Building design leaders at Surface Design Show

Internationally renowned and respected members of the architectural and building design community will share their knowledge and visions at the Surface Design Show.

Internationally renowned and respected members of the architectural and building design community will share their knowledge and visions at the Surface Design Show (1-2 March 2006), the only UK event dedicated to surface solutions in building design.

Focusing on the themes Style, Substance and Sustainability, the speakers will explore, discuss and engage with themes surrounding surfaces and beyond.

Headlining the Surfaces Talks on Wednesday, 1 March will be Sir Richard MacCormac, the Chairman of MacCormac, Jamieson, Prichard, who will talk about his collaboration with artists and their exploration of materials, colours, space and light.

Sir Richard, who is a former president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and is known as the "thinking man's architect"*, has worked on projects including Southwark tube station, the Wellcome Wing at the Science Museum and Phoenix Initiative in Coventry.

The other acclaimed speakers on Wednesday, 1 March will be: Philip Gumuchdjian, founder of Gumuchdjian Architects, who will talk about the interplay between the language of materials and the creation of buildings that are in harmony with their environment; Richard Hyams, Design Director of Aedasstudio and the Advanced Modelling Group, who will discuss how the practice's own prototype design tools are used to explore and test architectural designs; and Meriel Scott and Ali McCulloch of Precious McBane who will look at the use and growing importance of sustainable and natural materials in interior design.

Head in the Clouds? will be the theme of the Surfaces Debate on Thursday, 2 March where participants including Rab Bennetts, Director of Bennetts Associates, Daniel Ringelstein, Director of Urban Design and Planning at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and Steven Bee, Director of Planning and Development at English Heritage will discuss the impact of tall buildings in London.

The debate will discuss the pros and cons, and review the challenges that must be faced with respect to building high in a city.

Completing the programme of speakers on Thursday, 2 March will be: Alex Mowat, Director of Architecture at Urban Salon, who will use case studies to illustrate sustainable housing projects; Richard Scott, founder of Surface Architects, who will discuss the degree to which software can be used for conceptual thinking and design development; and Chris Jones, Associate of RMJM, who will discuss colour, materiality and form using the practice's recent work at Newcastle College as a case study.

* Charlotte Eagar, ES Magazine, 6 January, 2006.

SURFACES TALKS TIMETABLE.

Wednesday, 1 March .

Style: 12.00-13.00 Philip Gumuchdjian, Founder of Gumuchdjian Architects.

Substance: 14.00-15.00 Richard Hyams, Design Director of Aedasstudio and The Advanced Modelling Group.

Sustainability: 16.00-17.00 Meriel Scott and Ali McCulloch, Precious McBane Headline Presentation: 18.00-19.00 Sir Richard MacCormac, Chairman of MacCormac, Jamieson, Prichard Thursday, 2 March.

Sustainability: 11.00-12.00 Alex Mowat, Director of Urban Salon.

Substance: 12.30-13.30 Richard Scott, Founder of Surface Architects.

Surfaces Debate: 14.00-15.00 Rab Bennetts, Director of Bennetts Associates, Daniel Ringelstein, Director of Urban Design and Planning, Skidmore, Owings, Merrill, Steven Bee, Director of Planning and Development, English Heritage, Ken Yeang of Llewelyn, Davies, Yeang.

Style: 15.30-16.30 Chris Jones, Associate RMJM.

The Show has the support of major industry associations and trade bodies including the CIAT (Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists), CFA (Contract Flooring Association) and The Building Centre.

Furthermore, a comprehensive CPD seminar programme will run throughout the event, accredited by the Construction CPD Certification Service, and, for the first time, The RIBA CPD Providers Network.

The Surface Design Show 2006, staged at the Business Design Centre, London, continues to grow in size and scope with over 100 exhibitors already signed up.

Leading international and UK suppliers will be showing an exciting range of innovative materials and products which can be applied to the interior shell or exterior building envelope - from floor coverings to ceiling systems, from cladding and work surfaces to commercial fabrics and paint.

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