Quotes and Thoughts on Architecture and Urbanism at Architects for Peace

A number of important thoughts are grouped and displayed in the Architects for Peace website. These are of A. Pérez-Gómez, Alexander Cuthbert, Ananya Roy, Ashraf Salama, David Harvey. David Orr, Edward Said, Esra Akcan, Fredric Jameson, Henry Sanoff, James Mayo, Jane Jacobs, John Clarke, Laurie Baker, Margaret Mead, Mies van der Rohe, Necdet Teymur, Peter Slezak, Richard Sennett, Spiro Kostof, Thomas Fisher, ...

Check here to see quotes
http://arch-peace-thoughts.blogspot.com/

Design-Build Network

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Identity Discourse ... A New Editorial on Architects for Peace, Ashraf M. Salama

A New Editorial Entitled:
Cultural Identity Manifested in Visual Voices and the Public Face of Architecture
Editorial: May 2009
Ashraf M. Salama

Architects for Peace
Australia..

http://archpeace2.blogspot.com/2009/05/cultural-identity-manifested-in-visual.html


Extracts...

While scholars in architecture as an academic and professional discipline may criticize the interest and tendency to place emphasis on discussing building images and facades, I adopt the principle that since architecture is created for the public then examining the public face of architecture is integral to the understanding of the juxtaposition of those images and what they convey and represent. This editorial interrogates a number of discourses on ways in which cultural identity is manifested by debating selected interventions developed within the Arab world. Still, the discussion on whether building images are created as visual voices that attempt to react to the tidal wave of cultural globalization is open-ended. So, there is no claim here that there is a resolution, but an articulation of identity debate as it is manifested in the public face of architecture.


Preamble
Arab architects are in a continuous process of criticizing their own versions of modern and post modern architecture and the prevailing contemporary practices. Within their criticism, discourses always suggest the recycling of traditional architecture and its elements as a way of establishing and imposing a distinguished character in the contemporary city. Typically, this takes the form of either refurbishing old palaces and public buildings, or establishing visual references—borrowed from the past—and utilized in contemporary/modern buildings. Adopted by governments and officials, there are a considerable number of examples of projects that advocated traditional imaging to impress the society by their origin while boasting the profile of capital and major cities, especially in Egypt and the Arabian Gulf Region. In generic terms, similar to the worldwide tendency, societies in the Arab world tend to re-evaluate the meaning and desirability of building images rapidly. The search for an architectural identity, the rise and fall of ISMS (movements and tendencies), and the continuous debate on symbolism and character issues in architecture are derived from this fact (1,2).

Sustainability / Trans-disciplinarity: A concern for people and environments between confusing terminology and outdated approaches, Ashraf M. Salama

Sustainability / Trans-disciplinarity: A concern for people and environments between confusing terminology and outdated approaches, Ashraf M. Salama

A New Article on INTBAU Website: International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture, and Urbanism
http://www.intbau.org/essay20.htm




Extracts
There is a great deal of discussion in design, architecture, and construction circles on creating sustainable environments, and there are also widely varying opinions as to exactly how sustainability can be introduced and approached. Current debates indicate that the term encompasses more than the physical and economic aspects. It includes social, cultural, and behavioral dimensions. Observing contemporary architectural practices, however, reveals that there are two major missing dimensions. On the one hand, there is an emphasis on the physical aspects of sustainability, while socio-cultural and socio-behavioral dimensions are oversimplified. On the other hand, there is a heavy reliance on top-down policies and strategies with the aim of developing guidelines to be implemented for the betterment of environments. Strikingly, this takes place at the expense of other bottom-up strategies that aim at sensitizing users toward understanding the key issues underlying sustainability. These two missing dimensions — socio-behavioural dimensions, and bottom-up strategies — offer a rationale for the professional community everywhere in the world to use sustainability as a term in their daily discourse. Nevertheless, even while talking about it, they do not yet use sustainability or utilize it in their daily practices. This article presents a critical voice on the current developments and efforts in dealing with sustainability of built environments, by adopting an alternative comprehensive approach that places high value on "trans-disciplinarity". This is achieved by adapting previous efforts developed in the field, and by addressing users as key players in the process of creating sustainable environments.

This essay is an extended version of an earlier article published in the Bulletin of IAPS — The International Association of People-Environment Studies, Spring 2002

World Architecture Community

INVITATION TO COLLABORATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD ARCHITECTURE COMMUNITY
www.worldarchitecture.org

Have you ever imagined an opportunity where all architects in the world could submit the images of their recent buildings to the same database where you can also write articles referring to thousands of architectural images available, and develop your ideas further with the comments of an interested community? The World Architecture Community web portal tries to define such a context.

The World Architecture Community Portal provides an opportunity for all local practices to become internationally recognized and discussed by prominent scholars from different countries. The WA Portal is an independent global forum and extensive database where architects and scholars from ALL countries of the world are invited to submit their buildings and writings freely. Contributions from all members will have equitable chances to be represented, promoted, reviewed and criticized at this international arena.WA Community Portal also aims to present the work of all contemporary masters of architecture in a concise form eventually with their support of the educational premises of the project.

Create and Maintain Your Personal Architect Page @WA
Just register and fill in the blanks of the template at your User Page. It will be extremely easy to edit your “Architect Page” and fun to read the discussions about your buildings if they excite any. One of our editors may even write an article about one of them. Occasionally updating your “Building Pages” will keep them higher on the agenda of the WA community.

Make Your Articles Available On-Line@WA
You can submit all your articles to the WA database for wider readership, recognition and impact. And please do so for the WA community to share, discuss and develop your ideas.

Linking to Articles that are On-Line Elsewhere
If your articles are already published on-line at another website and you cannot post them at WA due to copyright reasons, you can simply submit the respective link after creating one or more Issue Pages concentrating on the topics you think the discussion in your article relates to. Please browse present Issue Pages to find out already established topics and connections. It may even be the case

Advantages of the Issue Pages
We have developed a unique feature for the discussion of most diverse issues by cross-referencing among “related issues” that can be introduced and developed by voluntary members who will eventually become Issue Editors. This extensive “Thesaurus of Ideas” will easily guide the reader to your articles either in our database or elsewhere on-line.

Architects for Peace: Committed Humanitarian Efforts

architectsforpeace http://www.architectsforpeace.org/ is a humanitarian, not for profit professional organisation for architects, urban designers, engineers, planners, landscape architects and environmentalists, seeking urban development based on social justice, solidarity, respect and peace.

The site of "Architects for Peace" includes editorials, articles, and discussions on critical issues of concern to the worldwide community of architects, planners, and design professionals.

Check some of these articles/editorials:

Just Sustainability
by Ceridwen Owen
http://archpeace2.blogspot.com/2007/03/editorial-march-2007.html

The New Town Centre and the New Main Street
by Anthony McInneny
http://archpeace2.blogspot.com/2007/04/new-town-centre-and-new-main-street.html

Developed – Developing: Dialogical Integration in International Conferences
by Beatriz C. Maturana
http://archpeace2.blogspot.com/2008/01/developed-developing-dialogical.html

What's War/Peace - Construction/Destruction got to do with Architecture?
by Ashraf M. Salama
http://archpeace2.blogspot.com/2008/02/whats-warpeace-constructiondestruction.html