AA Athens | AA Istanbul Visiting Schools 2012 ATHENS

ATHENS National Technical University of Athens, School of Architecture Cipher City, 01-07 April 2012 In today’s world of amplified social interaction and connectivity there is a need for the built environment to evolve beyond its current relatively static state. In 2012, Cipher City takes place in one of Europe’s most historical and ever-changing cities, Athens, offering a direct engagement with design models characterized by action. In the capital of Greece, where innovation has been always a force of creativity, the workshop will be hosted by the NTUA School of Architecture. In its urban context, Athens presents a challenging mixture of historical diversity and current developing territories in the outskirts of the city. The act of reaching from one place to another in a continuous and fluid way therefore becomes the starting point in developing working kinetic prototypes energized by motion on horizontal planes. The workshop aims to bring out the dynamic qualities of the seemingly inanimate urban surroundings, such as urban paths, sense of orientation, topography, and bridge these with the animate qualities of the human body. During this process, participants will have the opportunity to experience the historical, contemporary, and geographical diversity of Athens during studio trips, while challenging the conventional design approach in order to break the dichotomy between the building and the urban realm. Capable of responding to external stimuli, the proposed structures will apply the concepts of motion and real-time reaction to various parameters. In this seven-day computational workshop, design teams will experience a diverse range of digital fabrication systems from CNC routers to 3D printers. The final archetypes will then be related to the proposals produced by the AA Istanbul Visiting School, which is exploring the contrasting agenda of verticality. The end results of one school will become the design counter-arguments for the other. Participants are encouraged to join both workshops in order to experience the transition between the two spatial extremes. The workshop is open to architecture and design students and professionals worldwide. Fee discounts will be offered including early applications, group applications, and for those interested in taking part in the Visiting Schools in both Athens and Istanbul. The deadline for applications is 18 March 2012. All participants traveling from abroad are responsible for securing any visa required. After payment of fees, the AA can provide a letter confirming participation in the workshop. A portfolio or CV is not required, only the online application form and payment. A 40% discount is available to anyone who takes part in both the Athens and the Istanbul Visiting Schools. See the APPLY section for each Visiting School for more information on offered discounts. Further information: http://ai.aaschool.ac.uk/ http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/STUDY/VISITING/athens Applications can be submitted to: [email protected]