Ranelagh, Dublin 6— DONAGHY + DIMOND ARCHITECTS
A DOMESTIC EVOLUTION, Sandymount, Dublin 4— DAVID FLYNN ARCHITECT
HOUSE FOR A PRESIDENT, University of Limerick— GRAFTON ARCHITECTS
SALLYMOUNT TERRACE, Ranelagh, Dublin 6— RYAN W KENNIHAN ARCHITECTS
Z SQUARE HOUSE, Temple Gardens, Dublin 6— McCULLOUGH MULVIN ARCHITECTS
DUNSHAUGHLIN PASTORAL CENTRE, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath— McGARRY NíÉANAIGH ARCHITECTS
TWO OF EVERYTHING, Sandymount, Dublin 4 — ROBIN MANDAL ARCHITECTS / FITZPATRICK & MAYS ARCHITECTS
CHILD & ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, Galway— MOLONEY O’BEIRNE ARCHITECTS
JESUIT COMMUNITY, Milltown Park, Dublin 6— SCOTT TALLON WALKER ARCHITECTS
GLASNEVIN NATIONAL HERITAGE PROJECT + GLASNEVIN TRUST MUSEUM— A&D WEJCHERT & PARTNERS ARCHITECTS
Thank you all for coming this evening despite the weather and the distinct lack of CPD points on offer for this particular AAI event. In the current culture of abrasive architectural acronyms (CPDs, PPQs, PPP's, PSDP's) it is worth reminding ourselves of the origins of language and architecture. In his Ten Books on Architecture Vitruvius relates one such story.
A spontaneous forest fire started by nature itself, at first insights fear in those that see it. Through regular fuelling of this fire the peoples come to a shared understanding of its value as a source of warmth for the community and a means of surviving the harsh winters.
Vitruvius suggests that in giving this social event a name that language and architecture developed in civilization.
The Architectural Association of Ireland continues this tradition since its foundation in 1896 as a medium of friendly communication. It is through our own social events, the whispers at the back of the lecture theatre, the debates that follow, the questions during site visits, the submissions to our journal Building Material or the presenting of one's work in a forum such as this that the language of architecture can develop. I call on all present to continue your engagement in these social events as the very best means of supporting the AAI.
I would like to thank all our Members, Patrons, Friends, Sponsors and the Arts Council for their financial support. I would also like to especially thank darcspace and all those on the committee who helped with the awards and this exhibition: Kate Gannon (Events Officer), Conor McGowan (Secretary), Fergus Naughton (Site Visits Officer) and Dave Cuddy. Particular thanks are due to Colm Dunbar, the AAI's membership officer who has worked tirelessly to organise both tonight and the move of this exhibition in two weeks time to the Print Room of the National Gallery on Merrion Square. Please make Colm feel extra appreciated by renewing your membership on you way out. I would also like to thank the jurors for 2010 and those on the AAI's awards panel last year: Paddy Cahill, Miriam Delaney and Hugo Lamont. Hugo, now ex-officio on the committee, has been of great assistance throughout these first few months of my presidency and I would like to take this opportunity to make special mention for the incredible amount of work he put in as President in 2010, our own annus horribilis. Since last year the AAI has seen the departure of our administrator, our ongoing restructuring and a significant cut of over half of our funding. Despite this the AAI has (with the help of Culture Ireland and under the generous curatorship of Shane O'Toole) sent a significant exhibition of 10 years of AAI Awards to Europe, inaugurated the first AAI 'Sale of Work' during Open House week and hosted or co-hosted over 30 events across the island of Ireland with over 50 architects continuing this tradition of naming the fire. Therefore the valuable advice given to us by previous AAI Presidents and previous committee members and the ongoing efforts of the current committee and volunteers throughout the year must also be mentioned, in particular Darius Cyparski, Alice Clancey, Ronan McCann, Antoin Doyle, Ellen Rowley, Joa van Wyck, Stephen Mulhall and each of our student reps in the universities across the island.
I now call on our distinguished guest, Minister Ruairi Quinn to formally open this exhibition and present the awards for 2011.
