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PR 04/24 | Kamra tal-Periti’s Palestinian Student Initiative Receives Government Support

Last Thursday, Perit Andre Pizzuto, President of Kamra tal-Periti, and Perit Joeaby Vassallo, Communications & International Secretary, met with Minister Ian Borg, the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, to discuss the Chamber’s collaboration with Birzeit University, Palestine. This initiative is aimed at organising a practical architectural experience for Palestinian architecture students in Malta.

During the discussions, Minister Borg praised the initiative, stating, “The real test of our country’s commitment to peace, mutual respect, and generosity towards people living in conflict zones is the success of such intercultural collaborations.” The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to facilitate the smooth arrival and stay of the students in Malta and other logistical support.

Perit Andre Pizzuto reinforced the Minister’s sentiments: “Architecture is about building communities through cultural gestures in public spaces that aim to improve the quality of life of those who inhabit them. By establishing robust collaboration among Mediterranean architects, we not only strengthen our professional ties but also amplify our collective impact on regional development. This summer, we are dedicated to enriching the educational experiences of our Palestinian colleagues through international exposure.”

Project Development and Updates

Kamra tal-Periti is setting up a pop-up studio for 15 Palestinian architecture students who will spend a the second half of this July in Malta engaging in a hands-on, transformative educational program. The studio aims to blend Palestinian and Maltese design approaches, fostering collaboration and idea-sharing among participants while establishing significant connections in the international architectural community.

Since its launch in April, the initiative has received strong support, with numerous Periti, architecture students and other individuals offering their assistance. Discussions with the Embassy of Palestine in Malta are progressing well to enhance this collaboration. We are calling on the public to support this project through various means, including accommodation, travel sponsorships, resources for the pop-up studio, and mentorship opportunities with local professionals.

Expression of Interest for Accommodation

As July approaches, there is a pressing need to secure suitable accommodation for the 15 Palestinian architecture students and 3 tutors participating in our program. In response to this critical requirement, Kamra tal-Periti is officially launching an Expression of Interest for Accomodation. While the students are prepared to cover their accommodation costs, any form of sponsorship, whether partial or complete, would be greatly appreciated and would substantially facilitate the success of this experience.

We earnestly appeal to the public and potential sponsors to assist in meeting this crucial need. For details on how to submit your proposal or to discuss potential collaboration, please refer to the Expression of Interest here.

For more information or to offer support, contact Kamra tal-Periti by email at jvassallo@kamratalperiti.org or via phone or WhatsApp at +356 99 202 406.

EGM 2017 | Draft Periti Act

Towards a Zero Carbon Economy Beyond 2030 | Sustainable Urban Centers | Malta, 29 May 2017

In collaboration with Climate-KIC (www.climate-kic.org), Paragon Europe is organising the conference “Towards a Zero Carbon Economy Beyond 2030 – Sustainable Urban Centres” under the Auspices of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 29th  May which will be hosted by Hon. José Herrera, Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change.

The one-day conference will focus on low carbon mobility concepts, the operation of smart grids, energy neutral buildings, the promotion of efficient water management and improvement of public and green spaces that assist in creating a world’s first zero carbon economy solution in the Mediterranean by 2030.

Click here to see the conference programme and more information regarding speakers, logistics and delegate packages can be found here.

As the key outcome, Mediterranean countries and member states of the European Union would declare their support to the “Valletta Declaration on a Mediterranean Zero Carbon Economy by 2030“ and the conference will also showcase the key deliverables achieved so far by the Smart Sustainable Districts Flagship Programme of EIT Climate-KIC.

8-day International Workshop organized by SADAS-PEA (Greek Architects Association)

Natural Building Techniques inspired from Traditional Constructions

September 2nd to September 9th 2017

 

Workshop Identity

The workshop is organized by SADAS-PEA (Greek Architects Association) in order to promote the principle of environmentally friendly architecture. It is addressed to young architects and students of architecture. It will take place at the Stamos Stournas guesthouse near the city of Volos, Greece between September 2nd and September 9th 2017.

The language of the workshop is English.

More information:  http://www.sadas-pea.gr/international-workshop-2017/

 

Workshop Objectives

The main objectives of the workshop are:

–          Rediscovery of environmentally friendly  construction techniques that were implemented by many generations of artisans in the past

–          Understanding of the sustainable building principles of traditional constructions, and the way those principles determined buildings’ form and function.

 

Workshop Structure

The objectives of the workshop will be implemented through:

–          Guided field trips to prehistoric settlements and traditional settlements of the Pelion peninsula and to a modern structure built with natural materials.

