Urbanism 25 February: Backhouse and Documentary Edge Fest Giveaways
Urbis Designday Pairings Announced 
The showroom and designer pairings for Urbis Designday 2010 were announced this morning at The Steel Works in Mt Eden, Auckland, with each participant receiving a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne. Urbis editor Nicole Stock (second from left) is pictured here with (from left) World’s Francis Hooper, Katrina McKenzie from Cite and Michael Hodgson from The Dub Module.
This year’s collaborators are:
- Cite / DUB module & World – design denmark / Penny Vernon – Häfele / Patrick Reynolds – Poggenpohl / OH.NO.SUMO – Matisse / Brendon Reid & Automation Associates – Matisse Contract Interiors / Brogen Averill & Automation Associates – Inovo / Alexandra Owen – Kohler / Zambesi – Essenze / NZ Design Collective (Chris Metcalfe & Te Rongo Kirkwood, plus David Trubridge) – Cavit & Co / Xanthe White Design – Studio Italia / Dulux & newimproved – AUT / HP Future Designers at Simon James – RTA Studio / Audi & Urbis at Ironbank.
Registration for Urbis Designday is essential. For more information or to purchase passes please visit:
www.urbismagazine.com/designday
Guests who register for Designday before 01 March will go into the draw to win a fabulous VIP Audi experience for four people, complete with a champagne breakfast on the day and exclusive Designday tour accompanied by a personal chauffeur.
Dune Tray Giveaway 
To celebrate its sale at Backhouse Wellington and Kartell Auckland, Backhouse is giving away a ‘Dune’ tray (RRP $189). This is sculpted from semi-transparent polycarbonate for intense colour and luminosity. (The sale ends 4 March, so get in quick!)
Just email urbanism@agm.co.nz with the answer to the question below, and “Backhouse” in the subject line. Entries close 10 March 2010.
What is the name of the designer who created the Dune tray for Kartell?
Documentary Edge Festival: Ticket Giveaway 
As the popularity of both high- and low-budget documentary film continues to grow in the mainstream, the range of new media used to capture footage, and produce and disseminate documentaries has also developed exponentially. In response, the DOCNZ Film Festival, which begins this weekend, was recently rebranded as the Documentary Edge Festival. It will run in both Auckland and Wellington during March.
We have two double-passes to give away to the first screening in Auckland on Sunday 28 February. Email urbanism@agm.co.nz with ‘Documentary Edge” in the subject line by the close of business Friday 26 February.
>> Visit www.documentaryedge.org.nz
David Trubridge to Exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt 
Urbis favourite David Trubridge is taking his Spiral Island seating / lighting series to the New York Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum to feature in the National Design Triennial, America’s most highly regarded design show. The theme “Why Design Now?” examines the role of design thinking in providing solutions to environmental issues. This is the first time the Triennial focuses on a global range of designers, reflecting the increasingly connected nature of practices and the need for international cooperation.
>> Visit Why Design Now?
Urban Africa: David Adjaye at the Design Museum 
As Africa continues to emerge as an exciting contemporary creative force, a new exhibition at London’s Design Museum documents the architecture and urban identity of a continent so often defined by its troubled past. Leading architect David Adjaye photographed key African cities, examining buildings and places that particularly resonate with his architectural work.
See Adjaye talk about his design for the “Bus Shelter” project that appeared in last year’s show, Super Contemporary, here
Cité des Poètes: Ghetto or Architectural Icon? 
Architects and historians are fighting to save it, while residents describe it as a “prison” and can’t wait to see it knocked down. The debate over the 1980s Cité des Poètes social housing development north of Paris has crystallised into an emblematic struggle about what constitutes ‘good’ and ‘bad’ architecture…
>> The Guardian reports here
New Design Competition Launched 
It’s not just about buying badges and branded pencils to show your support these days: venerable global conservation organisation WWF has teamed up with Massey University to launch a new green competition for the university’s design students. In support of Earth Hour (on the 27th March this year) the Eco-innovations competition will reward creative work in a broad range of media that promotes sustainability. The panel of judges includes photographer Anne Noble, David Trubridge, architect Ian Athfield and fashion designer Laurie Foon.
>> Visit www.earthhour.org.nz for full competition details. Entries close 15 March.
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