Thank you
Douglas Carson AAI President 2011
A development afternoon for architects exploring the potential for architecture as a public art practice
Invited Participants: Elizabeth Hatz; Dominic Stevens; Kevin Donovan; Declan Long; Valerie Connor; Rosie Lynch; Cultrustruction; Michelle Browne; Nathalie Weadick; Ruairí Ó Cuív.
Context: The development day for architecture is a collaborative initiative between the Dublin City Council and the Irish Architecture Foundation in association with the Architectural Association of Ireland. It is being organised in the context of Dublin City Council’s recently launched public art programme, which aims to offer artists across all artform disciplines the opportunity to make new artwork that engages with the city in different ways. This day is designed to focus on the artform of architecture and the potential for architects to create public art works. It has been conceived as part of a series to support practitioners from the different artform sectors to engage with the Dublin City Public Art Programme and support those interested in making proposals.
Presentations The session is organised around three presentations.
(i) The potential for architecture within the public art field
(ii) New directions in the teaching of architecture being developed through a joint initiative between the School
of Architecture, UCD and NCAD
(iii) Commonage, Callan, County Kilkenny - a case-study that significantly engages with architecture through a
curated programme.
Each presentation will be followed by a commentary response by architects and artists, aimed to generate discussion and support questions and answers.
Ruairí Ó Cuiv, (Dublin City Council Public Art Manager) and Nathalie Weadick (Director, Irish Architecture Foundation) will be present to introduce the public art programme and answer questions throughout the day.
Reserve a place by e-mailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Please note that as places are limited it is essential to book
1 Public art by definition is broad and challenging to define. Within this context – the Dublin City Public Art Programme -it is understood as supporting the commissioning, creation and realisation of new artworks (in any artform discipline, including architecture) that engage with the city in different ways.
The Afternoon
Introduction (12.30 -12.45hrs)
Ruairí Ó Cuív and Nathalie Weadick present a short overview of the Dublin City Public Art Programme and the relevance of architecture as part of this invitation for submissions for new artwork that engages with the city.
Session 1 (12.45 – 13.45hrs)
How can (and do) architects address and engage with art and public art– exploring examples of work by Irish and international architects? Presentation by Elizabeth Hatz Professor of Architecture at KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. She also teaches at SAUL School of Architecture, University of Limerick since the start of that school in 2006. As head of SAR (Swedish Association of Architects) in 93-94, Hatz is a co-founder of Fargfabriken, the internationally renowned scene for Art and Architecture in Stockholm with a new satellite venue in Östersund, in the north of Sweden. Elizabeth Hatz was curator for Ev+A 2010. Response by Dominic Stevens -an architect, builder and writer whose philosophy offers ways for a new type of architecture and a new way of living.
LUNCH: (13.45)
Session II: (14.15)
Exploring new directions for architecture that broaden the teaching, understanding and future potential for architecture that is being developed through a collaborative initiative between UCD School of Architecture and NCAD.
Presentation by Kevin Donovan, UCD, School of Architecture & Declan Long Lecturer in contemporary art and cultural theory, NCAD, whose current research addresses representations of the city in contemporary art, with particular reference to engagements with public space in recent art. Response Valerie Connor was part of the artist group Blue Funk in the 1990’s; the visual arts director at Project Arts Centre from 1998-2001, and Irish Commissioner for the Venice and San Paola Biennials in 2003 and 2004. A former board member of IMMA, she was also the Arts Council’s visual arts advisor from 2006-2010. She writes on art and lectures on BA and MA modules at DIT and IADT.
Session III: (15.15)
COMMONAGE is a five-year active research project situated in Callan town, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland intended to expand the field of architecture and provide a resource for future development to be measured in qualitative rather than quantitative terms. Seeking a critical position in current discourses around public space and participation we have found the historical notion of ‘the commons’ to be relevant to our times, even urgent, and worth further investigation. http://www.commonagecallan.com Presentation: by COMMONAGE curators, Jo Anne Butler, Tara Kennedy, Rosie Lynch Response: Michelle Browne -an artist who has an extensive practice in performance, public event based works and curation.
