co+labo radović co+labo September of international design workshops+symposia has started

co+labo radović participated an in international design-research workshop in Belgrade, Serbia (Faculty of Architecture in the period 31.8 – 10.9.2017). Our team Yamashita Shohei, Kato Shun, Kinoshita Norimi and Motoyama Masahito joined forty students and professors from the participating six universities from Serbia, Italy and Japan (the  University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, Serbia, La Sapienza University, Faculty of Architecture, Rome, University of Camerino, Faculty of Architecture, Ascoli Piceno, Italy, University of Sassari, Department for Architecture, Design and Urbanism, Alghero, Italy, Meiji University, Boontharm Studio and Keio University, co+labo).

As Professor Zoran Djukanović, the Organiser of this event, explained that “the Workshop and Symposium “Belgrade in the Plural” is oriented to urban research and urban design research of cultural and urban diversity in the contemporary city, inside the frame of the mainstream urban development tendencies: responsible, sustainable, smart and creative community, based on participation based and good urban design. The Symposium offers keynote lectures by each of the professors, presentations by external experts and debates. The parallel programme offers lectures by all visiting professors."

The teams worked in six groups, with carefully balanced cultural difference and skills. During the final presentation,  a Jury of visiting lecturers and experts have selected the most successful project. Yamashita-san was a co+labo member of the winning team, thus having the best farewell to Milano, where he starts his Double Degree at Politecnico ( 頑張ってください, Shohei-san!).

Professor Djukanović will be a Visiting Professor at co+labo in November this year. His foundational text for the Belgrade in the Plural workshop has been published in the July-August issue of Domus Magazine. You can find that essay (in, we hope, sufficiently good resolution) below.

co+labo radović        about co+labo+Keio Architecture@EAAE Conference in Bordeaux        

On 31 August, Darko delivered a key-note address to the Conference of European Architectural Education Association, held in Bordeaux. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of EAAE, the focus of the Conference was on teaching and research activities that European schools developed with their partners beyond Europe's borders.

This invitation was in recognition of Darko's experience and research in that field, with initiative coming from the École nationale supérieure d'architecture et de paysage de Bordeaux, with whom he collaborated in an exciting research into architectural and urban design education Bangkok-Melbourne-Bordeaux BMB (2003-5), the results of which were published as Cross-cultural Urban Design, global or local practice (Routledge).
Darko’s talk to the most illustrious of academic audiences in the field of architectural education started by referring to, and reflecting upon some of his own experiences of immersion into diverse teaching and learning practices in the fields of production of space. A special emphasis was on Japan and his rare, internal perspectives of the Japanese academia. As the first foreigner professor of architecture (Keio) and urbanism (Tokyo) ever at the two oldest universities in the country, over the last ten years Darko could not only observe, but also get involved and contribute to the arguably unique ways of thinking and making architecture in Japan. Those experiences deny routine, and demand constant rethinking of the fundamentals of the subject thought and investigated - and co+labo and Keio Architecture were at the very centre of presentation.The talk was deliberately polemological, crafted in hope to, in de Certeau's way, “force theory to recognise its own limits”.
The main aim of the address was to acknowledge and celebrate diverse, situated knowledges, and too point at risks inherent to any foreign intervention - even when careful and best intended.

(illustrations in this post: strips of slides form Darko's presentation; photos by EAAE)

co+labo radović      congratulations to our old friend: great recognition of Jan Gehl's work      

We have received a great news from Helle Søholt, Founding Partner and CEO of Gehl Architects. Jan Gehl has received yet another recognition of his contribution to urbanism, this time - specifically to his city of Copenhagen. In Helle's own words: "Copenhagen is celebrating it’s 850th birthday this year, and our very own Jan Gehl has been selected as 1 out of 10 influential people through history, who have contributed to the Copenhagen story, alongside people like Absalon (the founder of the city), King Christian IV, Holberg, Thorvaldsen, Rahbek, Carl Jakobsen (Founder of Carlsberg), Bang, Weel and Weidekamp. A pretty esteemed party!"
If you happen to be in Copenhagen in the first part of September - join some of the events celebrating the anniversary of the Danish capital city and its greatest citizens.

A warm co+labo congratulation to Jan, with a photo commemorating one of the meeting and discussions our future collaboration (Darko is an Contextual Research Expert at Gehls, while Davisi translates his books to Thai language.) 

co+labo radović          preparations for the approaching, busy co+labo September                    

With Obon Festival behind us, preparations for hot co+labo September of workshops+symposia are reaching the climax. 

co+labo radović  Masters Studios became celebrations of quality@Keio Architecture  

(details to be uploaded soon)

co+labo radović   co+labo undergrads excel in Final Design Studio+Graduation Competition    

(details to be uploaded soon)

The Amsterdam+Tokyo Symposium started on 23 May, with a guided tour of Fumihiko Maki's Daikanyama Hillside project and an inspired lecture by the doyen of Japanese architecture. The programme continued on 24 May, with a day full of presentations and discussions (above).

co+labo radović co+labo organised Amsterdam+Tokyo Symposium on smart(er) urbanisation

On 24 May at Keio Hiyoshi Campus, Raiosha Centre  co+labo hosted International Amsterdam+Tokyo Symposium: smart(er) urban development, strategic and tactical responses to the pressures of globalisation. 
The Symposium was opened by Professor Kohei Itoh, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology. It brough together an interdisciplinary group of experts, with invited presentations by academics and practitioners from Amsterdam (the City of Amsterdam Department of Planning and Sustainability - Mirjana Milanović, Pieter Klomp,  Paul Chorus; University of Amsterdam - Zef Hemel) and Tokyo (Urban Renaissance Agency - Hirokazu Ishiwatari, Keio - Darko Radović, Hiroto Kobayashi; Tokyo - Kengo Kuma; Meiji - Davisi Boontharm; Hosei University - Hidenobu Jinnai; Japan Research Institute - Yoshitaka Oshima; Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Melbourne - Jane Homewood; full list at the flyer, below) and a number of invited discussants. The main aim was to exchange information about current trends and advance thinking about the future of cities in the age of rapid globalisation. The exchange of experiences in dealing with challenges of growth and densification will be valuable for both cities, as it has the potential for diverse generalizations and broader contribution towards smarter, environmentally and culturally sustainable development.

The themes tabled through presentations and discussion of the past, present and future projects included

future (of) cities,

smart[er] cities, smart[er] communities), to

top-down, macro, strategic+bottom-up,micro tactical responses to globalisation

quality of urban life and densification

urban density and intensity

urban regulation

top-down, bottom-up and practices in between

future of public realm/public space

residential highrise boom

… all the way to the broadest issues linked to globalisation and opportunities to learn from cultural difference.

A parallel poster session presented and offered to discussion the latest in PhD and PostDoctoral Research projects by Marco Capitanio, Alice Covatta, Ivan Filipović, Sano Satoshi, Vuk Radović (Keio SFC), Ana Beretić (University of Sassari)  and Ana Medina (EPT+co+labo Madrid).