http://www.archsociety.com/ 2010-07-31T16:49:40+05:30 e107 http://e107.org/ e107 e107 http://www.archsociety.com/e107_images/logo.png ArchSociety - mail@nospam.com ArchSociety.com is a global online community of architects, architecture and students forum developed at the UAP, School of Architecture (Dhaka, Bangladesh) by a global organization named the AarchSociety. AarchSociety is a global community of scholars, students, and professionals concerned with architecture, planning, and landscape design. ArchSociety provides these individuals with: -Comprehensive architectural resources -Community and discussion feedback -Information support to the designers of the developing nations ArchSociety seeks to enable participants to learn how to enhance the quality of the built environment in their communities; to compensate for a lack of resources at their academic institutions and to celebrate the humanistic traditions of regional cultures, and often with a special focus on Indian Subcontinental and Bangladeshi contemporary architecture and architects. http://www.archsociety.com/news.php?item.138.1 2010-06-29T07:02:43+05:30 admin mail@nospam.com

From last couple of weeks the ongoing hot-humid talk of the country was the DAP (Detailed Area Plan) of RAJUK. However, this writing is not a typical criticism of DAP, DMDP, Housing and Public Works Ministry or the recent Review Committee of DAP. Here we are trying to highlight some basic problems of the activities.DAP is the final tire of the DMDP (Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan) 1995-2015. As far as I know, RAJUK website’s planning section is the only open source from where we may know about the in-&-out of DMDP. Understanding and observing the development of DMDP is a basic right of not just the architects and planners of the country but also of every conscious citizen.The major problem, is the lack of open 'detailed' information of the DAP and the whole process. All the recent media coverage and publications on DAP only talk about the ongoing issues, problems, business of developers etc. However, where is the DAP? Where are the maps? Where does everyone get the Detailed Area Plan drawings to comment or talk about? Those who are writing about DAP in the media do they really have ever seen the proper DAP drawings themselves?Well I can not comment or talk about something I have never seen properly. In RAJUK’s website there is no ‘proper’ copy of DAP, the drawing does not offer enough information to understand the plan totally. By the word ‘proper’ here I mean a map that gives detail information. Preferably it should be on any vector CAD format, be it GIS or AutoCAD or PDF. RAJUK’s website only provides an uncclear JPG copy of ‘integrated composite DAP Map’. And I could understand very little of that drawing. Here it is: rajukdhaka.gov.bd/dap/dap_map.htm and RAJUK has declared that "it is an offense to make and issue any copy or copies (soft & hard copy) of this map without written permission of the Chairman". Same goes with other DMDP Maps available, are in a low resolution jpg format and I am not authorized to download or copy!We understand that DMDP is the decision that will directly affect our lives and economy of Dhaka. It is also somewhat like a prescription to a patient or a sentence from a court. But unfortunately we don’t have a readable copy of it and 'it is an offense to make a copy of it'. This is very unfortunate. These are the information which are more important than AIDS campaigns. Urban planning directly affects our health, mental well-being, economy and almost everything of life in a city. All information and drawings of DMDP should be 'Open-source' digitally published in usable format and free to copy and use.I am not discussing the flaws of DAP, that is the problems of the detail planning here. That is a seperate issue. Before going to that point we need the information to be open. Yes 'legally open'.Problem number two: Whatever we are getting from RAJUK's DMDP and DAP all are the answers of ‘What’. Where are the answers to ‘Why’? Publishing finalized drawings is not enough. It's not a furniture you are designing! Those are the decisions which will affect us and our next generations who will live in these areas. The drawings should come along with all the studies and researches done to take the decisions. We need to know what is what and why it is like that. Planning and urban-design is not just 'prescribing' or 'imposing' decisions. It should come along with explanations with relevant studies and references.RAJUK may open a whole separate website to host all these information. As they always complain they don't have enough 'man power' I am sure even if they try to open and publish the data they will say this same stuff. No organization has enough man-power. That's why they 'hire' other professional organization to deal with. If RAJUK can not handle this alone they should take help from other organizations.Urban planning and design are the kind of decisions and information which are as important as 'basic health information' for the people. And every citizen has the right to gain access to every information of DMDP, DAP and the right to copy and use those data.----------------------Mohammad Tauheed,ArchitectEdited byMehnaz AhmedArchitect

2010-06-29T07:02:43+05:30 http://www.archsociety.com/news.php?item.137.3 2010-05-22T02:43:37+05:30 admin mail@nospam.com

