Member Article

Architecture festival builds on initial success to go region wide

After a successful launch earlier this year, plans for next year’s celebration of architecture in the North East are well underway.

The first North East Festival of Architecture, hosted at venues in Gateshead and Newcastle in June, proved so popular that organisers Northern Architecture are now expanding it to cover the whole of the region.

Next year’s Festival will feature the best new and upcoming architecture on Teesside, Wearside and Tyneside as well as in rural areas of Northumberland and Durham and will include a host of free activities.

These will allow the public to explore buildings and places and discover more about architecture, urban and rural design and its impact in a series of talks, lectures and weekend activities.

Northern Architecture hopes that an expanded 2009 programme will be even more popular than this year’s, drawing support from organisations and the public across the North East. This year’s programme included a series of lunchtime architecture talks, school workshops exploring eco-architectural themes and the popular Architect in the House scheme - a RIBA partnership in support of the housing and homelessness charity Shelter.

Andrew Guest, Northern Architecture director said: “We were so pleased with the success of the inaugural event that we have now decided to take it region wide. This will allow scope for more events, while a greater number of people will have access to architecture.”

Neil Taylor, of Faulkner Browns Architects - one of last year’s sponsors - said: “As architects, we are concerned not only about the buildings that we design, but the landscapes in which they sit. “I look forward to next year’s event, which we will be backing and I’m sure will be a huge success with people of all ages contributing to this important debate.”

To find out more about the North East Festival of Architecture 2009 or to register your interest as a Friend of the Festival, visit www.northernarchitecture.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .