31 January 2013 Last updated at 21:03 ET By Razia Iqbal BBC News

Some in the West get the impression that the Middle East offers women little in the way of equal opportunities but, in the United Arab Emirates, female architects are helping design and build their own cities.

In the past decade, the Dubai skyline has been utterly transformed, with steel and glass towers emerging out of the desert at a striking rate.

And the biggest of them all - the Burj Khalifa - puts Dubai on the world map, as the city with the tallest building in the world, its tip piercing the clouds and forcing the eye ever upwards.

It is this huge building boom which partly explains why a surprisingly disproportionate number of women are choosing to study architecture. Pallavi Dean is a startling figure on a building site - eight and a half months pregnant, wearing a shiny, pink, hard hat.

When I joined her on the site, she and I were the only women there, and I looked on in admiration as she negotiated with engineers and designers, plans in her hand and handing out instructions. Educated in the United Arab Emirates, Pallavi is in no doubt that there is a connection between the building boom and the rising number of young women studying architecture.

"The ratio is 80% women and 20% men, yet that figure is the other way around in the workforce. I've always wondered why."

In addition to working and raising a family, Pallavi Dean lectures at the American University at Sharjah, where she hopes she presents the young women with a solid role model of combining the profession with family.

The university is only 15 years old. Before the huge marble and stone campus sprang up - with its vast courtyards and a nod to Arab aesthetic in the arched windows and geometric mosaics - it was largely sand dunes.

Sitting talking to three women and two men in their final year of their five-year course, I was struck by their innate confidence. All three women - Fatima al-Zaabi, Fatma Abdulla Hussain, and Ruba al-Araji - have a determination and energy to succeed.

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Bridging the Gulf: Women architects in the UAE

IT WAS a chance to look at Tunbridge Wells with fresh eyes and share visions of how it could be transformed.

At an exhibition on Saturday, architects from in and around the town revealed their designs for key sites in Tunbridge Wells.

Concept: Gordon Park, of HazleMcCormackYoung created this vision for a bandstand at Calverley Grounds

A vision for a new university in Tunbridge Wells, from Theis and Khan Architects

A design for a 'pop-up park' on old the cinema site in Tunbridge Wells by James Robson, of Hazle McCormack Young LLP

this is what we want: Eva Gray, 5, and her sister Mia, 7 draw their ideal house for architect Michael Westlake

THEIR THOUGHTS: Part of the So Create a Difference exhibition

So Create a Difference Exibition, in Royal Victoria Place.

There was a non-stop flow of visitors to the So Create A Difference public drop-in day.

As some points it was so crowded it was difficult to see the displays in the pop-up exhibition, which was held in an empty shop in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre.

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Architects show off their visions for the future of Tunbridge...

Washington, Feb 1 (ANI): Industrial partners including renowned architects Foster + Partners have joined with ESA to test the feasibility of using 3D printing to build a lunar base from local materials.

"Terrestrial 3D printing technology has produced entire structures. Our industrial team investigated if it could similarly be employed to build a lunar habitat," said Laurent Pambaguian, heading the project for ESA.

Foster + Partners devised a weight-bearing 'catenary' dome design with a cellular structured wall to shield against micrometeoroids and space radiation, incorporating a pressurised inflatable to shelter astronauts.

A hollow closed-cell structure - reminiscent of bird bones - provides a good combination of strength and weight.

The base's design was guided in turn by the properties of 3D-printed lunar soil, with a 1.5 tonne building block produced as a demonstration.

"3D printing offers a potential means of facilitating lunar settlement with reduced logistics from Earth," added Scott Hovland of ESA's human spaceflight team.

"The new possibilities this work opens up can then be considered by international space agencies as part of the current development of a common exploration strategy," he added.

The UK's Monolite supplied the D-Shape printer, with a mobile printing array of nozzles on a 6 m frame to spray a binding solution onto a sand-like building material.

3D 'printouts' are built up layer by layer - the company more typically uses its printer to create sculptures and is working on artificial coral reefs to help preserve beaches from energetic sea waves.