It's the time to change the climate change. And there are several opportunities around you to get involved in the change. And as architects and designers we have certain responsibilities we should take care of.The City of Taguig, United Architects of the Philippines and others jointly organizing an international design competition of it's kind you will certainly get the opportunity to get involved in the change-making by architecture. The competition is entitled as 'Design Against the Elements' initiated after the tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) in Philippines.The winning design will be built as a prototype disaster-resistant and livable eco-village in Taguig City, Metro Manila. The village will be the first green and disaster-resistant community in Philippines.The design task include an urban housing development masterplan which may be replicated in similar areas; an integrated innovative sustainable solution by understanding of the local economy, society and environment.The competition is divided into two categories of entries,Category 1 is open to all architects from any country registered according to the relevant laws in their respective countries.Category 2 is open to all students in architecture in their senior years and to graduates of an architecture degree.Registration Deadline: September 24, 2010Submission Deadline: November 19, 2010For category 1 a 30 USD registration fee applies payable via bank transfers.There is no registration fee for Category 2 participants.Awards: Category-1 first prize: $10,000 USD, Category-2 first prize: $3,000 USD and other prizes.For more details: Visit the competition website, Download the competition manual, registration form

2010-05-22T02:43:37+05:30 http://www.archsociety.com/news.php?item.136.3 2010-05-07T06:25:58+05:30 admin mail@nospam.com

Cocktail napkins are infamous for architects' casual tool of sketching instant output of tea table brainstorming. Sometimes napkins are also used to even explain design to a client while meeting in a cafe. Stories abound about famous works of architecture coming out of these spontaneous sketches. Architectural Record brings out an interesting contest of sketch on cocktail napkin, may be a short relief from the meticulously digital age of CAD.The submission is obviously NOT online. Participants must send their sketches drawn on 5x5 inch cocktail napkins (up to 6 sketches per participant) to the Architecture Record office. All materials must be postmarked no later than Monday, June 21, 2010.For details and registration download this PDF file.And start sketching wherever, whenever you get something in your mind, yeh keep some napkins always in your pocket!

2010-05-07T06:25:58+05:30 http://www.archsociety.com/news.php?item.135.3 2010-05-07T03:24:10+05:30 admin mail@nospam.com

The Pratt Manhattan Gallery of New York called for design of a mobile voter registration and info center to add something spectacular to the fall 2010 election process in NYC. The design has to be innovative, light weight and portable, with the options of folding and unfolding by one person. The design should be able to fit in an area of 3x3x3 feet when it is folded/collapsed.The competition is open to all (as they say!) with no entry fees. The winning design will be built. The three winners will be awarded cash prizes of $500, $400, and $300 along with $1000 stipends for the fabrication and shipment of their winning designs.The submission is online via email.Deadline: June 15, 2010To download the registration form and for more details visit the Competition Site.

2010-05-07T03:24:10+05:30 http://www.archsociety.com/news.php?item.134.3 2010-04-12T22:46:55+05:30 admin mail@nospam.com

United Nations declared 2010 as the Year of Biodiversity. On this occasion UNDP, Bangladesh Government and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) jointly organize a photography competition titled “Biodiversity in Focus”. The competition is open to students, armature and professional photographers residing in Bangladesh.Since all the architects are more or less photographers, we gladly promote this competition among ArchSociety members.The submission is online via email, there is no registration fees. The deadline of submission is midnight Thursday 6 May 2010.About the theme: The photographs should talk about a story showing the rich biodiversity of Bangladesh (plants or animals). Photos are supposed to concentrate more on the message of conserving biodiversity in Bangladesh than just aesthetics or technical excellence. Photographs may be submitted in 5 different categories:1. Nature in the urban landscape2. Ecosystems under threat (degradation)3. Human interface with nature (livelihoods)4. Diversity of life under a changing climate5. Emerging initiatives to conserve naturePrizes:A panel of professional photographers will judge the winning photos. In each category there will be one Professional and one Amateur prize winner.Submission:Participants are to send their entries along with the filled up registration form to -email- within the deadline.Images must be less than 5MB in size and with at least 200DpI resolution and may be either B/W or color.To download the registration form Click HERE.For more details visit: Competition Site.[This news is published after notification, permission from IUCN Bangladesh, The image used at the top left corner has been collected from This Page owned by M.S. Raunak, and the image is not meant to be an example of a competition entry anyway. I couldn’t find the name of photographer of the photo; any claim of copyright will be honored by removal/credit]

