JUROR @ ARCHITIZER A+ AWARDS 2022

I am delighted to be a juror for the A+ Awards 2022. The jury comprises several protagonists of the international architecture scene.

URBAN RENAISSANCE WORKSHOP VIDEO

Fondazione Inarcassa has released a good video of the workshop I coordinated for them in Dubai last November

"Balkrishna Doshi and the extinction of modernity." Article published on Identity.ae

My article "Balkrishna Doshi and the extinction of modernity" is published on identity.ae
Read it here: https://issuu.com/motivatepublishing/docs/id_january_2022_magzter_edition1

Dubai Walking Lectures for AIM - Associazione Interessi Metropolitani

A very interesting and fun group of people came to visit Dubai and the expo with a special interest on the Architecture and the urban history and transformation of the City. I led the group for two days and a smaller group also decided to extend the visit to the heritage area and the cultural buildings in the desert of Sharjah.

Lecture @ German University of Cairo

I am very thankful to Prof. Silvia Covarino for her kind invitation to present my students’ projects to the Urban Design Course at the German University of Cairo.

ADS1@ HERIOT-WATT FINAL REVIEWS

The semester ended with the final reviews of the Al Qudra project. As usual critics were recruited among the best professionals and academics in Dubai. Students enjoyed the informal format that demonstrated to be successful as it improved the quality of assessment and discussion. Thanks to those taking part especially to my teaching partner Raha Milani.

ARCHITECTURE MASTERPRIZE 2021 STUDENTS WINNING PROJECT

I am really pleased to announce that a group of my students at the Universita' Politecnica delle Marche are among the Architecture Masterprize 2021 - Mixed Use category winners. Last year another group I supervised at the American University of Sharjah won the same prestigious award with the “Requalification of Al Nasserya” project in Sharjah. This year's winning entry focuses on the redevelopment of the industrial area of the Mina Zayed area in Abu Dhabi. The course was held in collaboration with Gianluigi Mondaini

LECTURE @ ASSOCIAZIONE INTERESSI METROPOLITANI - MILAN

It was an interesting experience and I am thankful for the invitation to give a lecture about Dubai and its architecture by AIM.

The lecture is on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVzFS-tOcGs

URBAN RENAISSANCE WORKSHOP @ ITALIAN PAVILION EXPO 2020

After three days of intense activities the workshop has ended with the final projects presentation at the Italian pavilion. I had the pleasure to work with super talented young architects and I wish them the best for their professional future.

Mediterrean Urban Design & Regeneration Event @ Italian Pavilion Expo 2020

Great discussion at the event organized by University of Pescara at the Italian Pavilion within the Urban and Rural development week activities. It was an excellent opportunity to meet again with Italian colleagues as well as professors and researchers from Abu Dhabi University, American University in Dubai, and Zayed University

WORLD ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL JUDGING

The two days of judging for the WAF were compelling and inspiring. The quality of projects was extremely high, and it wasn't easy to make a final choice. Let's hope the next edition will be as it used to be— in person and one of the most significant occasions to exchange ideas about architecture. (in the pictures, the first and the last mixed-use project with discussed in the session. With Ewan Jones, Carlotta Zucchini, Shop Architects, Woods Bagot, and Moshe Safdie Architects)

JUDGE @ WORLD ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL

I am delighted for the invitation to join the group of jurors at the 2021 World Architecture Festival. The award is possibly the most important globally and includes top academics and professionals substantially contributing to defining the characters of contemporary architecture's themes and expressions

LECTURES SEMINAR @ UNIVPM A-A 2021-2022

The course “Design for the enhancement and conservation of Architectural Heritage,” I am co-teaching at the Universita’ Politecnica delle Marche, will focus again this year on the re-qualification of the Mina Zayed area in Abu Dhabi. We already kicked off the activities with two fascinating lectures given by two good friends and colleagues Apostolos Kyriazis and Islam El Mashtooly.

Islamic Heritage 2022 Conference / Abstract Accepted

I am happy to know that my abstract "The question of Al Seef in Dubai. A case of historicist architecture compared to the global principles of Architectural Heritage" was accepted and approved for a full paper to be presented at the Islamic Heritage 2022 Conference in Lisbon. It will be an excellent opportunity to hear the outcomes of research undertaken by esteemed colleagues on such an exciting topic.