–          Lectures from distinguished professionals

–          Field practice in building stone foundations and unbaked clay brick walls

 

Accommodation

Workshops and participants stay will be accommodated at the Stamos Stournas guesthouse in Alli Meria, outside the city of Volos, Greece. View Map

The Stamos Stournas guesthouse, also known as Chatziargyri mansion, is a historic building built in 1864 and situated in an 8-acre land plot. It is owned by SADAS-PEA since 1963 following a donation by the family of Stamos Stournas, student of architecture.

The guesthouse has three floors, two of which (ground floor and first floor) will accommodate the participants. The ground floor has 5 rooms for 3 people each and the first floor has 2 rooms for 4 people and 2 rooms for 3 people. Each of these floors has shared bathrooms and showers. The maximum number of people that could be accommodated is 29.

The city of Volos can be approached by train or coach bus departing from Athens or Thessaloniki, the two main Greek cities that have airport.

The Pelion peninsula, the area where the workshop will take place, is one of the most beautiful regions in Greece, combining stunning nature, picturesque traditional villages, unique historic places and famously attractive beaches.

 

Fees – Diplomas

The fee for the workshop is 470€, which includes:

–          Accommodation at the guest house

–          Linen and towels

–          Self-served breakfast, lunch and dinner (some meals will be served outside the guesthouse while in field trips or nights out)

–          Transportation for the field trips

–          Transportation from the city of Volos (train station or coach station) to the guest house on arrival and back on departure

–          Diploma from SADAS-PEA certifying  the participation at the Workshop

A daily cruise to the nearby island of  will be organized in September 10th, participation is optional and the extra cost is 70 €.

Fees will be paid as soon as a participant sends the application and their participation will be confirmed as soon payment is received.

Full refund will be given up to 30 days before the workshop begins.

 

Communication

SADAS-PEA (Greek Architects Association)

Telephone: +30 2103215146
Fax: +30 2103215147
E-mail: info@sadas-pea.gr
URL: www.sadas-pea.gr

Address
Vrysakiou 15
Postal Code: 10555
Athens
Greece

International Scientific Conference | Conversions and Reconversions of Sacred Architecture and Art

3rd International Scientific Conference

ARCHITECTURE OF LOCAL
CULTURES OF THE BORDERLAND

The Sacred – The Profane – The Sacred
Conversions and Reconversions of Sacred Architecture and Art
XX – XXI cc.

Sacral buildings changed purpose of use dilemma has been issued in the history for ages. It is also relevant today but now it appears in a more massive scale and it is still growing in its intensity.

Formerly it was the consequence of an ideological, political, military, national, social and ethnic struggle. It testified about exclusiveness of various religions. It was the result of religious activities and often a struggle with religion, different mission actions, proselytism and even religious wars. These were not sporadic cases. They were preceded by acts of permanent and continuous intolerance, ignorance and sometimes aggression. Today, more often it is the result of progressive secularization of life in the world and the depreciation of the religion as a source of value creation in human life and a testimony of his cultural heritage. Culture departs from worship, from which it is derived. It becomes alienated.

The objects of worship of one religion are not only converted into objects of different religions. Today they cease to be objects of worship at all. Regardless of the causes of such incidents and their ethical overtones, it becomes a global spreading phenomenon.

It is increasingly common that abandoned or economically inefficient temples are adapted to hotels, restaurants, apartments, shops, and even workshops, garages and entertainment places with services of a dubious reputation (brothels) and even public toilets. Today they are transformed into sophisticated phantoms, without a religious spirit larvae-mask. To this day they stand sometimes abandoned, ruined, desecrated. They cry for mercy.

Complete conversion of the sacral role of the object into a secular or even profane one, is a dangerous phenomenon as it affects the essence of culture, threatens its fundamental values, which have always been represented by it: truth, goodness and beauty.

So maybe conversions of temples, even though they seem to be morally “dubious”, in a broader perspective are necessary? If it saves them from a fall, annihilation and desecration? Especially since they may also be a pretext for mutual understanding and approchement of the Churches and their religions, their encounter and dialogue. Hopefully this dialogue will not last forever and may this meeting be that postulated by all “meeting in truth and love.”

research problems:

  • Analysis of cases of destruction or devastation of buildings of worship,
    their profanation and desacralization; aggressive or passive, when their status
    is changed from the sacred to the secular one;
  • Analysis of the occurence of conversion and reconversion in sacred
    architecture and art;
  • Elaboration of ideological assumptions and methodology, in terms of
    adaptation of sacral architecture for non-invasive functions, with a respect
    for its cult status.

aim:

The main aim of the conference is to show and assess the problem of conversion and reconversion in sacred architecture and art XX-XXI cc.

The conference has both a diagnostic purpose of revealing the essence, methodology and scope of their occurrence in history and today, and above all a goal of forecasting, revealing their importance for the health of the sacred of different religions.

