The first speakers have been announced for the 2020 National Architecture Conference, which will explore the changing role of architects in society under the theme of “Leverage.”
Four individual speakers and two practices represented by multiple speakers form the initial line-up, including speakers from Boston, London, Mexico City, Scotland, and San Francisco.
The speakers are:
Alan Ricks, founding principal and the chief design officer of MASS Design Group. (Boston, USA).
Rory Hyde, a designer, writer and curator of contemporary architecture and urbanism at the Victoria and Albert Museum. (London, UK).
Mariana Ordóñez Grajales and Jesica Amescua Carrera of Communal, a practice with a “democratic vision of participatory architecture.” (Mexico City, Mexico).
Nancy Levinson, the editor/executive director of Places Journal, which aims to “harness the power of public scholarship to promote equitable cities and resilient landscapes.” (San Francisco, USA).
Jude Barber and Nicola McLachlan of Collective Architecture, an employee-owned and controlled studio (Glasgow, Scotland)
Danna Walker, founder and managing director of Built By Us, a social enterprise championing greater diversity and inclusion in the construction sector. (London, UK).
The creative directors for the conference, announced mid-2019, are Justine Clark, Maryam Gusheh, Emma Williamson and Kieran Wong.
“The role of the architect and architectural knowledge in contemporary society is shifting from a service provider to new roles that have the potential for transformative influence,” the creative directors said when announcing the conference.
“This fluidity is hallmark of contemporary culture as rigid boundaries are increasingly blurred and challenged. Architecture appears uniquely positioned to extend its reach and amplify its impact. This is the ripple effect, the ability for architectural thinking to leverage positive change.”
The 2020 National Architecture Conference will take place in Perth from 7 to 9 May 2020.
More speakers are to be announced soon, according to the organizers.
