Adelaide Thinkers in Residence Public Lecture with Professor Laura Lee

Sustainable Futures: An integrated design strategy for South Australia

Wednesday 14 October 2009

Adelaide Town Hall, 128 King William Street

Jointly presented by Adelaide Thinkers in Residence and The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre

Audio transcript available here

Adelaide Thinker in Residence, Laura Lee, FAIA, is Professor of Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA. Laura is a leading voice for integrated design education, practice and research in architecture.

Laura's residency has focused on the value of design and the impact of the built environment on the quality of life for South Australians. In this public lecture, she will discuss her recommendations for intelligent investment in design, planning and development in our State, and why it is so important to give design a central focus.

About Laura Lee

Laura Lee, FAIA, is Professor of Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA where she served as Head from 2004 - 2008. Laura has also taught at the Higher Institute of Architecture in Antwerp, Belgium; the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark; and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.

Laura is a national leading voice for integrated design education, practice and research in architecture. She has lectured and served on panels for many several years on issues concerning the relationship between architectural education and practice. Her work focuses on the development and implementation of integrated design strategies and collaborative programs between the academy and the profession. She has presented and published many papers and co-authored "Uncovering the City: Architectural Dialogues," an exhibit that travelled throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Laura is the recipient Carnegie Mellon's highest teaching honour, The Ryan Award, in 2002. Nationally, she earned the American Institute of Architecture Students National Educator Award and was elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute for Architects (FAIA) in 2004 for advancing the art and science of building through her contributions to architectural education, internship and practice. In 2005, Laura was presented with the Henry van de Velde Institute Award for Architecture Education in recognition of her development of intercultural and interdisciplinary programs. This year, Laura was elected a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council, a global network of design community professionals who explore trends, changes, and new opportunities in design, architecture, engineering, and building technology.

While the views presented by speakers within the Hawke Centre public program are their own and are not necessarily those of either the University of South Australia or The Hawke Centre, they are presented in the interest of open debate and discussion in the community and reflect our themes of: strengthening our democracy - valuing our cultural diversity - and building our future.