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PR 11/19 | Kamra tal-Periti nominates Professor Richard England for the CAA Robert Matthew Award

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The Kamra tal-Periti has nominated Professor Richard England as a candidate for the Robert Matthew Award. This Award commemorates the first President of the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), Sir Robert Matthew and recognises innovative contributions to the development of architecture, in the Commonwealth context. The award is given to an architect or architectural office making the most outstanding contribution having particular relevance to the country or region in which they operate. Past winners include Ken Yeang with TR Hamzah and Yeang of Malaysia, Philip Cox of Australia, Ian Ritchie Architects of UK, and Arup Associates of UK.

Professor England burst into the architectural scene in Malta in 1962, with the design of the iconic Church of St. Joseph in Manikata. This international modernist aesthetic was inspired by north and central European models. With his Manikata Church, England proposed a vision of architecture that better responded to the local context, both climatic and cultural, pioneering a modern Regionalist movement, which he subsequently explored extensively in the design of hotels for a burgeoning tourism industry in Malta, and of innumerable private residences.

Over the last half century, England’s work attracted the attention of the international architectural world. In the early 80s, he was commissioned by Iraqi architect Rifat Chadirji, to work together with other world-famous architects, including Carlfried Mutschler, Arthur Erikson, Sheppard Robson, Ricardo Bofill, Robert Venturi, and Arup Associates, to prepare plans for the Bab Al-Sheikh district of Baghdad. Richard England received this call in recognition of his ability to understand vernacular traditions, and to propose solutions that, although compatible with these traditions, would not rigidly adhere to traditional forms.

His buildings have been published in leading international architectural journals, and have received innumerable awards around the world, including ten International Academy of Architecture Awards and two Commonwealth Association of Architects Regional Awards. Professor England was awarded the Gold Medal of the City of Toulouse in 1985, the International Committee of Architectural Critics Silver Medal in 1987, the 1988 Georgia USSR Biennale Laureate Prize, the IFRAA-AIA Award for Religious Architecture in 1991, International Prize at the III Architectural Biennale of Costa Rica in 1996, and the Gold Medal of the Belgrade Architectural Triennale in 2000. In 1999, he was appointed as Hon. Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He was awarded the Grand Prix of the International Academy of Architecture in 2006 and 2015, and the Annual Award of the Academy in 2012. In 2016, he was one of the winners of the European Architectural Awards.

This professional recognition by peers was accompanied by academic recognition at a number of Universities all over the world. He has received a number of Honoris Causa doctorates, including from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of New York, U.S.A., the University of Sofia in Bulgaria, the Spiru Haret University in Romania, and, in 2016, from his alma mater, the University of Malta.  In 1995, he received an Honoris Causa Professorship from the University of the Republic of Georgia; and he is also Hon. Visiting Fellow at the University of Bath, United Kingdom, and a Professor, Academician and Vice-President of the International Academy of Architecture. He has been invited to lecture in North and South America, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle and Far East, and the ex-USSR.

Richard England has been Malta’s foremost architectural ambasador, to all the corners of the world, making Malta proud that it has contributed, in this discipline, at the highest levels of achievement, the Kamra tal-Periti noted in its submission for the Award. The results will be announced later this year.

 

Professor Richard England receiving KTP’s Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018

 

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PR 06/19 | Architecture is a discipline for the common good

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 “The focus will be put on architecture as a discipline that encompasses the right balance between cultural, social, economic, environmental and technical aspects for the common good”.

This quote is taken from the European Council Conclusions for the 2018-22 EU Work Plan for Culture, under the topic “High-quality architecture and built environment for everyone.” This important milestone signifies a paradigm shift within the European Union, which has recognised architecture as a discipline for the common good. This is an important recognition that can serve as the basis on which we can build our policies and work in the future.

In a statement issued on the 5th March 2019, Georg Pendl, current President of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE), stated that this “shows that the EU institutions no longer define architecture as being solely part of the construction industry. Does our profession share this limited point of view? Mostly not, bearing in mind that over 90% of architectural offices are small and medium-sized or micro enterprises. But, this does not mean that we would cease to recognise our role as a part of the service sector tightly connected to the construction industry.”

The Kamra tal-Periti, which is a Member of the ACE, had actively lobbied for the recognition of the practice of architecture as one of the pillars of culture. It had, in fact, met with MEP Dr Francis Zammit Dimech, who is a Member of the European Parliament Committee for Culture and Education, and who had pushed forward the views of the Kamra and of ACE on this matter.

