The 2014 edition of the International Velux Award marked the 6th edition of the programme. This year, 2,794 teams representing 86 different countries were registered. The International Union of Architects is a partner of the award since its creation ten years ago. A 10th anniversary celebration was held for IVA in Vienna, Austria, on 30th October, including the awards ceremony for the 2014 edition. UIA Secretary General Thomas Vonier represented the President of the UIA at these events, and Magda Mostafa served as UIA representative on the prize jury. Three prizes and nine mentions were awarded in the VELUX Award 2014 edition on the theme “Light of tomorrow”. A team of four students: Dikang Du, Le Li, Yujing Zhou, and Yao Ma, from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, received first prize. The 2nd prize was awarded to Jaebong Jeon and Keunyoung Hm from Hanyang University and Hongik University in Seoul, Korea The third-prize-winning project “Light of Hope’, was authored by Snezhina Aleksieva, Zhenya Yancheva, Tsvetomira Ivanova, Pavel Tsochev from the University of Architecture, Construction and Geodesy, Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Chamber of Architects of Turkey (CAT) organised the ninth edition of its International Forum of Young Architects, offering emerging professionals the chance to express their opinions on various issues regarding architecture an, contribute above all to continuing education after university studies. This latest edition took place in Antalya, from 24 to 26 October 2014. Under the title ‘Imposition’ the event focused on the imposed processes in global architecture and urban design, as well as creative approaches and ideas in these fields. Within this context, the sixth international ideas competition for young architects was organised on the theme of expressing individual liberty in public spaces, and the projects submitted were on display during the forum. Over 200 participants took part in the debates at Port Nature resort hotel. The president of the CAT Antalya branch, Osman Aydin, and his general secretary, Fikret Oguz, along with UIA vice-president Deniz Incedayi, introduced the conference. Two keynote speeches were given: Dr. Ferhat Hacialibeyoglu (Turkey) discussed the theme of ‘Imposition’ and Egyptian architect Magda Mostafa presented ‘Learning from Cairo’. Finally, the short-listed competitors presented their projects to the public and jury members officially announced the following results: 1st Prize to Fulya Selçuk (Turkey), 2nd Prize to Foivos Kallitsis and Evgenia Tsagkaraki (Greece), 3rd Prize to Tugçe Sahin (Turkey). A special mention was awarded to Flatice Isil Uysal (Turkey). The international jury for these prizes was chaired by Deniz Incedayi and composed of architects: Ferhat Hacialibeyoglu (Turkey), Jerzy Grochulski, UIA Council member (Poland), Christine Edmaler, president of the Berlin Chamber of Architects (Germany), and Magda Mostafa (Egypt), with Olena Oliynyk (Ukraine), and flyas Ekizoglu (Turkey), serving as alternate members.

What can you display with AS Hanging Display Systems? Virtually anything. Retail displays, classroom artwork, temporary exhibits. All easily changed without having to repair and repaint the wall. In fact, you don’t even necessarily need a wall. From classrooms to boardrooms to living rooms, we offer hanging display systems that can change the way you look at everything. The challenge is, “how do we communicate this capability” to our various audiences. The answer is in our new catalog, a first ever for AS Hanging Display Systems.

Five of the most recognized and trusted companies in the industry have aligned to introduce the industry’s best complete masonry cavity wall system. With the CavityCompleteTM Wall System for Steel Stud with Masonry Veneer, you can now specify and detail an assembly with components that are tested and proven to be completely compatible, code compliant and warrantied* to produce a wall system you can have confidence in. Each component is great on its own and when combined, they produce a wall that provides thermal efficiency, continuous insulation, air and water management, vapor resistance and brick ties, plus design options that are engineered to maximize performance by climatic region. The CavityCompleteTM Wall System features components that were tested together to produce systemized codes and standards compliance data. With thousands of products to choose from when designing a masonry cavity wall system for your upcoming project, the CavityCompleteTM Wall Systems team has designed a complete system that takes the guesswork out of specification. With the warranty and testing behind this system, you can specify with confidence.