Webinar Expo2020 Dubai: il progetto, il padiglione italiano e il “Rinascimento Urbano”

I am glad to be part of this Webinar and to presenting the “Rinascimento Urbano” architectural design workshop to be held in Dubai within the activities of the Italian pavilion at the Expo 2020.

TEACHING NEW ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN COURSE @ UNIVPM FALL 2021

The 4th year architectural design course at UNIVPM will focus again on Mina Zayed in Abu Dhabi. Students have the chance to choose their course and again there was a great turnout and interest in our topic. I look forward to the collaboration with Prof. Mondaini, president of the degree in engineering architecture, and to starting working on projects

MATERIAL / INTERVIEW WITH WAEL AL AWAR - WAIWAI

“……despite years of discussions, even if the awareness of traditional construction methods' impact on the environment is now higher than in the past, fully sustainable solutions are yet to become conscious and shared practice. A generalized effort to convert the most polluting construction processes and re-think the sustainability of their materials is still to become a reality. Therefore, your research is definitely contemporary. It fits into the abacus of human actions that we must now peremptorily deem "necessary"……

I am looking forward to the next issue of Compasses Architecture & Design with my interview with one of the winners of the Golden Lion at the Architecture Venice Biennale.

Farshad Mehdizadeh to lecture @ D6 Architecture Program / Heriot-Watt Dubai

The fall semester already looks exciting at HW, with the first Open Series lecture by one of the region's most interesting architects. Despite his young age Farshad Mehdizadeh is already the author of notable projects and winner of several international awards. Here is the link to register for his online lecture titled "The Structure of Context."

D6 Architecture Open Series 2021 Tickets, Thu, Sep 30, 2021 at 4:00 PM | Eventbrite

“Urban Renaissance” / Inarcassa Foundation Architecture Workshop @ Expo 2020

Workshop @ Expo Dubai / Italian Pavilion with Guendalina Salimei, Paolo Desideri, Cristiano Luchetti, Andrew Shaw, and Steven Velegrinis

Press; release: Italian excellence in architecture and engineering arrives at Expo 2020 Dubai, the Universal Exhibition scheduled from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. From November 4 to 6, during the Urban & Rural Development week, the "Urban Renaissance" workshop will be held at the Italian Pavilion and at the Foundry, an art space located in downtown Dubai. It’s a project conceived and promoted by the Inarcassa Foundation with the support of the General Commissariat for Italy's participation in the Dubai Expo 2020 and EMAAR, the leading real estate developer in the Gulf region. The 30 participants will be 15 young Italian practitioners and 15 young architects who were selected in the UAE through an international call. The participants will work in teams led by renowned academics and practitioners both from Italy and the UAE: Steven Velegrinis, Andrew Shaw, Cristiano Luchetti, Guendalina Salimei, and Paolo Desideri will lead the urban regeneration workshop. The design ideas will focus on the Downtown Boulevard area. The workshop will start on November 4 in the presence of, among others, the Italian ambassador to the UAE, Nicola Lener, the co-designer of the Italian Pavilion Carlo Ratti, and the participants. On November 5, the program includes lectures focusing on urban regeneration given by Hussam Raouf and X-Architects. On the last day of the workshop, on November 6, Farid Esmaeil, Sumaya Dabbagh, Ahmed Al-Ali, Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi, and Fabio Grilli will attend as critics the workshop's presentations of the final projects at the Italian Pavilion. "The beauty that unites people, the theme chosen by the Italian Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai, also involves the enhancement of Italian excellence and its human capital” underlines Franco Fietta, president of the Inarcassa Foundation “The skills of Italian architects and engineers are recognized and appreciated worldwide and certainly represent an example in this regard. In this period more than ever it is necessary to focus on the value of the role played by these professionals. We are confident that the Expo can be an opportunity to relaunch one of the strategic production sectors of our country".

Inarcassa Foundation has continuously supported the younger generations of practitioners in building the necessary skills to face contemporary challenges. With this initiative, Inarcassa Foundation intends to bring the world’s attention to the talent of Italian architects and engineers who in recent years have distinguished themselves for merit and commitment to architecture and urban design and were inspired by sustainability criteria.

FALL SEMESTER 2021-22 @ HERIOT-WATT DUBAI

I am very glad to join again the Heriot-Watt D6 architecture program for this fall semester. It is great to be back working with students face-to face at the spectacular brand new HW campus. This semester I will be assisted by Raha Milani a talented young architect based in Dubai.