Our Mehrdad Yazdani delivered the keynote talk at the architecture + design (a+d) museum’s lecture on Open Building for Resilient Cities on Friday, Dec. 7 and also took part in a panel discussion. The event, hosted by a+d and Woodbury University recognized that planning for resilience and change is an urgent necessity – for the well-being of the built environment, for social institutions, and for every human being.
Achieving resilience today means understanding how enduring buildings and urban fabric sustain themselves by continuous, incremental renewal. Planning for change necessitates recognition that built environment transformation is a process in which multiple jurisdictions, investors, professions and everyday citizens share responsibility over time. The Open Building approach celebrates adaptability, resilience and distribution rather than centralization of control. Its design strategies structure public space that supports and inspires development of private space where people and organizations can make independent decisions about use: Build to last / build to renew.
The conference anchored itself around four themed interactive panel discussion:
- Planning and Urban Design: Local experts discuss how Open Building principles might address issues facing planning and urban design in Los Angeles; a second group of panelists discuss how Open Building principles have applied to urban design schemes in other countries.
- Residential Open Building: Local and international experts discuss challenges and successes in applying Open Building principles to residential and mixed-use projects.
- Open Building for Healthcare facilities: US and international experts discuss challenges and successes in applying Open Building principles to healthcare facility projects.
- Open Building for Educational Facilities: Discussion of challenges and successes in applying Open Building principles to educational facilities, K-12 and Universities, with both local and international experts.