General questions arising from the day 15.45-16.00hrs Ruairí Ó Cuív & Nathalie Weadick (with contributions from participants)
www.dublincitypublicart.ie
www.architecturefoundation.ie
Reserve a place by e-mailing
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Please note that as places are limited it is essential to book
To whom it may concern,
The Committee of the Architectural Association of Ireland is deeply concerned over the current level of recognition and reward given to those that make architecture happen.
The AAI, which since 1896 has existed as a forum for those interested in the culture of architecture, sees some of our members who work within the profession exploited through low or no pay. This unacceptable behaviour carried out by employers appears concurrent with a trend in architects' own acceptance of unsustainably low professional fees and the proliferation of 'free-consultations'. Through this exploitation and the 'race to the bottom' in terms of fees the profession is complicit in nurturing a society where architecture is undervalued.
Justification from some within the profession is that one must work without pay to gain experience. We disagree. If one's work has a value, either as investment in a practice through competitions and research, or in the conventional production of design documents for paying clients, one should be fairly paid. If not, the message given to society at large is that the work required to make architecture happen has little or no value.
While it is not in society's interests that the practice of architecture in Ireland becomes exclusive to those from particular social strata, it would seem that due to the current tendency towards unpaid internships, only those with sufficient financial support have the opportunity to gain the experience required to progress. Those from lower-income backgrounds with understandable pressure to earn a wage following what is an already lengthy education, are excluded outright. Furthermore, young emerging practices cannot compete with those practices backed by years of very healthy yields, who are
now offering a degree of free work or work 'at a loss'.
Thankfully one member of the RIAI, Dublin-born architect Angela Brady and President-Elect of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), is contesting this sub-culture and is standing up for better values in architecture. The current RIBA President, Ruth Reed is already overseeing the enforcement of statutory minimum pay for all working students from this July and President-Elect Brady has vowed to continue this work through a zero-tolerance approach to practices that break these rules.
The AAI committee would welcome such development within the Irish profession. As such, we will be asking our members to sign a declaration on fair pay on their next submission to the annual AAI Awards. We call on the RIAI to join us in this stance for better values by ratifying and implementing the following:
• Following immediate consultation with all stakeholders, to establish rules on minimum pay and hold to account those practitioners who ignore these rules
• To make mandatory a signed declaration, for all competition and award submissions, that all employees used in the production of those submissions have been paid according to these rules
• To actively publicise Architectural Graduate Member status to all students and reduce the prohibitive cost of graduate membership
• Compile a complete register of all architectural graduates with the view to formalising all paid experience prior to professional examinations.
In summary, the value of architecture in our society and the values within the profession are under threat. It is from all those values combined that a built legacy will emerge. Hopefully, that legacy will be considered as a great gift given to the generations to come rather than a burden to be borne by them.
The architectural profession has a key responsibility in that story. We look forward to discussing how these proposals might be implemented at the next RIAI council meeting.
Kind regards,
The AAI Committee
President: Douglas Carson
Site Visits Officer: Fergus Naughton
Hon. Treasurer: Joa Van Wyk
Ex-Officio: Hugo Lamont
Cultural Liaison Officer: Ellen Rowley
Honorary Secretary: Conor McGowan
2nd Year Competition Officer: Alice Clancy
Programme Officer: Kate Gannon
Membership Officer: Colm Dunbar
Website Officer: Dariusz Cyparski
Building Material Editor: Stephen Mulhall
Awards & Exhibition Officer: Paddy Cahill
Click to download this document in PDF format.
Theme - Mapping
Audio podcast from last Thursday's superb lecture by Fernando Menis. Apologies for the poor audio quality.
The MP3 fie can also be downloaded. Further AAI audio podcasts available at:
Audio podcast of last night's lecture by Niall McCullough of McCullough Mulvin Architects. An MP3 file of the lecture is available for download here.
bit.ly/MCMaudio
Image: Dariusz Cyparski
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2011 Spring events calendar now available for PDF download.
Image: Simona Rota