"First, we needed to mix the simulated lunar material with magnesium oxide. This turns it into 'paper' we can print with," explained Monolite founder Enrico Dini.

Read more:
Architects planning to build moon base using 3D printer

There was plenty of opinion about what was needed in Tunbridge Wells at the So Create A Difference exhibition.

The architects' drawings were studied and discussed, admired and criticised by the many people who visited.

Many took the opportunity to talk in depth with architects about their ideas for Tunbridge Wells.

Organisers aimed to keep the event non-political, ensuring focus was kept on the visions of transformed grot spots which hung on the walls.

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Valid until: Sunday, February 03 2013

And the atmosphere during the 10am to 4pm public drop-in day was one of "blue sky thinking" said one architect.

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Architects in Tunbridge Wells unveil So Create A Difference for...

IT WAS a chance to look at Tunbridge Wells with fresh eyes and share visions of how it could be transformed.

At an exhibition on Saturday, architects from in and around the town revealed their designs for key sites in Tunbridge Wells.

Concept: Gordon Park, of HazleMcCormackYoung created this vision for a bandstand at Calverley Grounds

A vision for a new university in Tunbridge Wells, from Theis and Khan Architects

A design for a 'pop-up park' on old the cinema site in Tunbridge Wells by James Robson, of Hazle McCormack Young LLP

this is what we want: Eva Gray, 5, and her sister Mia, 7 draw their ideal house for architect Michael Westlake

THEIR THOUGHTS: Part of the So Create a Difference exhibition

So Create a Difference Exibition, in Royal Victoria Place.

There was a non-stop flow of visitors to the So Create A Difference public drop-in day.

As some points it was so crowded it was difficult to see the displays in the pop-up exhibition, which was held in an empty shop in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre.

Continue reading here:
Architects show off their visions for the future of the town

There was plenty of opinion about what was needed in Tunbridge Wells at the So Create A Difference exhibition.

The architects' drawings were studied and discussed, admired and criticised by the many people who visited.

Many took the opportunity to talk in depth with architects about their ideas for Tunbridge Wells.

Organisers aimed to keep the event non-political, ensuring focus was kept on the visions of transformed grot spots which hung on the walls.

myprint-247

Print voucher

Order a set of Business Cards before Monday & receive an extra 125 for FREE. Thats 375 cards from only 13.95 FREE Delivery. Dispatched Monday 4th, Delivered Tuesday 5th. Visit http://www.myprint-247.co.uk

Terms: Offer applies to all business cards on our website & to qualify for the offer please use the code: 125FREE in the coupon section at checkout. An email will follow to confirm your free business cards

Valid until: Sunday, February 03 2013

And the atmosphere during the 10am to 4pm public drop-in day was one of "blue sky thinking" said one architect.

Read more:
Architects in Tunbridge Wells unveil So Create A Vision for town...

Architects - These Colours Dont Run Guitar Cover
Fun song by Architects! Leave a comment and a Like if you can 🙂 also any criticism is welcome! This is not my song, all rights go to Architects UK and

By: Chilesk8ter

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Architects - These Colours Dont Run Guitar Cover - Video

Patrick Costin, Portland Society of Architects president, at MEREDA 2013
Portland Society of Architects President Patrick Costin tells Mainebiz at MEREDA 2013 that demand for hiring architects is increasing for the first time in years, marking better times ahead for construction in Maine.

By: MainebizOnline

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Patrick Costin, Portland Society of Architects president, at MEREDA 2013 - Video

Work has started on a scheme designed by Kent architecture firm jhd Architects to extend Hartley House Care Home in Cranbrook. The scheme will provide additional specialist services for the elderly and dementia sufferers at a time when demand in the county is rising and the supply of places is limited.

Kent, United Kingdom (PRWEB) January 30, 2013

Planning consent has been gained for up to 27 additional single bedrooms, 150m2 of new communal space and improved landscaping. Specifically designed for residents suffering from dementia, each bedroom will exceed the minimum standards suggested by the National Care Standards Commission. Nearly all the new rooms will have en-suite toilets and showers, and many will also have direct access to the courtyard areas. The scheme includes a new reception and cafe area with views of, and access to, the central courtyard.

