Voices Magazine Vol2 Issue 5-6

9 October - December 2018 | VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica T he Caribbean School of Architecture, Faculty of The Built Environment hosted the Ruskin Punch Memorial Lecture on October 11, 2018 at the Papine Campus. The memorial lecture is named in honour of Ruskin Punch, the late distinguished Trinidadian architect who was noted to be a true believer in professionalism in architecture and in shared dialogue between generations of architects. The lecture on the theme,“The Common Sense of Performance Architecture” was delivered by Jamaican, Chicago-based Architect Gordon Gill, FAIA of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, (AS+GG), USA. Architect Gill is one of the world’s foremost exponents of performance-based architecture and is also patron of the Government of Jamaica’s current Houses of Parliament Design Competition. Architect Gill’s presentation to the audience of over 200 persons comprising architects, educators and students, delved into his firm’s impressive body of work on the many critically acclaimed and award winning global projects they have undertaken since the firm’s founding 12 years ago in 2006. For each spectacular building project, he expounded on not just the passion and commitment of his design team, but also explained in detail the human factor, the local environmental assets and physical considerations such as energy efficiency and generation which are brought to bear on his design concepts which include several supertalls and sustainable skyscrapers. Gordon’s pre-eminent firm is responsible for such monuments as the tallest building in the world – Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the under-construction skyscraper, the Sauda Arabia’s 1 km Jeddah Tower (formerly Kingdom Tower) set to surpass their previous work as the tallest building, the Istanbul Cultural Centre in Turkey with its state-of-the-art opera house, concert hall, theater and cinema, the luxury Waldorf Astoria hotel in Beijing, China, among a host of other remarkable mega structures. Also addressing the forum, were University President, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, Ms Heather Pinnock, General Manager, UDC and Architect Robert V. Woodstock, Chair of ARB Jamaica, who chaired the lecture. In the vote of thanks, Dean of the Faculty of The Built Environment Dr. Garfield Young, thanked Architect Gordon Gill for his “potent, powerful and impactful” presentation, as well as sponsors and external partners who contributed to the evening’s proceedings which included the Urban Development Cooperation (UDC), the Jamaica Institute of Architects, CESCO Ltd and EduCom Co-op Credit Union Limited. Ruskin Punch Memorial Lecture Architect Gordon Gill, FAIA delivering the University of Technology, Jamaica Ruskin Punch Memorial Lecture on “The Common Sense of Performance Architecture,” on October 11, 2018 to a capacity audience at LT50, Shared Facilities Building, Papine Campus. Posing for a group photo post-lecture (L-R) are Dr. Garfield Young, Dean, Faculty of The Built Environment, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, President, UTech, Jamaica, Ms Heather Pinnock, General Manager, UDC, Architect Gordon Gill, Mr. Swayne Jones, 2nd year, CSA student, Architect Jacquiann Lawton, Head, Caribbean School of Architecture and Dr. Simone Sandiford, niece of the late Architect Ruskin Punch. Architect Jacquiann T. Lawton, Head, Caribbean School of Architecture presents Architect Gordon Gill with a thank you gift following his lecture. Distinguished Lectures