¿Dónde está Lauren?

Feel like i can really appreciate art and design more than previous visits. Went to this awesome talk by dutch architect Francine Houben over at the Great Hall by cooper square. Houben spoken about her firm 'Mecanoo architects' as well as females in the field.

It amazed me how successful she is at adapting culturally to the project's environment.

Francine Houben is my new favourite mentor.

I've also managed to get to the Centre for Architecture, MOMA and a cool U.N. exhibition, all of which i've loved.

Centre for Architecture

Yale student work

Pratt student rendering

United Nations building - saw this great exhibition "Design with the other 90%: Cities". It showcased rapid design solutions for impoverished cities, often referred to as "informal settlements", such as slums.

"Incremental Housing" - introduced at uni earlier this year - is a design concept that allows housing unit value to increase over time. Really cool project from architecture firm Elemental.

"40m2 as half a good house @ US $20,000"

"40m2 self-construction to be added US $2000"

"80m2 framed void that can be filled by the owners according to their needs, possibilities, preferences and own pace US $50,000"

"Plastic Formwork System" - building method that provides a mould where lightweight concrete mortar can be poured. The coolest part is that after the mortar dries overnight, the panels can be removed and reassembled to be used for another building. It means that minimal labour is required. So simple, so great.

These photographs of women in Kenya and Brazil, projected on informal settlements, are a way of drawing attention to women's rights in the otherwise male-dominated communities. Pretty amazing idea produced by "photograffeur" (part graffiti artist, part photographer) JR.

Favela painting project in Rio, Brazil... in 2010 local youth were employed to paint these murals. The idea was to bring art and beauty to the built environment, attracting publicity to the disheveled housing.

MOMA