22-24 OCTOBER 2008
Arup, the global design and engineering consultancy, has teamed up with World Architecture News (WAN) to sponsor three architecture/engineering students from across the globe to attend the World Architecture Festival. Here they will be able to network with peers from all over the world and listen to shortlisted candidates such as Arup's Tristram Carfrae, as they explain the challenges they faced in creating their vision. The students will also hear the judges discussing the entries and attend world-class sessions from the likes of Norman Foster and Robert Stern.
Over the course of the Festival the students will record their thoughts and experiences in twice-daily blogs which you can see below...
Lara Arici, Architecture and Building Engineer student, University of Brescia, Italy
My name is Lara Arici. I'm 23 years old and I'm attending the fourth year of an Architecture and Building Engineering course at Brescia University.During the 2007/2008 academic year I studied in Lausanne at the EPFL (Ecole politechnique Federale de Lausanne). Here I focused mainly on architectural subjects, such as "Environmental Concepts and Criteria" with Chuard Pierre (director of Sorane SA and Energho).
Since studying the ways in which environmental conditions influence an architect's choices, I've decided to move into practice focusing on design and project management in order to understand how to integrate specialist knowledge with the project process. With this in mind I am currently taking part in a team construction exercise organized by the German company Peri.
Sam Covey, Architectural Engineering student, University of Texas, USA
Sam Covey is currently pursuing a master's degree in Architectural Engineering at the University of Texas, with a focus on structural engineering and building environmental systems. As an undergraduate at UT, Sam served as the project engineer of UT's 2007 Solar Decathlon Team, leading the team to a 2nd place finish in Engineering. After working with architects and multiple disciplines on the student design/build competition, Sam gained an appreciation for buildings that showcase integrated engineering principles in the overall design. Presently, Sam is working at Architectural Engineers Collaborative, designing Austin's new Federal Courthouse.
Helena Machin, Architecture student, Madrid Technical School of Architecture, Spain
My name is Helena Machin. I am 22 and come from Oviedo, Asturias. I moved to Madrid to study in the Technical School of Architecture. I'm in the fourth year and my studies to date have served to confirm my career choice.
My favourite subjects are projects, construction and town planning, which have all helped me to improve my architectural knowledge.
In the future, I would like to move abroad to study for a Masters at a university such as Columbia or Chicago. It would be my ideal to work with great architects such as Sejima, Koolhaas or Siza, and above all, make my dreams come true by building my own projects.
Arup has a long history in nurturing new talent whether through internships, its graduate programme or the work of the Ove Arup Foundation; a registered charity with a mission for 'the advancement of education directed towards the promotion, furtherance and dissemination of knowledge of matters associated with the built environment'. The WAF student sponsorship is no exception and is intended to provide s upport for the development and promotion of the built environment stars of the future.