It is therefore with great satisfaction that the Kamra welcomes this development, and looks forward to seeing this approach being adopted locally.

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Kamra tal-Periti celebrates World Architecture Day, World Habitat Day and European Engineers Day

World Architecture Day is celebrated on the first Monday of October each year. The theme chosen by the International Union of Architects for this year is “Climate Change Action!” The threat of climate change is real. Rapid urbanisation and building developments are increasing our fuel energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Architects have an important role to play in combating the impact of climate change on the environment and humanity, and are called to mobilise efforts to respond to the initiatives of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

 

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day, and this year’s theme is “Housing Policies: Affordable Homes”. A worldwide analysis of accommodation affordability over the last 20 years reveals that despite increasing demand, residential properties for sale and for rent have been largely unaffordable for the majority of the world population. Ensuring affordability of residential accommodation is a complex issue of strategic importance for development, social peace and equality. Promoting sound housing policies is also crucial for climate change, resilience, mobility and energy consumption.

 

European Engineers Day will be commemorated on the 5th October, and will focus on the theme “Concerns about Engineering Excellence”. The impact of engineers is visible in every aspect of human life, and engineers have the ability to enhance and change society. Many of the challenges faced by society today depend on the availability of excellent engineering solutions, and thus engineers are called to acknowledge this role and to deliver their services and innovative solutions with excellence.

 

All three commemorations have two common threads: the need for architects and engineers to recognise their particular role in society and the influence they have on combating some of the world’s most difficult problems, and the need for quality housing, affordable housing and engineered solutions that improve people’s quality of life and combat climate change.

In order to commemorate these three important dates, the Council of the Kamra tal-Periti, in collaboration with the Society of Architecture and Civil Engineering Students (SACES) will be launching Awards for the graduates of the Faculty for the Built Environment. This is the first time that these Awards are being held, and judging of final year projects and dissertations will take place this week. The students’ work will be exhibited to the public during Notte Bianca on the 7th October through to the 15th October, at the University of Malta Valletta Campus. The winners will be announced during an Awards ceremony to be held in January 2018.

The Kamra tal-Periti is establishing this Awards scheme to celebrate good quality, sustainable, and ethical design in architecture and civil engineering, particularly at a time when the rush to build is not accompanied by sufficient thought and care about what we are leaving behind for future generations.

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PR 12/17 | Kamra tal-Periti celebrates World Architecture Day, World Habitat Day and European Engineers Day

World Architecture Day is celebrated on the first Monday of October each year. The theme chosen by the International Union of Architects for this year is “Climate Change Action!” The threat of climate change is real. Rapid urbanisation and building developments are increasing our fuel energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Architects have an important role to play in combating the impact of climate change on the environment and humanity, and are called to mobilise efforts to respond to the initiatives of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

 

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day, and this year’s theme is “Housing Policies: Affordable Homes”. A worldwide analysis of accommodation affordability over the last 20 years reveals that despite increasing demand, residential properties for sale and for rent have been largely unaffordable for the majority of the world population. Ensuring affordability of residential accommodation is a complex issue of strategic importance for development, social peace and equality. Promoting sound housing policies is also crucial for climate change, resilience, mobility and energy consumption.

 

European Engineers Day will be commemorated on the 5th October, and will focus on the theme “Concerns about Engineering Excellence”. The impact of engineers is visible in every aspect of human life, and engineers have the ability to enhance and change society. Many of the challenges faced by society today depend on the availability of excellent engineering solutions, and thus engineers are called to acknowledge this role and to deliver their services and innovative solutions with excellence.

 

All three commemorations have two common threads: the need for architects and engineers to recognise their particular role in society and the influence they have on combating some of the world’s most difficult problems, and the need for quality housing, affordable housing and engineered solutions that improve people’s quality of life and combat climate change.

In order to commemorate these three important dates, the Council of the Kamra tal-Periti, in collaboration with the Society of Architecture and Civil Engineering Students (SACES) will be launching Awards for the graduates of the Faculty for the Built Environment. This is the first time that these Awards are being held, and judging of final year projects and dissertations will take place this week. The students’ work will be exhibited to the public during Notte Bianca on the 7th October through to the 15th October, at the University of Malta Valletta Campus. The winners will be announced during an Awards ceremony to be held in January 2018.

The Kamra tal-Periti is establishing this Awards scheme to celebrate good quality, sustainable, and ethical design in architecture and civil engineering, particularly at a time when the rush to build is not accompanied by sufficient thought and care about what we are leaving behind for future generations.

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