Under the theme of “good neighbors”, the IE School of Architecture and Design celebrated World Architecture Day, highlighting the importance of our commitment and collective responsibility for the future of human beings, societies, and built environments.
To celebrate the projects that have impacted our daily lives positively, the university showcased these buildings on their social media platforms and asked renowned architects and program directors on the importance of maintaining a sense of community and what makes buildings our good neighbors. The school hosted its dean Martha Thorne and award-winning international architect Jeanne Gang during a live interview on Instagram to discuss the evolution of the field of architecture after this year’s new set of living conditions.
The interview explored numerous themes related to Gang’s diverse portfolio and how her practice addresses many topics about the community and the city. The architect explained how she usually embarks on a new project, the importance of listening to the context of the project and the world, building programs, master planning, how can architecture facilitate being a good neighbor, the scale of architecture with respect to the ecosystem and the world, along with many diverse topics.
Along with Thorne and Gang, directors and associate deans of the IE School of Architecture and Design shared their thoughts on what makes a city or neighborhood habitable, discussing factors such as the future of residential architecture, shared spaces, privacy, comfort, and sustainability, to name a few. David Goodman, Associate Dean and Director of the Bachelor in Architectural Studies stated that “it should enhance the community by contributing in some way to the varied mosaic that is the city”, whereas Elvira Muñoz Beraza, Director of the Master in Strategic Design of Spaces elaborated on the human aspect of the theme, explaining that we should try to “build and share more memories together, share ideas to improve everyone’s lives, organize events to laugh together and be kind to each other. This is the only way to move towards creating a healthy city”.
