The Royal Institute of British Architects-USA President
James Karl Fischer, RIBA, AIA, PhD, is a speaker in the Symposium. Dr. Fischer is dedicated to enhancing the participation of architects in their own governance and that of architecture, serving as Overseas Council Member of the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), Trustee the RIBA-USA, Lifetime Member of the Society of Architectural Historians, Copper Sustaining Member of the IES (Illuminating Engineering Society),
former International Committee Chair of the AIA New York Chapter and twice presenter for ARCASIA. He develops partnerships within and amongst institutions, associations and NGOs in order to address critical environmental and political challenges. He founded The Zoological Lighting Institute to serve as a bridge between animal welfare advocacy and wildlife conservation efforts. This organization maintains a mission to “Support photobiology research, through animal welfare, wildlife conservation advocacy and healthy environmental development.” A US Based architect, Dr Fischer owns and operates ‘Zoological Lighting Services”, an architectural firm that adopts a position that the natural luminous environment is crucial for organizing space. Light takes center stage in the effort to improve the environmental welfare and mental stimulation of our communities. Both “The Zoological Lighting Institute” and “Zoological Lighting Services” promote vigorous and healthy strategies for living on the planet. Having completed a Ph.D. in Architectural Histories/Theories at the Architectural Association in London after study in physics and architecture/architectural lighting, Dr. Fischer advances architectural theories through sensitivity to semiotics, the natural sciences and pragmatics. An avid pedagogue, he teaches a variety of courses in architectural histories, theories, lighting and design.
James Karl Fischer, RIBA, AIA, PhD
He will discuss critical environmental and political challenges as it
relates to natural hazards. He will also be bringing his documentary
film,
Brilliant Darkness: Hotaru in the Night. The associated film and lecture invokes
physical concepts of the ‘photic field’ to advance architectural
practice or even the built environment industries, beyond current
practices dependent upon abstract and ill-suited
ecological assessment criteria. It teaches us what
they can do to overcome client anxiety and so create collaborative
designs amenable to wildlife and the nocturnal habitats that we all
depend upon. Photo-Diverstiy: The Architecture of Fireflies also teaches
that we can protect public health, safety and welfare by
alleviating problems associated with artificial night lighting in our
work and practices.
The
Leapfrog From Disaster
Symposium will challenge speakers as well as the delegates to re-invent the
post-disaster paradigm, going beyond current aspirations and
expectations in post-disaster rehabilitation.
Organized and led by the Royal Institute of British Architects
(RIBA)-USA and Leapfrog Project including the American Institute of
Architects’ AIA NY Design for Risk and Reconstruction (DfRR) and AIA
International, the symposium will be held in the Philippines on November
1 – 7, 2014 to bring together world-leading pioneers in Resilience,
Architecture, and Ecology.
Members of the U.S. Whitehouse also shared their insights:
“Leapfrog Project’s role and potential for the Philippines is staked
out, and a unique role for (Filipino) architects defined. (This)
symposium will be hugely important as the one year anniversary of the
disaster (Haiyan/Yolanda) approaches,” said
USA Ambassador (ret) John F.
Maisto, President of the US-Philippines Society.
“Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda was very devastating and horrible. Having
witnessed its impacts firsthand and assisted in rebuilding, I saw the
tremendous amount of work going on including all the help that’s
happening around the world. I’m delighted to hear of the efforts being
made toward this symposium. It sounds super special, positive,
innovative, and I hope it will go a long way,” shared
Billy Dec, The
White House, US President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
Upon learning about the upcoming symposium, the
2015 AIA National President-Elect Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, said
"The symposium sounds awesome. I commend your efforts to help rebuild
after the terrible Typhoon Haiyan. Resilience is a major focus area for
the AIA."
Other important leaders have chimed in as well such as:
"Great to hear about Leapfrog From Disaster symposium. Humanitarian opportunity + strengthen global ties for @RIBA_USA"— Angela Brady PPRIBA, FRIAI, FRSA, HonFRIAS, PhD(Hon), FAIA, FRIAC, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Immediate Past President
"The
Filipinos are a resilient people. We can rebuild, we will rebuild. We
will need everyone’s help- and architects have a special role to play in
this rebuilding. This Symposium provides a needed venue to focus our
nation’s experts on reimagining what can be…" — Francis de los Reyes III, PhD, 2009 TED Fellow
Ultimately the Symposium aims to: Organize a genuinely collaborative
post-disaster rebuilding initiative that utilizes wide-ranging local,
national and international expertise, efforts, and resources to help
Tacloban and its neighboring cities rebuild with resilience; Engage
different schools of thought from design, science, technology and
business, through interdisciplinary discourse and group activities both
during and after the symposium; Birth a new school of
architecture-and-design-thinking from the typhoon rebuilding efforts,
which may inform future natural hazard resilience programs worldwide;
Develop ecologically-friendly architectural solutions that help protect
the rich biodiversity of the region and beyond.
NLP
