As the UK’s architectural industry looks to increased levels of standardisation, it risks being accused of a lack of ambition. But what if ‘standards’ are set high, rather than as minimum? Can ‘standard’ design be brilliant, or vice-versa? What are the limits and possibilities of standardised solutions?
In a panel discussion chaired by Oliver Wainwright (Architecture critic at The Guardian), aberrant looks at whether we can take inspiration from the pioneering Brazilian example and whether it leads the way for embedding great design as standard?
- Washington Fajardo – President, Rio World Heritage Institute
- David Chambers – Director & co-founder, aberrant architectur
- Sunand Prasad – Founding Partner, Penoyre & Prasad; RIBA President 2007-2009
- Mairi Johnson – Deputy Design Director, Education Funding Agency
- Janie Chesterton – Education Sector Director, Willmott Dixon
The event takes place at RIBA on the 19th March from 6.30PM to 8.30PM. More detail and information on booking and tickets can be found on the event page.
Venice Takeaway: Ideas to Change British Architecture at the RIBA is the restaging of the British Pavilion at last year’s Venice Biennale of Architecture, co-curated by Vicky Richardson (British Council – and former editor of Blueprint!) and Vanessa Norwood (Architectural Association). They invited 10 architectural practitioners or groups to ‘explore’ the globe, seeking innovative solutions to architectural problems back in Blighty. At the Biennale itself, the exhibition was perhaps too dense in material to fully appreciate, but the current restaging – amply augmented by a programme of lectures, discussions and debates – allows for the opportunity to peruse the findings without the distractions of several hundred other exhibitors.
Other explorers include Elias Redstone, who investigated the Fideicomiso development model in Argentian; Architects Liam Ross and Tolulope Onabolu’s exploration of regulations in architecture and Darryl Chen’s New Socialist Village from China – which was discussed at the Architectural Association in terms of the UK’s Localism Act. We will be reporting for several collateral events here over the next few weeks; for more information please check out the Venice Takeaway website.