The new communal space will include two lounges with a mix of small and large spaces which can be used for socialising or relaxing quietly. Large double doors with level thresholds, a hallmark of jhd Architects' approach, will give direct access to two enclosed courtyards which, sheltered from the wind and shaded from the sun, will be easy for staff to supervise and safe for residents to use independently. Raised planters will enable light gardening without bending down, and enclosed seating areas will encourage residents to go outside and socialise with each other, and with staff and visitors. The design also takes advantage of views of the surrounding countryside.

It is hoped the scheme will create up to 10 new jobs for local people looking for full time, part time and shift working jobs. The home also helps to build local skills through its excellent training policies, standards and opportunities.

Owner Stephen Gilmour says: "Enhancing residents' well-being and quality of life is at the centre of the Hartley House extension project. jhd Architects have responded to our brief with a design that is both practical and creative. Now that work has started on site, our top priority is to minimise disruption by carefully managing health and safety issues in conjunction with the needs and daily routines of residents, visitors and staff and the contractors programme of work."

Says Kent architect Tim Ball: "We are proud to be working on Hartley House, which is an important and integral part of the local community, particularly as we know our design will tangibly improve people's lives. Key to success, for all the architectural projects in our portfolio, is attention to the detail of finishes and fittings to ensure that all those using the building not only enjoy it, but can do so safely."

Upgrading the heating systems, improving insulation and choosing low maintenance materials means that the scheme will also reduce energy costs which are typically high in care homes because of the high room temperatures required and large amounts of laundry generated.

Hartley House Care Home is owned by Stephen and Julia Gilmour who are both actively involved in running it. They also own Mayfield Care Home in Sale, Cheshire and Staley House Care Home in Stalybridge.

jhd Architects' extension of Hartley House, Cranbrook will provide much-needed, high quality residential care home accommodation for the elderly and people suffering with dementia. Individuals interested in finding out more about the availability of rooms at Hartley House can call + 44 (0) 1580 713139 or make contact via the website hartleyhouse.co.uk.

Continue reading here:
jhd Architects' Contemporary Extension for Dementia Care Home Residents Starts on Cranbrook Site

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected 15 recipients for the 2013 AIA Young Architects Award. In its 20th year, the award honors individuals who have been licensed 10 years or fewer, regardless of age, and have shown exceptional leadership that generates significant contributions to the profession.

For more information on an individual recipient, click the name below. Alissa D. Luepke Pier, AIA Andrew Caruso, AIA Brett Charles Taylor, AIA Deepika Padam, AIA Derwin Broughton, AIA Eric R. Hoffman, AIA Jennifer A. Workman, AIA John Dwyer, AIA Katherine Darnstadt, AIA Lucas Tryggestad, AIA Matthew Dumich, AIA Rachel Minnery, AIA Susannah C. Drake, AIA Thomas Hussey, AIA Virginia Elaine Marquardt, AIA

For more information on the award, visit aia.org.

31 January, 2013

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected 15 recipients for the 2013 AIA Young Architects Award. In its 20th year, the award honors individuals who have been licensed 10 years or fewer, regardless of age, and have shown exceptional leadership that generates significant contributions to the profession.

For more information on an individual recipient, click the name below. Alissa D. Luepke Pier, AIA Andrew Caruso, AIA Brett Charles Taylor, AIA Deepika Padam, AIA Derwin Broughton, AIA Eric R. Hoffman, AIA Jennifer A. Workman, AIA John Dwyer, AIA Katherine Darnstadt, AIA Lucas Tryggestad, AIA Matthew Dumich, AIA Rachel Minnery, AIA Susannah C. Drake, AIA Thomas Hussey, AIA Virginia Elaine Marquardt, AIA

For more information on the award, visit aia.org.

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Fifteen Architects Receive AIA's 2013 Young Architects Award