 

scientific committee of the conference:

Prof. PhD. DSc. arch. Konrad Kucza-Kuczyński – chairman
Warsaw University of Technology, vice-chairman of KAiU PAN

Prof. PhD. DSc. arch. Sławomir Gzell
Warsaw University of Technology, chairman of KAiU PAN

Prof. PhD. DSc. arch. Witold Cęckiewicz
Cracow University of Technology, honorary chairman of KAiU PAN,
a full member of PAN; a member of Polish Academy of Learning

Prof. PhD. arch. Petar Arsić
University of Belgrade

Prof. PhD. DSc. arch. Wojciech Kosiński
Cracow University of Technology, a member of KAiU PAN

Prof. PhD. arch. Yuriy I. Kryvoruchko
Lviv Polytechnic National University

Prof. PhD. DSc. arch. Ewa Kuryłowicz
Warsaw University of Technology, a member of KAiU PAN

Prof. PhD. DSc. Jerzy Malinowski
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, chairman of PISnSS

Prof. BNTU PhD. DSc. arch. Valery F. Morozov
Bialystok University of Technology, Belarusian National Technical University

Prof. PhD. arch. UM dr arch. Svetislav G. Popovic
University of Montenegro

Prof. TUS PhD. arch. Yoshihiko Sano
Tokyo University of Science, Japan Institute of Architects (JIA)

Prof. PhD. DSc. arch. Jan Tajchman
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

Prof. BUT PhD. DSc. arch. Jerzy Uścinowicz
Bialystok University of Technology, a member of KAiU PAN

 

program board of UIA WP „Spiritual Places”:

Prof. BUT PhD, DSc. arch. Jerzy Uścinowicz – ZG SARP, director of UIA WP SP

Prof. PhD. DSc. arch. Konrad Kucza-Kuczyński – a member of UIA WP SP

MSc. arch. Mariusz Ścisło – President of ZG SARP

PhD. arch. Jerzy Grochulski – a member of UIA board

Prof. PhD. arch. Юрiй I. Криворучко – vice-director of UIA WP SP

MSc. arch. Zygmunt Knyszewski – vice-director of UIA WP SP, a member of CIAF

 

organizing committee:

Prof. BUT PhD, DSc. arch. Jerzy Uścinowicz – chairman

PhD. arch. Janusz Grycel – secretary

PhD. arch. Agnieszka Januszkiewicz – secretary

PhD. arch. Danuta Korolczuk

PhD. arch.. Piotr Trojniel

PhD. arch. Aleksy Łapko

MSc. arch. Magdalena Dorosz

 

conference office:

Zakład Architektury Kultur Lokalnych
Wydział Architektury Politechniki Białostockiej
ul. O. Sosnowskiego 11, 15-875 Białystok, Polska

 

conditions of participation:

The inclusion criteria for participation in the conference and the publication of the paper will be a positive opinion of the Scientific Committee and reviewers. All qualified papers and announcements will be published in the form of a monograph.

The languages of communication at all sessions of the conference are Polish, English, Russian, German and French.

 

form of implementation:

  • plenary sessions in the Palace of SARP, at Bialystok University of Technology and at the Academy of Supraśl;
  • discussion session, the so-called “roundtable”, at the Academy of Supraśl;
  • summary session in the auditorium of the Academy of Supraśl;
  • study session: “Sacrum of the borderland” with visiting objects of worship;

The cultural program: concert at the Monastery of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Supraśl and drama performance at Wierszalin Theatre in Supraśl.

 

dates:

  • The conference will be held on 21-23 April, 2017;
  • The deadline for sending the registration card expires on 26 March, 2017;
  • Confirmation that the conference fee has been paid should be sent by 3 April, 2017;
  • The deadline for sending paper abstracts (by email) expires on 3 April, 2017;
  • The deadline for sending full papers together with illustrative material expires on 1 July, 2017.

costs:

The cost of participation in the conference is 500 PLN per person (120 €) and includes:

  • participation in all sessions of the conference;
  • meals (2 lunches, 2 dinners);
  • the cost of travel on the route Bialystok-Supraśl-Białystok and participation in cultural events;
  • publication of the paper.

The cost of accommodation in Supraśl is expected to be approximately 150 PLN. It should be covered individually by participants. The organizer provides booking accommodations as reported in the registration card.

 

Guided Tours of the Ottoman Muslim Cemetery at Marsa

A guided tour by architect Prof Conrad Thake, author of the book The Ottoman Muslim Cemetery in Malta to take place on

Saturday 25 February 2017 at 10.00am and 11.00am

(Session 1 commences at 10.00am – Session 2 at 11.00am)
Entrance is free but registration by email is recommended as there is a limit of 50 persons per tour.

 

Register Here