ACADIA 2013: Innovative Research Award - Elena Manferdini

The ADAPTIVE ARCHITECTURE 2013 ACADIA conference will be held in the Waterloo School of Architecture in Cambridge on October 24-26, 2013. ACADIA is an international network of digital design researchers and professionals. These updates from students are to let you know about visiting groups, speakers, events and displays.

Elena Manferdini is interested in how architects can operate outside the traditional scale of design. An interest in multi-disciplinary based design has lead her firm, Atelier Manferdini, to be involved in a diverse range of projects, from installations for the Pacific Design Centre in Los Angeles to a cruise boat in Kyoto and a fabric installation for Seika University. The projects work to define and reflect culture at a number of levels, in scales outside the traditional scale of the architect.

In addition to leading her design practice, in the past 10 years Elena Manferdini has been teaching architectural design studios and technology seminars for the Graduate and Undergraduate programs at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Currently she is the Coordinator of the Graduate Thesis Program at SCI-Arc. She has also held Visiting Professor positions at Cornell University and Seika University.

Earlier this year Elena Manferdini presented an art installation at the Museum of Temporary Art in Los Angelis. The piece is a temporary indoor pavilion called Tempera is a critique of ‘eye-candy’ design. Recurring themes in the designs include fabrication processes, pop-culture, colour and geometry.

As the winner of the 2013 ACADIA Innovative Research Award of Excellence, Elena Manferdini is setting a new standard for the development and expansion of the architecture field. She will be attending the Awards dinner on the night of Thursday 24th, October and speaking at 2:00 on Friday October 25th.