Professor Robin Spence, Emeritus Professor of Architectural Engineering at Cambridge, will be presenting a talk on Disaster risk assessment – at the School of Architecture, 6.00pm on Tuesday 19th April 2011. (pre-talk drinks at 5.30). This is an IPENZ Wellington event – so expect lots of Engineers – but architects and students welcome too.
Now more than ever is the time to be thinking of fresh ideas. With Christchurch EQ version 1.0 and version 2.0 being totally eclipsed by events in Japan (Tsunami 9.0), it’s clear that some fresh thinking is due in the battle for sustainable buildings. Gerry Brownlee put his best foot forward (or, in his mouth) when he called for action on Old Dungas, and advocated “knocking all the old buildings down”.
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Extensive damage to Christchurch CBD, with the 6.3 quake at 1pm today, and the numerous heavy aftershocks. Some deaths have been reported – no details as yet update: 78 reported deaths so far, with hundreds still missing, but many many buildings down. The Cathedral has partially collapsed – the steeple has gone, and a nearby church in Durham St is destroyed.
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An exhibition: Before / After, recently opened in Christchurch at the Art Gallery, regarding the September earthquake and subsequent aftershocks down in Canterbury. A link to their website is here. It notes:
“Let’s build a better Canterbury
BEFORE AFTER is an exhibition and discussion series that explores our built environment and seeks to connect with the public. The aim is to work with the public in identifying opportunities to create a better and more liveable region after the Canterbury Earthquake.”
The exhibition runs until 20th March, and there are a number of associated events: Read More
The earthquake that happened in Christchurch just over a month ago now is claiming its first tall victim. While the country is ecstatic that the series of quakes has caused no deaths to Cantabrians, there is a pretty gloomy feeling amongst certain lovers of modern heritage buildings that time is nearly up for the Manchester Courts building – formerly known as the Express building.
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