World Architecture Day 2014

The World Architecture Day is celebrated annually on the first Monday of October to remind the role of architecture and the engagement of architects in the vitality of the urban setting and in the well-being of its inhabitants.

“Healthy Cities, Happy Cities” is the theme chosen by the International Union of Architects (UIA) to be used as a motto in several countries joining the celebration of this day, showing how the development of sustainable practices has an impact on urban spaces.

Central Park, New York, USA

On this day, everyone is invited to reflect on the fundamental role of the architect in our cities:

How can architects design and construct “healthy” spaces, facilities, housing and urban landscapes which foster happiness, health and quality of life for city-dwellers?

By what means are architects able to bring life to cities, to infuse them with energy, to insure their viability, to anticipate and heal disorders, to forestall disintegration and to accompany their harmonious development?

 Responsible architectural design has spotlighted the role of the architect obligation to design a sustainable environment by means of an ethical professional practice in the areas of energy, implementation and materials.

Governors Island, New York, USA

In Portugal, the Ordem dos Arquitectos 

(OA) marks this day with a national program dedicated to sustainability of cities, with several exhibitions, debates and conferences to be held until the end of October.

Noting this day, a protocol will be signed between the OA and the Casa da Arquitectura in Leça da Palmeira, with the aim of creating a museum of national architecture, inaugurates the exhibition "12 serigraphs by architects " known for their drawings, with works from Álvaro Siza Vieira, Eduardo Souto de Moura, Alexandre Alves Costa, João Carrilho da Graça and Manuel Graça Dias, among others.

In Matosinhos, the winner of the 9th edition of the Fernando Távora Prize, Susana Ventura, will present a conference about the journey performed under the award, to Japan, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.

This conference also marks the opening of the 10th edition of the award, the public presentation of the jury and the new regulation of Fernando Távora Prize, established by the Ordem dos Arquitectos da Secção Regional Norte in 2005.