Fake Hills by MAD Architects, Beihai, China.
designboom.com
April 30, 2015
Design Matters lecturer balances traditional and modern, nature and social life
EVDS hosts acclaimed Beijing-based architect Ma Yansong at May 4 event downtown
How can high-density development keep people connected to nature and social life? Ma Yansong, founder and principal of Beijing’s MAD Architects, is bringing nature and architecture together at an unprecedented scale. Yansong will be speaking in Calgary May 4 as the final Design Matters lecturer for the 2014-15 season.
Hosted by the Faculty of Environmental Design (EVDS), theÌýDesign Matters lecture seriesÌýchallenges the community to broaden its thinking on design-related issues. This month, the series welcomesÌýYansong to Calgary for a lecture held at a special location:ÌýCivic on Third.Ìý
Ma Yansong, founder and principal of Beijing-based firm MAD Architects.
designboom.com
In this lecture,ÌýYansong will lead the audience through his firm’s core design philosophy, and his vision for a future "Shanshui City," a high-density urban development inspired by traditional Chinese paintings of mountain ranges. The Shanshui city is modern and high-density, but also pays close attention to the interplay of the natural and built environments and is based in the spiritual and emotional needs of residents.
"After 100 years of modern architectural development, people still think the traditional courtyard is the best," he says. "But to allow millions of people to live together on limited land, we have to go to the sky; we have to build a high rise. But we can still build nature and social space into the towers. Each family can have their own courtyard in the sky," he toldÌýDezeen, a leading architecture and design magazine.
Interconnected bridges and outdoor terraces in this rendering bring nature and social life.
This concept has been earningÌýYansong international attention as a creative pioneer.ÌýFast CompanyÌýnamed him one of the Ten Most Creative People in Architecture in 2009 and one of theÌý. Recently, following a worldwide search, MAD Architects was chosen as the principal designer for theÌýÌýin Chicago, with VOA Associates serving as the executive architect leading the implementation of MAD's design.
MAD Architects is a global architecture firm committed to developing futuristic, organic, technologically advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature. MAD endeavours to create a balance between humanity, the city, and the environment.
Join EVDS at Civic on Third (130 Third Ave. S.E.) on Monday, May 4 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., as Yansong brings real-world projects that implement this innovative way of thinking about urban landscapes.
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