2010-04-12T22:46:55+05:30 http://www.archsociety.com/news.php?item.133.3 2010-04-11T07:15:28+05:30 NEO neo@nospam.com

After the collapse of Chicago's real estate market few massive abandoned project left some scars along the Lake Michigan shore. One of the projects was a foundation for a singular 150-story condominium tower designed by an internationally-renowned Spanish architect. The tower was dreamed to become a new icon of the city. However that project is not going to be built anyway.Now what else can be done with this important site?That's the challenge of this competition. The participants have to generate ideas about (may be) new intervention to the place with programs proposed by themselves.This is a single stage design ideas competition open to both students and professionals from any country.The registration fees for entry is:For Students: $50For others: $90For CAC members: $30(Payable by credit cards or via PayPal)The deadline of registration/submission is May 3rd, 2010.This competition seems to be an interesting chance of brainstorming with a mixture of architecture and urban design issues along with a possibility of proposing The New Icon of Chicago.Visit the Competition Site for details and downloadable contents.This is a clearer view of the site:

2010-04-11T07:15:28+05:30 http://www.archsociety.com/news.php?item.132.3 2010-03-20T03:13:20+05:30 admin mail@nospam.com

The Second World War is one of the biggest scratches on the picture of world history. It comes with different notions to different persons and countries. Several memorials and monuments are standing around the world hosting the memories of the Second Wold War so far.The Government of Poland is willing to put another landmark on the way of making world war memorials. They have declared an architectural design competition to make "The Museum of the Second World War" intended to become a new identity landmark of the City of Gdansk.The competition is open to professionals from any country with professional license in their home country and at least 5 years work experience or at least one built project no smaller than 2000 SqM.Prize: The winning project will receive 80,000 Euro.Jury: Wiesław Bielawski, Grzegorz Buczek, Wiesław Czabański, Wojciech Duda, George Ferguson, Tomasz Konior, Daniel Libeskind, Jack Lohman, Andrzej Pągowski, Hans Stimmann, Krystyna Zachwatowicz-WajdaAll interested participants must send a "Requests to Participate in the Competition" within 26th March, 2010This 'request' will be checked and selected Architect or groups will get the opportunity to participate the competition. Selected architects are to submit their final design by 13th August 2010.Find all other details in the Competition Website.

2010-03-20T03:13:20+05:30 http://www.archsociety.com/news.php?item.131.3 2010-01-27T02:04:05+05:30 admin mail@nospam.com

Every thoughtful design must have some kind of unrealized potentials! So don't just let your un-winning competition entries hibernate in your drawer or hard disk. There's a chance to re-submit your works in the Architizer Competition Competition 2010! You can submit any of your competition entries done in 2009 which has NOT been awarded the first prize.The submitted entries will be judged on a general architectural merit basis, not according to criteria of the original competition. The submission is online and free. Anyone of the design team of a competition entry may submit the project crediting all the team members.The result will be published on 19th February. The winning design will be rewarded $1500 USD cash prize and will be featured on Architizers front page.  Four special mentions will also be awarded and featured on Architizer. And the finalists will be asked to participate in an exhibition in at Relative-Space Design Showroom in New York this Spring.The competition website is open for submission up to February 15, 2010 11.59pm EST.

2010-01-27T02:04:05+05:30 http://www.archsociety.com/news.php?item.130.3 2010-01-23T07:43:56+05:30 admin mail@nospam.com

The American Institute of Architects, Redwood Empire Chapter, and the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy are joining together to sponsor a SMART Ideas Urban Design Charette and Competition for an existing suburban area around the North Santa Rosa Station for the new Sonoma Marin train.This competition is open to any person from any profession. There’s an immense possibility of playing versatile design ideas to develop the site. And it may become a great chance to concentrate on access and connectivity, access to existing jobs and services, placemaking, infill and preservation of open space, balance of public and private partnerships, the connectivity of multiple modes of ransportation, stimulate excitement about new possibilities for urban transformation etc.We are sorry for a late post of such an interesting and important competition! The registration and submission deadline is knocking at the door. However as the submission is online you may still try:Registration Deadline : 1st FebruarySubmission Deadline: 8th FebruaryRegistration Fees: 75 USD for students and 150 USD for professional and academics.All the details of the design task and the information about the site are available in the competition website.

2010-01-23T07:43:56+05:30