Architect Sandra Piesik and volunteers from built environment charity Article 25 will be undertaking the construction of an authentique Arish Palm Leaf House on Saturday 14^th and Sunday 15^th April 2012 at the Royal Geographical Society. This event is the first of its kind in Europe highlighting Palm Leaf building techniques used by indigenous populations of the United Arab Emirates and will launch an exhibition showcasing this unique form of vernacular architecture.

 Sandra Piesik, initiator of the project and author of the book Arish: Palm Leaf Architecture hopes that this initiative will give UK architects a chance to engage with this form of architecture and to explore how date palm leaf could be used to meet the contemporary needs of countries facing the impacts of climate change. A team of 10 Article 25’s volunteers from around the country will be supporting the construction. Sandra commented: “I am very delighted and would like to thank the Article 25 team for this absolutely wonderful education initiative! I am very grateful indeed for embracing the palm leaf story in such a wonderful way”.

 Date palm leaves for the construction have been provided by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority and Historic Environment Department in Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The house will be constructed as part of an exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society that will run from Wednesday 16^th April to Friday 25^th May showcasing a series of photographs presenting the outstanding 7000-year history of human habitation in the Arabian Peninsula. Sandra Piesik will also give a lecture on 18^th April at 19.00 introduced by Alexander Maitland, the official biographer of the British explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger.

 As part of a wider Article 25 series, Jon May, author of the book Hand-Made Houses and Other Buildings will also be giving a presentation on vernacular architecture, and international design practice Scott Brownrigg will be launching an exhibition at its Covent Garden head office showcasing Article 25’s past and current projects in countries including Haiti, Uganda and Afghanistan from 27^th April to 1^st June. Scott Brownrigg has recently adopted Article 25 as their charity of the year, and all funds raised from their activities will help Article 25 to design a school building in Burkina Faso.

Click here to see the sponsors of the Arish Palm Leaf Architecture project.

Sifa Massamba                                                                                                                         Article25                                                                                                                                     13, Curtain Road                                                                                                                  London EC2A 3LU                                                                                                                      T: 02073750144                                                                                                                       sifa-massamba@article-25.org                                                                                          www.article-25.org

International design practice, Scott Brownrigg has announced its support for leading built environment charity, Article 25. The practice has committed to raising money to help the charity improve the economic development of communities suffering both poverty and disaster around the world.

Monies raised from a number of fundraising initiatives being held across Scott Brownrigg’s three UK offices will, in particular, help the charity fund design costs for its School Building Programme in Read the rest of this entry »

LONDON

BAQUS Construction Consultancy is pleased to announce Article 25, the UK’s leading built environment charity, as our chosen charity of the year for 2012. BAQUS Construction Consultancy hopes to raise money throughout the year to provide crucial funds for Article 25’s post-disaster reconstruction projects around the world.

The decision to have a charity of the year is a new initiative that will support BAQUS’ strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and encourage all employees to actively participate in charity events. Clive Sayer, Chief Executive Officer at BAQUS Construction Consultancy said: “This is the first time we have chosen a charity of the year, and we wanted to support a charity that works in the UK and internationally to bring construction expertise to the people who need it most. Article 25 does this, and we are really excited to be supporting them.”

BAQUS Construction Consultancy will support Article 25 through a variety of fundraising events and activities including the Gold Challenge, a sporting initiative promoted by the British Olympic and Paralympic Association. This initiative offers participants the opportunity to take on Olympic sports whilst raising money for charity during the Olympic year. It is also an opportunity to be part of the Olympic mass participation legacy programme during 2012.

All funds raised by BAQUS Construction Consultancy will support Article 25’s ongoing projects including a school reconstruction project in Burkina Faso that will provide over 800 children access to primary education and a vocational training centre for former child soldiers in northern Uganda. Cheryl Armitage, Head of Fundraising said: “At Article 25 we believe that the built environment and construction industry play a key role in rebuilding the lives and livelihoods of people worldwide. This is why the support of industry leaders is so important to us, and we are so pleased to have BAQUS Construction Consultancy adopt us.”

For further information about Article 25 and its projects, please visit: www.article-25.org.

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