The American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows has awarded the 2013 Latrobe Prize of $100,000 for the proposal, “The City of 7 Billion.”
The research will study the impact of population growth and resource consumption on the built and natural environment at the scale of the entire world as a single urban entity. An antidote to the fragmentary analyses of current practices, this project will remove arbitrary boundaries and reframe the entire world as a continuous topography of development: the city of 7 billion.
The grant, named for architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, is awarded biennially by the AIA College of Fellows for research leading to significant advances in the architecture profession.
The project team is comprised of Bimal Mendis and Joyce Hsiang of the Yale School of Architecture and Plan B Architecture & Urbanism, LLC.
The investigators will create a holistic geospatial model of the world. They will map, spatialize and integrate multiple sets of data, including demography, finance, geography, infrastructure and resources. By comparing and correlating these different factors with population growth, this research project will analyze patterns of urbanization, determine how resources can be more efficiently allocated and anticipate the pressures and effects of development. The multi-scalar model will allow for a finer-grain analysis of specific sites and regions as part of a global network.
One outcome is to advance the role architects can play in addressing the challenges of global urbanization. The work seeks to increase the scope of the profession by providing techniques and tools for architects to engage in developing solutions to the global crisis of urban growth. The project will: provide practitioners with an open-source comprehensive site analysis of the entire world for use on any project; provide an important and useful reference that will enable practitioners to locate and incorporate global considerations for any given site; and consider the ramifications of a project on global resources. As an interdisciplinary representational tool, the research project will also reveal issues to the public that the scientific and political communities have been unable to effectively communicate; and empower people to act.
The 2013 Latrobe Prize Jury includes; John T. Regan, (jury chair), Texas A&M University; Harold Adams, FAIA, RTKL; Wayne Drummond, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Henry Green, Hon. AIA, National Institute of Building Sciences; Laura Lee, FAIA, Carnegie Mellon University; Monica Ponce de Leon, University of Michigan; Ronald L. Skaggs, FAIA, Chancellor, AIA College of Fellows and William J. Stanley III, FAIA, Vice Chancellor, AIA College of Fellows.
About The American Institute of Architects
Founded in 1857, members of the American Institute of Architects consistently work to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public well being. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders, and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org <http://www.aia.org> .
Related Stories
Architects | May 28, 2020
Ghafari joins forces with Eview 360
Global architecture + engineering firm announces investment in experiential design agency.
Coronavirus | May 26, 2020
9 tips for mastering virtual public meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mike Aziz, AIA, presents 9 tips for mastering virtual public meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Architects | May 26, 2020
AIA honors exceptional designs with its COTE Top Ten Awards
Projects integrate high design with advanced performance in ten key areas.
Coronavirus | May 22, 2020
COVID-19: Healthcare designers look to the future of medical facilities in light of coronavirus pandemic
The American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) has released the key findings of a survey of its members revealing their insights on the future of healthcare architecture and the role of design in the context of the COVID-19 healthcare crisis.
Coronavirus | May 18, 2020
Infection control in office buildings: Preparing for re-occupancy amid the coronavirus
Making workplaces safer will require behavioral resolve nudged by design.
Data Centers | May 8, 2020
Data centers as a service: The next big opportunity for design teams
As data centers compete to process more data with lower latency, the AEC industry is ideally positioned to develop design standards that ensure long-term flexibility.
Coronavirus | Apr 30, 2020
Gilbane shares supply-chain status of products affected by coronavirus
Imported products seem more susceptible to delays
Architects | Apr 23, 2020
Take a virtual tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House
Explore the building with Frank Lloyd Wright Trust curator David Bagnall.
Coronavirus | Apr 21, 2020
COVID-19 update: CallisonRTKL, Patriot, PODS, and USACE collaborate on repurposed containers for ACFs
CallisonRTKL and PODS collaborate on repurposed containers for ACFs
Multifamily Housing | Apr 15, 2020
Related Group picks Stantec to design and engineer Manor Miramar residences in Florida
Related Group picks Stantec to design and engineer Manor Miramar residences in Florida.