Rick Sommerfeld, assistant professor of architecture at the University of Colorado Denver, USA, and director of the Colorado Building Workshop will be in Australia in February to deliver a number of talks and presentations.

Sommerfield will be making an appearance at the 'Diversity + Community' Architecture Conference at the NGV in Melbourne from 10 February and will also be visiting Sydney three days earlier for a stand-alone talk at the Australian Institute of Architects NSW Chapter offices.

Sommerfield’s presentation will explore his approach to sustainable design through a number of innovative community led projects delivered since founding Colorado Building Workshop in 2009.

Sommerfield has worked with not-for-profit organisations to realise a diverse portfolio of innovative community projects in Colorado, including 21 micro-cabins for the Colorado Outward Bounds School, an urban farming classroom, a wildlife education pavilion, a museum, and the Ridgway performing arts stage.

The Workshop has also collaborated with DesignBuildBLUFF at the University of Utah to design and build five charitable homes for Navajo Nation, the largest indigenous tribe in the USA. Promoting a blend of hands-on skills and material exploration to construct buildings for communities in need, the design build program collaborates closely with clients, engineers and consultants to develop and test ideas against real contextual constraints.

Sommerfield will discuss a number of these innovative community-led projects, and introduce his approach to sustainable design and construction.

Sommerfeld’s travel to Australia is funded by Architecture Foundation Australia for his role as speaker at the 'Diversity + Community' Architecture Conference at NGV Melbourne on 10-12 February: http://www.ozetecture.org/melbourne-conference/

Additional support for the Sydney lecture is kindly provided by SJB Architects.

TICKETS 

FREE to attend but booking required. 
http://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=255355

LOCATION 

Australian Institute of Architects, 3 Manning Street, Potts Point, NSW 2011