Hampshire, IL – W. R. MEADOWS has a new addition to its air-barrier line of products: AIR-SHIELD LIQUID FLASHING. AIR-SHIELD LIQUID FLASHING is a high-quality, gun grade, low-odor, elastomeric, polyether liquid-applied flashing and detailing membrane. It bonds to most construction materials, such as aluminum, brick, concrete, wood, vinyl, and exterior gypsum board. This general-purpose, wet flashing membrane is used to seal rough openings and detail joints between exterior gypsum board. AIR-SHIELD LIQUID FLASHING is designed for window and door flashing applications and is to be used as a liquid-applied flashing, compatible with the entire line of W. R. MEADOWS AIR-SHIELD air, vapor, and liquid moisture barriers. “Because it is a gun grade material, it is easy to apply and spread, which offers a more efficient approach to detailing methods than traditional self-adhesive materials. It bonds to most construction materials and is compatible with most sealants on the marketplace,” says Russ Snow, Building Science Specialist at W. R. MEADOWS. “Air-Shield Liquid Flashing is also great because it is 100% solvent-free, is non-sag, non-shrinking, guns and tools easily, does not harm foam insulation, and is paintable within 24 hours.” For detailed application instructions, please view our AIR-SHIELD exterior sheathing panels installation guidelines document on our website.

NCARB is Part of Tri-National Agreement That Makes it Possible for Architects to Work across North American Borders. Washington, DC—A new Tri-National Mutual Recognition Agreement made by the architectural regulatory authorities of the United States, Canada and Mexico makes it possible for architects to work across North American borders. The agreement, announced today, was made by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), in conjunction with the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA), and the Federacion de Colegios de Arquitectos de la Republica Mexicana (FCARM). “The agreement, in the spirit of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), makes cross-border recognition of an architect’s credentials a reality,” said NCARB CEO Michael Armstrong. “This opens the door to embracing more globally connected practices, while ensuring the protection of the public.” A qualified architect must satisfy the requirements of the agreement to be granted a credential to practice in a host country. Eligibility requirements include: • Completion of a architecture degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB/CCCA), Acreditadora Nacional de Programas de Architectura y Disciplinas del Espacio Habitable (ANPADEH), or a recognized equivalent. • A minimum of 10 years of post-licensure experience in the architect’s home jurisdiction. • Proof of “good standing” in the home jurisdiction, as verified by the home regulatory authority. • Knowledge of the codes, laws and applicable architecture practices in the host country. • Submission of a dossier of work to satisfy specific competencies outlined in the agreement. • Completion of an interview before a review panel in the host country, conducted in the language of the host country. U.S. architects interested in learning more should review the eligibility requirements and program information posted on the NCARB website.

TOKYO/BUDAPEST, December 3, 2014 – GRAPHISOFT®, the leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) architectural software developer, announced today that a large-scale purchase agreement has been finalized between GRAPHISOFT and Takenaka Corporation. The agreement will equip thousands of Takenaka field technicians with GRAPHISOFT BIMx Docs. Takenaka Corporation will adopt BIMx to make the award-winning BIM project presentation app available to thousands of field technicians, further ensuring on-site construction quality and management efficiency. Development of “Takenaka Smart Work” will improve productivity and communications by revolutionizing workflows through the use of iPads and mobile devices. As a result of this agreement, Takenaka will be authorized to install and use GRAPHISOFT BIMx Docs on all Takenaka-owned tablet computers in Japan. With this agreement, Takenaka Corporation hopes to further develop the use of BIM in the field of design and construction. "We adopted BIMx Docs as a tool to facilitate communication with models, as well as for reviewing models in conjunction with drawing smoothly in a mobile environment. We would like to promote the transformation of our work style by spreading the use of BIM models in various scenarios," said Kozo Nose, Senior Manager of ICT, Design Planning, Design Department, Takenaka Corporation. "Takenaka’s decision indicates that BIMx is on the way to becoming the mobile software of choice for the construction industry in Japan. We share a common vision: bringing BIM data to construction sites,” said Bence Kovacs, Vice President of Asia, GRAPHISOFT.