IE School of Architecture & Design Newsletter - September 2021

Click here if you are having trouble viewing this message.

time to focus on

ON BODY, MIND AND ENVIRONMENT

Architecture shapes human behavior - that’s why we design our buildings to positively influence the behavior of the people who inhabit them.

At my practice, 3XN, this is exemplified in our design of a Danish high school. We created an open environment with a diversity of spaces where students could interact differently. After an architectural psychologist observed the students for several months, we learned that 16% of the increase in the school’s performance could be attributed to its physical setting - lighting, scale, tactility, colour.

We have always intuitively known that architecture affects our mood and influences how we feel about ourselves and others. However, with quantifiable research, we can better understand how body, mind and environment influence one another. While architecture shapes human behaviour, a well-informed sensitivity towards human beings must also shape architecture.

We now know from our in-house innovation department, GXN, that if we integrate biophilia in the built environment, it measurably affects our pulse rate and de-stresses our bodies. Architecture is about generating new knowledge and 3XN is contributing valuable evidence-based knowledge to the field.

When designing a building, the first thing to think about is what the building should do for those using it. Thinking of architecture from this perspective provides people with better means to live, move and interact with each other.

Kim Herforth Nielsen

Founder and Creative Director at 3XN

We were honored to receive Mr Nielsen this month to deliver the keynote lecture at the opening of our Master in Strategic Interior Design and the Master in Real Estate Development programs

Beyond Scale:

New lecture series to reach far and wide

Our practice as architects and designers extends far beyond the realms of space, scale and dimensions. We are therefore delighted to present our new lecture series, Beyond Scale, which champions architecture and design thinking in different areas, from energy and fashion to diversity and inclusivity. Open and free to attend from across the world, the events feature world-leading architecture and design thinkers, acting as a platform for making the most pioneering insights and ideas accessible for curious minds everywhere. Join us for the first lecture on 2 November, given by award-winning design critic Alice Rawsthorn, author of the sensational book ‘Design as an Attitude’.

Reimagining coastal culture at Dutch Design Week

IE School of Architecture and Design’s recent graduate Alejandra Alonso-Majagranzas made waves at Dutch Design Week 2021 last week with her project ‘Edible Seascapes’, which addresses challenges faced by coastal fishing communities. The designer believes our relationship with the ocean has become exploitative over the last century, with overfishing and man-made climate change wiping out underwater life. Her solution? Shifting away from fishing towards an algae-based agricultural system that works in synergy with the ocean and also uplifts local societies and economies. The project takes seaweed farming to the extreme, re-imagining our connection to the sea.  

Calling all intrepid minds: Entrepreneurship competition now open

We are seeking young, optimistic and entrepreneurial professionals from architecture, landscape, construction, urban design and planning, interior design, civil engineering or other related fields who have identified a pressing problem in their industry and would like to solve it. Can you prove your entrepreneurial skills by questioning the status quo across industry and society? Can you orchestrate people, resources and processes in order to innovate, create impact and build business? If so, enter by 3 December for a chance to win a spot on the IE Master in Business for Architecture and Design in 2022, with scholarships to support tuition fees.

Architecture:

A human-centric approach

Urban housing solutions that address gentrification; examinations of the physical experience of architectural space; and a reimagining of dwellings and their thresholds: these are among the projects our architecture undergraduates are developing this term, exemplifying the school’s human-centric approach to architectural solutions. Representatives from practices including VISA Architects, CanalsMoneo, García Floquet Arquitectos and Estudio Cerisola were among the jurors that joined us last week to provide expert feedback on how to develop the projects further, letting students consider the real-world impact that their work can have in the sector.

IE Tower:

A campus that connects with the community

The conventional horizontal campus model sometimes eats away at surrounding neighbourhoods, creating challenges for local residents and the university, said Dean of our school Martha Thorne in her interview with Icon Design last week. The magazine, part of Spanish newspaper El País, spoke with Thorne at the inauguration of the new IE Tower in Madrid, presided over by H.M. King Felipe of Spain. “This tower will lack these points of conflict,” continued Thorne, "and has the opportunity to support the project of the Castellana Norte district by providing a diversity of activity and populations. Thanks to the students, this area is much more alive.”

South Summit:

Bringing construction into the 21st century

The construction industry represents 6-12% of the global GDP - but it also accounts for 30-40% of CO2 production. Jerónimo van Schendel, Director of our Master in Business for Architecture and Design, chaired a discussion about the future of construction at South Summit 2021, which took place in Madrid this month in collaboration with IE University. “The World Economic Forum estimates that cities will absorb 200,000 people daily between now and 2030” said van Schendel, who was joined by the CEOs and founders of 011h, CORE Construction, Spotahome and Limehome. How will the construction sector face such a vast challenge in years to come?

Architecture, Women, and Sustainability

October 30, 5.00pm CET

Hilton Bogotá and Online

Martha Thorne, Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design, will be among the panellists at the first International Congress of Architecture, Women and Sustainability, hosted by Colombia’s Center for Investigation in Sustainable Architecture. This innovative and progressive new meeting of minds addresses gender from an architectural perspective, considering the role women have played in architectural excellence, the crucial role of architectural decision-making in women’s empowerment and the relation between sustainability, climate change and gender equality. 

Third Spaces

in the Digital City

November 8, 5.00pm CET

Rove Downtown Dubai Hotel and Online

In the urban context, so-called ‘third spaces’ - whether libraries, cafes, parks or places of worship - have been crucial for enhancing human interaction and community-building. These spaces allow people to feel at ease, express themselves and communicate with others - but in the digital age, are social media platforms like Instagram and mobility providers like Uber leaving the role of such spaces redundant? Cristina Mateo, Associate Dean at IE School of Architecture and Design will address this subject at her masterclass taking place in Dubai during EXPO 2020, an extraordinary showcase of how architecture and planning are shaping the future of the planet.

Designing the New World Order

November 13, from 6.00am CET

Online

A new awakening is needed within our industry - that’s the firm belief of India-based thought leadership platform ADM (Architecture, Design & More), whose new virtual summit brings together leading global thinkers to consider the way forward. Martha Thorne, Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design and ADM advisory board member, will speak on about diversifying architectural and design education through experiential learning, hybrid teaching models and multidimensional thinking. As part of a student panel, our 5th year architecture undergraduate Lorenzo Uribe will discuss how the new generation of architects can become agents of change in facing the new world order.

Share the newsletter

Not yet a subscriber? Want friends and family to subscribe?

OUR MAILING ADDRESS:

IE School of Architecture and Design

IE Tower – Madrid, Spain

Want to change how you receive these emails?

You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

PRIVACY POLICY

We take the opportunity to inform you that we have improved our Privacy Policy in order to comply with the new European Union General Data Protection Regulation. We encourage you to read our new Privacy Policy and we thank you for being a part of our community.

At any time, you can exercise your rights to data access, rectification, erasure, and object, as well as restriction and portability, and withdraw your consent, as explained in the new Privacy Policy.

Follow us

Copyright © 2021 IE School of Architecture and Design, All rights reserved