Eurasian Prize, the international festival of architecture and design, is an annual set of events crowned by the Awards Gala. 

You can read more about the Eurasian Prize on WAC's comprehensive coverage.  Winners of the Eurasian Prize 2021 will be announced at the Award events on November 19, 2021.

This year's ArchEurasia 2021 will explore the theme of "Designing The City, Designing Tomorrow" on 17-18 November, 2021 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. 

Manifesto

The world is changing rapidly.

The contemporary challenges of uncontrolled urbanization, poverty, isolation, social adaption issues, climatic and environmental changes are calling for a new development of the social environment paradigm. The need for creating a new paradigm in social environment development is dictated not only by the global challenge of the pandemic that the humankind is facing now. A widening gap in the theory and practice of the interaction between the authorities and the general public in the urban planning sphere, as well as a collective responsibility for the world which we’ll live in tomorrow, are pointing out the problem.

The community of architects, designers, urbanists are faced with inevitable questions about how architecture can contribute to the transformation of society, strengthen social solidarity and, at the same time, resist the trends of «dehumanization» of the surroundings. That is why, it is extremely important to initiate, as soon as possible, a discussion on Prospective Architectural and Urban Development, as well as to develop new solutions for prompt response to changing daily life needs.

Summit of architects, urbanists, designers “ArchEurasia 2021” is involved leading world architects and designers, city planners and economists, sociologists and philosophers, urbanists, representatives of city communities and government agencies because "Architectural thinking" is not a special insight of the architectural community, but a stable social point of view to form a city.

“ArchEurasia 2021” is a global initiative aimed at:

• To initiate a discussion on Prospective Architectural and Urban Development and to develop paradigm for building social environment;
• To highlight the major role of architecture in the modern world and designing the future;
• To elucidate the value of architecture as a means of humanization of urban planning processes drawing on international best practices in the field of social architecture and as a means of creating and enabling safe environments;
• To identify ways towards effective cooperation of architects, designers, urbanists, authorities, urban communities, and developers with consensus at all stages of planning activities;
• To re-evaluate critically the existing practices of designing social environment objects and developing new solutions for prompt response to changing daily life needs;
• To highlight the role of urban communities in improving the urban environment and demonstrate new opportunities for interaction with urban space.

Being distanced from the influence of ideologies and sectoral lobbying pressures, the “ArchEurasia” invites open and free discussion involving all stakeholders — architects, designers, urbanists, popular bloggers, cultural scientists, philosophers, sociologists, technology companies, academic and multidisciplinary institutions, public officials and social movements, as well as students and active citizens. A free debate involving all stakeholders will make it possible to move from the general to the specific, from theory to practice, from global to vital, from opposition to an agreement with civil society at all stages of urban development.

The result of the “ArchEurasia 2021” will be a memorandum on new approaches to the design and organization of spaces/facilities of the social environment addressed to representatives of tourism, healthcare, culture, sports, construction, etc. which will be presented at industry forums in the following year.

Summit of architects, urbanists, designers “ArchEurasia 2021” is the final event of the XVI season of the International Prize for Architecture and Design ‘Eurasian Prize’, which takes place in 2021 in an extended format – summit, forum, festival – and will conclude with the awards presentation to the winners of the Eurasian Prize 2021.

The event is an international summit of architects, urbanists, designers with a special focus on the sub-topics below: 

Focus of attend pre-eminence of the principles of "sustainable architecture" as a response to the needs of the 21^st century

• the growing social function of architecture
• professional ethics of the architectural community in the context of relationships with the authorities and business
• readjustable architecture and mobile spaces
• reconsideration of the concept of public space and home
• design innovations for the social sectors (healthcare, sports, education, hospitality, etc.).
• social activity and urbanism: the role of non-governmental movements in urban development

The Summit Program

November 17, 2021

HOW TO RECONFIGURE ARCHITECTURE: WHAT THE PANDEMIC HAS TAUGHT. Expert session

"Adaptation as a Key Feature of Contemporary Architecture". Panel discussion

Abstract: Adaptability has recently become an obvious essential feature of urban development. This is due to the acceleration of various processes leading to rapid changes in requirements concerning the appearance and internal layout of buildings, materials from which these are constructed, etc., but also adaptability to new uses, new planning approaches and, most importantly, natural and social conditions. The pandemic of COVID-19 reinforces the need for buildings around the world to meet a new requirement of adaptability to new operation and maintenance conditions. In order to formulate it, the following questions should be addressed: what is adaptation from the standpoint of architecture and design, and how should it reveal itself; how could the degree of adaptability be measured to be able to draw comparisons between objects by this characteristic; which buildings would be more efficient in achieving this objective, etc.

"The Architect’s Role in the Handling of Disaster Consequences".  Panel discussion

Abstract: Wars and post-war periods and various disasters and emergencies often result in cities losing their architectural qualities and sometimes in complete destruction of the urban fabric. In these situations, the architect’s role in the spatial development of such areas increases dramatically. In addition to dealing with the consequences of an emergency situation, architecture is expected to ensure prompt erection and simplicity or engineering solutions and optimization of the entire process in complicated economic contexts. To date, practice has seen various examples of reconstruction and renovation of destroyed and severely damaged buildings and sites, as well as examples of quickly erectable buildings for urgent provision with housing and healthcare. These experiences need to be summarized and systematized for the purpose of developing a methodology of rapid response and settlement recovery.

"Architecture of Educational Institutions: Transformation of Approaches to the Creation of Safe Contact Spaces for Education and Recreation". Panel discussion

Abstract: Buildings and structures for educational and recreational functions present a unique vein in architecture since their users pertain to a very diverse social group: children, their parents, and teachers (staff of educational institutions). Their needs are so varied and quickly changing that the design and development of such objects should provide for the flexibility and transformability of the spaces, ensure quick re-configuration, change of size, color and lighting and, at the same time, be safe and esthetically pleasing. Internationally, theory and practice demonstrate a lot of examples of absolutely different approaches to the development of educational and recreational centers which are very popular with visitors. It would be interesting to identify their peculiar features and characteristics for creating a quintessence of buildings and structures for education.

"Strategies for organizing social spaces: how to get back to the streets, to offices, restaurants, gyms". Research session

HERITAGE: REBOOT. Conference

November 18, 2021

"Sustainability and Resilience: ideology, definition, future". Panel discussion
Discussion for comprehensive inter-disciplinary consideration of sustainable urban development issues.

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY. Expert session

"Designing human experience: industrial design for social industries". Open discussion

Abstract: Modern industrial design transcends formal object boundaries and increasingly turns to a more conscious and deeper vision of product development. The influence of this strategy is especially growing in the development of products for social sectors: public health and fitness, urban infrastructure and transport, public facilities. Blind transfer of technologies to such areas leads to a decompensation effect, when technological innovation without taking into account user experience becomes a factor that increases the distance with the user. By involving the user experience in the interaction process, we get a new emotional experience that manifests itself at all levels of sensory interaction: vision, hearing, tactile impressions – everything obeys a single chain of holistic perception.
By creating such scenarios for interacting with technologies, designers form new patterns of behavior, set standards for interaction with the subject environment, and create a special digital culture with a humane and respectful attitude towards humans.

Part 1. Medicine

- Medicine around us. Decentralization of technologies in medicine.

- Design in medicine. New reality trends.

Part 2. Space And Design

- Urban design as a tool for social education.

Read details about speakers on the website.

Event facts

Event name: The Summit "ArchEurasia 2021"
Theme: Designing the city, designing tomorrow
Dates: November 17—19, 2021
Location: Russia, Yekaterinburg (city)

Top image courtesy of Eurasian Prize.

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