CAAD hosts renowned architect Michele Arnaboldi

The College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at American University of Sharjah (AUS) has launched the "Design Week 2011". The opening ceremony of the week began with a lecture on Swiss architecture by renowned architect and urban planner Michele Arnaboldi. The lecture was part of the Design Week that will last until tomorrow, 21, 2011. The opening ceremony was attended by CAAD Dean Peter Di Sabatino, senior AUS officials, faculty, staff and students. 

Arnaboldi, whose designs can be seen throughout Tiscino, Switzerland, talked to students, visitors and Swiss dignitaries about his experience with Swiss architecture and about the building that is currently going on in Southern Switzerland. Arnaboldi's work is very context specific as he takes surrounding landscape into account in all his designs, using local materials and building practices, and merging architecture with tradition.

W. Eirik Heintz, Associate Professor of Foundations and Associate Dean, CAAD, was present at the lecture. "Arnaboldi's architecture is amazing, mostly because of where it sits in the landscape. His ability to work with form and light is outstanding and the material details are exceptional. His work integrates internal and external spaces nicely," he said.

The message students were to take from Arnaboldi's lecture was how to merge local architecture with its surrounding and create harmony in their designs. With his open design layout, not only does Arnaboldi create design spaces that complement their surrounding but he also utilizes natural light to the maximum. Students were encouraged to apply the concept of solar orientation to their own designs and find ways to maximize the use of natural light in their work.

Arnaboldi is the author of over a hundred projects and has won numerous national and international competitions, including Expo 2000 (Hannover), Banca Raiffeisen (Intragna) and Centro Culturale Palace (Lugano).