NextEd Group’s Post

2023 Year In Review As the global social and environmental landscape continues to change, so too has our approach to designing the built space. In continuing to create architecture that enriches and elevates the human condition, we have been focused on shaping spaces to be even more accessible, equitable, and inclusive to better meet the needs of the communities we are designing for – from extensive Indigenous consultation at the Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre to engaging young Black architects in the renewal and expansion of Black Artists’ Network in Dialogue’s (BAND) Toronto gallery and cultural centre. Environmental considerations on our projects continue to be a priority. Even the most challenging of typologies that have specific temperature, humidity and storage requirements, can be ambitiously envisioned as sustainable buildings. The Art Gallery of Ontario’s Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery is being designed to net-zero carbon operating standards; and the new Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health is being clad in Building Integrated Photovoltaics that will not only positively influence its appearance, but contribute a significant amount of renewable energy towards the building’s operation. As architects and planners, our role in guiding and facilitating a future vision for urban living involves designing mixed-use developments and social infrastructure that responds to the contemporary needs of our growing communities, like the transit-focused Pickering City Centre. The masterplan development takes advantage of existing commercial, retail, and institutional sites, integrating them with residential living, abundant verdant spaces and active pedestrian walkways to create a thriving new urban centre. As we say farewell to 2023, we reflect back on some of Diamond Schmitt’s highlights from the past year, and look ahead to what is in-store for 2024.   #DiamondSchmitt #designtotranscend https://lnkd.in/eneMwyX4

This panel discussion is an Australian Architecture Conference fringe event and is open to all to attend, not just conference attendees. Register here: https://aus.archi/9ftr If you are not registered for the conference, toggle the button “Fringe Events Only: select your Fringe event tickets below” then add “Return to the Centre: The Future of the Australian CBD” to your checkout cart, and register your attendance. As our environments of work and home profoundly changed through lockdowns, value was shown where it had previously been overlooked, and new possibilities for how we occupied our physical environments emerged – sometimes radically. Alongside these rapid adaptations, climate impacts and significant rises in living costs have been exerting their own influence on the patterns of our daily urban life. What’s this now mean for our disrupted city centres? What economic, social, and cultural rhythms do we want to see develop in the future? In the aftermath of the pandemic, what lessons and values about the importance of the CBD as a key hub now guide us? Just what is the future of the Australian CBD? Join leading figures from across government, the arts, business and the built environment in a dynamic panel discussion. This event will be held at the Edge in Federation Square, and is presented in partnership with ALSPEC and Open House Melbourne. When: Thursday 9 May 2024 Time: 4:30pm arrival, 5pm start. Finishing at 6:30pm Where: The Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne VIC 3000 Panellists: Cr Nicholas Reece – Deputy Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne Philip Oldfield – Head of School, Built Environment, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Kellie Payne – Director, Workplace Strategy Team, Bates Smart Katrina Sedgwick - Director & CEO at Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co) Mark Tait - Group Executive & Head of Development, Investa

What a fantastic step towards inclusion for designers to understand, conceptualise and implement.

I remember 10 months ago, of the image on the left, the work we were carrying out for well over a year then. Now, on the right, a small snip of a much wider development that represents the culmination of this project, coming to rendition, and all the team involved can only be proud of what we've achieved! Another section of this impressive icone of British history and architecture is now coming live, and another part, will carry on being renovated to bring it into fruition, reshaping Whitehall Campus estate to enable a more efficient civil service, within a smart, hybrid, inclusive and sustainable workplace. #governmentprojects #gpa #workplacetransformation

Join us next week at CNU 32 Cincinnati!   Speakers Brenda Diaz-Flores, CNU-A, Associate, Urban Designer, MKSK and Justin Wallace, AICP, CNU-A, Senior Associate in Planning & Urban Design, White & Smith will present on Saturday May 18th at 1:15 pm on  What's in a name? The Power of Street and Place Names.   Street names and addressing are wayfinding devices in our surroundings, often unnoticed, while casually contributing to ambience and the symbolic meaning of a place. The naming of streets seems mundane. However, assigning street nomenclature can be a defining part of a community’s identity, particularly regarding restorative urbanism. Street naming can reveal societal power structures and our core civic and democratic values. Such systems are critical for navigating and understanding a place, city, or region. And, in terms of information management, the topic is becoming more complex and sophisticated and will remain crucial for future planning. This session highlights the importance of street naming, its history and evolution in the U.S. during a critical moment in its city planning history, and how local governments can implement and change street names to restore communities. The session will highlight an example of Morgan Square in Spartanburg, South Carolina to demonstrate how community perceptions and values of streets and public spaces adapt to meet the needs of the community over time and how it will transform in the future. To learn more, visit: https://lnkd.in/g_8N5PKn White & Smith, LLC The Congress for the New Urbanism #MKSK #ShapePlace #PlacesforPeople #LandscapeArchitecture #UrbanDesign #Planning #Design #ASLA #APA #ULI #CNU32

When we embrace the vision for a future where our cities harmonize with nature, it becomes so much more than just an architectural movement. 🏙️ The European Bauhaus initiative is just that. It's about designing cities that prioritize the well-being of both people and the planet. Imagine cities where green spaces are abundant, where buildings are energy-efficient, and where transportation is sustainable and inclusive. 🌿 The architects and city leaders collaborating on this initiative are setting the stage for a brighter tomorrow. By integrating nature into urban design, we're not only mitigating climate change but also enhancing the quality of life for everyone. Let's embrace this vision and build cities that thrive in harmony with our environment. #sustainablearchitecture #futurefocused

If you are heading to CNU 32 in Cincinnati, then drop by our session "What's in a name? The Power of Street and Place Names." I'll be sharing my research and taking a fascinating and nerdy dive into the history and current advantages of Street (RE)-Naming for local governments with Brenda Diaz-Flores, CNU-A. I think you'll find this fun and wonky topic just as fascinating as I have!

City Cortex is a cultural research programme that explores the intersection between contemporary urban contexts and one of the most versatile and sustainable raw materials Nature has to offer: cork. It views the city as a living and dynamic organism, and looks into the challenges of the 21st Century, where issues such as safety, protection, social cohesion, comfort, enjoyment, participation, sustainability, and resource management are absolutely essential. Through the contributions of internationally recognised architects and designers, City Cortex seeks to create original projects for public and semi-public spaces in various cities. Taking the metropolitan area of Lisbon as the starting point of this research through in-situ experimentation, the participants reinvent and test the possibilities of using Portuguese cork and its transformation industry, aiming to surpass its current limits. The studios invited to launch the research are Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Eduardo Souto de Moura, Gabriel Calatrava, Leong Leong, Sagmeister & Walsh, and Yves Béhar City Cortex focuses essentially on: -> Expanding the use of an extraordinary, sustainable, and natural raw-material within urban contexts. -> Paving the way for a broader consciousness about sustainability and the development of urban contemporary landscapes; -> Inspiring innovative thinking, marked by ideas and intersections that offer a positive and useful contribution to our living experience as a social community and interaction with the natural world. Besides exploring the potential of the material itself, this programme also strives for a playful user experience, transforming the communal urban space into a playground, a space for multidisciplinary and multicultural interactions. City Cortex is produced and initiated by Amorim Cork and Amorim Cork Composites Images by Ricardo Gonçalves + CityCortex

Because this is just great design.