Day of Architects 2010

Day of Architects 2010, the central event dedicated to architecture and landscape architecture, organized by the Slovenian Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning, was honoured for the first time this year under the auspices of the state by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Danilo Türk.

The premises of the economic efficiency of architecture are the platform for the Day of Architects 2010 discussion entitled
Good Architecture, Better Life, Better Society.
The speakers will attempt to answer the following questions:
• Is it worth investing in good urbanism, architecture and landscape architecture? Can good urbanism, architecture and landscape architecture provide for a higher value of construction?
• What is the quality that clients expect for their projects? How can a well-designed space improve the quality of life and work? Are well-designed living and working spaces our basic right? How do we make sure that a well-designed object or space becomes more than just an added value, but a minimum basic standard?
• How can we efficiently run projects, starting with a quality idea to an all-round successful implementation?
• How can we communicate to people the importance of the values of a well-designed space and motivate and guide them to start asking for more from architecture and urbanism? How do we become a nation versed in architecture that will bring the standards and the quality of developed space to a higher level?
• How can we reduce the negative impact on the environment through a well- designed developed space and ensure sustainable planning and sustainable construction? What are the ways in which urbanism, architecture and landscape architecture efficiently respond to climate conditions?

SPEAKERS

Biljana Savic is an architect and urban designer based in London, with over 20 years of professional experience in architectural and urban design practices, construction management and property consultancies, and in public sector advisory bodies in the UK and abroad. Biljana currently holds the post of Senior Advisor at CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, the UK government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space). Her role includes coordination of two major public sector client support programmes in the fields of urban design, housing and the implementation of local agendas. Biljana has led CABE’s work on large-scale urban design methodology and pilot projects. Prior to joining CABE, she was Director of Space Syntax Limited, a master planning consultancy based in London. Biljana has lectured on several urban design courses in the UK and presented at a number of national and international conferences. She is a member of RIBA and the Academy of Urbanism.

Toine van Goethem is an urban designer at the City of Amsterdam. He studied at the Academie van Bouwkunst in Rotterdam, at the Rijksuniversiteit in Groningen and at the Università IUAV di Venezia. He holds two Master's degrees in Urban Design and Architectural History. In his 13 years as urban designer at the City of Amsterdam he has worked on many important projects, including Westerdokseiland, Oosterdokseiland, Oostelijke Handelskade and Java-eiland, and is a specialist in waterfront design and solutions related to noise pollution. He won first prize in the international design competition 'Create a barrier of silence' sponsored by Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam; and in 2005, published “Decibel City” together with Lehner van Luxemburg and van Driest.

Michael S. Tomasik is an executive-level manager and architect with experience leading large complex projects, high quality designs, project teams, offices, and multi-office operations with demonstrated success on international projects including projects located within the USA, Europe, Central America and the Middle East. In addition, Michael has a track record of recruiting, mentoring and improving operations in collaborative environments. He is experienced in mixed use, healthcare, aviation, hospitality, education, corporate and sports facilities and retail projects for private, corporate, federal and local governments. Michael has worked for the U.S. architectural/engineering firms of Jacobs, Leo A Daly, Hillier, Rossetti Associates Architects and The Smith Group. Additionally, Michael has graduate level teaching experience in project management at Lawrence Technological University and is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Project Management Institute, International Project Management Association and Slovensko Zdrženje Za Projektni Management. Michael, a full time resident of Slovenia, is also a co-founder of Axioma plus d.o.o., a Slovene company specializing in project management, corporate training and leadership mentoring.

Helmut Krapmeier is an architect specialised in cost- and energy-efficient buildings. He graduated at the Vienna Technical University (TU), and continued his postgraduate studies with a course on Energy and Environmental Management at Berlin Technical University. After working several years at various architectural offices ITEM – Ingenieurteam für Energie- und Umwelttechnik was established in 1985 in Munich. Among several other projects, the “Öko-Solar-Haus” - a demonstration house open to the public - is supervised by ITEM, and he has worked as project manager on several low-energy and passive house development projects. Helmut Krapmeier teaches solar architecture and energy efficient building at University of Krems and at the University of Art and Industrial design in Linz. He was awarded the European Solar Prize for Architecture and Urban Building in 2000 and the Österreichischer Umweltpreis awarded by OGUT (Austrian Society for Environment and Technology) in 2001. He has been a faculty member at the Energieinstitut Vorarlberg (Energy Institute of Vorarlberg) since 1990

Markus Schaefer is a partner at Hosoya Schaefer Architects. He holds a Masters of Architecture degree from Harvard University, and also has a Masters in Neurobiology from the University of Zürich. Prior to founding Hosoya Schaefer in 2003, Markus Schaefer served as director of AMO in Rotterdam (the think tank of OMA). Hosoya Schaefer Architects AG is a Zürich-based studio for architectural design, strategy and research. In 2008, they won a Contract World Award for their first realized project, a restaurant built for Autostadt, the theme park and communications platform for the Volkswagen Group in Wolfsburg. The firm also won 1st prizes for their design of a new private airport in St. Moritz–Samedan in Switzerland, and a masterplan for the redevelopment of 230 ha in Ljubljana, Slovenia. A combination of academic work, project practice and research work for clients such as Volkswagen allows the firm to develop a solid, systemic and innovative understanding of our urban future. Schaefer has won several international awards with his work at both OMA and at Hosoya Schaefer,. He lectures and publishes regularly.

Miran Gajšek is the head of the Department of City Planning at the City Council of Ljubljana. He graduated at the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana in 1987 and received his Master's degree at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodesy in 1995. During his career he has worked in both the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning and in the City Council of Celje in the planning departments. He has participated in several international and European city planning projects, such as Glida, CESTA and other. He is a member of a number of professional associations, is a member of the Executive Committee of the European Council of Town Planners, and Chairman of the Committee on Infrastructure, Environment and Space of The Regional Development Board of the Ljubljana Urban region.

FILM "A CONSTRUCTIVE MADNESS"
www.aconstructivemadness.com
Jeffery Kipnis

Documentary film A constructive Madness is giving us a view, how architect Frank Ghery spent a decade planning a house for multimillionaire Peter B. Lewis, who admired Ghery. The costs of the project went over 82 mio USD and the project was never realized. But during the complete creative freedom Ghery develop a concept of “village of forms”, which he subsequently used for his famously surreal Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.