17 May 2012

Design Uncovered: Adventures in Architecture - V&A at Dundee public lecture, Saturday May 19th

What impact does design have on our everyday lives? Three of Scotland's most exciting architectural practices, Konishi Gaffney, Kennedy Twaddle and DO Architecture explore the impact design has on the way we work, live and play at a public lecture in Dundee on Saturday May 19th.

Representatives from the three practices will be speaking at the V&A at Dundee's Ignite lecture, `Design Uncovered: Adventures in Architecture' at the Dalhousie Building, University of Dundee, at 6pm on Saturday May 19th.

"We are delighted to have three of Scotland's most dynamic architectural practices joining us as part of the Ignite festival," said Philip Long, Director of V&A at Dundee. "This is an exciting time for architecture in Scotland, as seen by the incredibly enthusiastic response to our own plans for the V&A at Dundee and other major projects around the country."

This event is part of IGNITE - a 10-day celebration of creativity and culture across Dundee, Angus and Fife, uniting organisations large and small, young and old to showcase the region as the vibrant centre of creativity it is today.

IGNITE is brought together by V&A at Dundee in partnership with One City Many Discoveries. IGNITE is supported by the Year of Creative Scotland 2012 initiative, designed to provide the perfect showcase for Scotland's creative diversity. www.ignitedundee.co.uk.

For tickets for Saturday's lecture call 01382 305665, email: info@VandAatDundee.com or go direct to: www.dundee.ac.uk/tickets.

The practices and speakers:

Kieran Gaffney, Konishi Gaffney
Konishi Gaffney are an emerging architecture practice led by Kieran Gaffney and Makiko Konishi, a Japanese designer. Makiko and Kieran met while working for acclaimed artist and designer Thomas Heatherwick in London. They moved from London to rural Japan in 2004 before moving to Edinburgh in 2007 self-building their own 'Japanese House'. Konishi Gaffney apply creative problem solving skills to all scales of architecture and design and aim to create buildings that are sensible and modest but also beautiful and atmospheric. They recently won a Glasgow Institute of Architects competition to design a "blueprint for the survival and growth of rural communities" and have been hailed as a design exemplar as part of the Scottish government's Inspirational Designs agenda.

Greatest adventure in architecture - to date:
designing a new buddhist temple in Kagoshima, Japan whilst at Heatherwick Studio.

www.konishigaffney.com

Gary Kennedy, kennedytwaddle
Born in 1970 in Bangor, Northern Ireland, Gary completed a Bachelor of Design Degree in 1994 at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee (DJCAD). A Masters of Art in Architecture and Interiors at the Royal College of Art followed. Gary has spent many years in the creative industries designing built and virtual environments from interior design, architecture, film making, furniture design, to drawing and painting. kennedytwaddle is a design studio primarily involved in the refurbishment and design of buildings. The practice was set up in 2000 by Gary and fellow DJCAD graduate Chris Twaddle. Gary set up a branch of the practice in Dundee in 2009, where he shares his time as final year Module Leader on the Interior Environmental Design BDes (Hons) course at DJCAD.

Greatest adventure in architecture - to date:
having to come back across the carrick-a-rede rope bridge

https://twitter.com/#!/kennedytwaddle/status/202026573245849600/photo/1

www.kennedytwaddle.com

Adrian Stewart, DO Architecture?
Trained at Strathclyde University and Queen's University Belfast, Adrian was awarded Young Architect of the Year 2002 at the Scottish Design Awards, and established DO Architecture in 2005. DO are a multi-disciplinary studio based in Glasgow, working with artists, light and the built environment; making architecture that is shaped by and made for people and communities. DO are fully committed to education in architecture, and teach at The Mackintosh School of Architecture.

Greatest adventure in architecture - to date:
driving through White Sands, New Mexico - landscape completely devoid of Architecture

https://twitter.com/#!/DO_Architecture/status/202396027762905089/photo/1

www.do-architecture.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

The V&A at Dundee is being delivered by Design Dundee Ltd, a partnership between the V&A and Dundee City Council, the Universities of Dundee and Abertay Dundee, and Scottish Enterprise.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902