Lars Krückeberg, Founding Partner of GRAFT (© Paulus Ponizak); Juergen Mayer, Founder of J. Mayer H. Image Courtesy of The World Architecture Festival

The World Architecture Festival (WAF) has announced that Lars Krückeberg, Founding Partner of GRAFT, and Juergen Mayer, Founder of J. Mayer H., will speak at this year’s festival as part of a session titled ‘Architect as Instigator,’ exploring issues of housing, immigration, and how architects can drive social change through the buildings and spaces they create.

The world’s largest, annual, international architectural event, WAF will be held from November 16 to 18, at Franz Ahrens’ historic former bus depot now known as Arena Berlin, in Berlin, Germany. WAF also features the biggest architectural awards programme in the world. Projects can be submitted for consideration for an award until May 19th via this link. 

Both GRAFT and J. Mayer H. have recently worked on various housing projects across Germany. GRAFT’s Eckwerk is a mixed-use project that incorporates housing for students and young professionals, and J. Mayer H. recently opened Sonnenhof, which offers a flexible pattern of use throughout office and residential spaces.

Lars Krückeberg, Founding Partner of GRAFT, commented: “Before the beginning of the refugee migration crisis in 2015, Berlin was already gaining over 40,000 net inhabitants per annum. Additionally asylum claims have reached a historic high in Germany with 442,000 first applications in just one year. Housing is therefore a crucial issue for architects across the country.”

David Chipperfield will also deliver a keynote speech at the Festival according to the “Housing for Everyone” theme.

Learn more and submit your project for consideration, here.

News via the World Architecture Festival. 

http://ift.tt/1UlygTQ