Traditional architecture, inclusion in South Africa and housing policies worldwide
One of South Africa’s leading architects, Peter Rich is an activist striving to protect its indigenous peoples. He has confirmed his attendance at UIA2021RIO as a speaker. In addition to presenting specific cultures and projects closely linked to them, this event will also feature speakers building up a global overview of cities. They include Claudio Acioly, a Brazilian specialising in housing policies in more than thirty countries.
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Alfredo Sirkis – Brazil loses a front-line defender of the environment
Trail-blazing journalist, politician, author and scriptwriter, Alfredo Sirkis, newly deseased, was among the earliest activists advocating for environmental preservation in Brazil. “An irreparable loss. He was a man ahead of his time. He never conformed to the political mediocrity around him”, said architect Luiz Fernando Janot, who is a member of the UIA2021RIO Executive Committee.
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Virtual environment hosts discussion on the future of the “real” city
“There have never been so many discussions focused on architecture and urban planning,” noted UIA2021RIO speaker Celso Rayol Jr., during one of the many virtual conferences organised since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The future of cities, urban settings and physical spaces prompts a wide variety of questions that may give rise to proposals and solutions that transform society.
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Paulo Mendes da Rocha – a dash of philosophy for commenting on current events
A winner of the Pritzker Prize and many others, UIA2021RIO Honour Committee member Paulo Mendes da Rocha was interviewed in the Crisis Talks – After the Future (Conversas na Crise – Depois do Futuro) cycle organised by the Institute of Advanced Studies (IdEA – Instituto de Estudos Avançados) at the University of Campos (UNICAMP), under a partnership with the UOL portal. Now 91 years old, this architect and urban planner avoided pointless statements, preferring to page through history with remarks inviting reflection.
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