40TH PIRAN DAYS OF ARCHITECTURE
NOVEMBER 2023
On the 25th November Níall will be giving a lecture at the 40th Piran Days of Architecture in Slovenia. The theme for the event was Context. Concept. Consensus. The weekend conference is also tied in with the Piranesi International Architecture Award of which Níall will also be judging. National and student selectors will nominate 55 completed architectural projects from 11 Central European countries and 38 student projects from 19 architectural faculties, which will be presented at a joint exhibition.
RIBA EDUCATION REVIEW PRESENTATION
MARCH 2015
Niall gave a presentation to the RIBA Education Review at a specially convened Forum and Council, which debated significant changes to the structure of architectural education. Niall spoke about the relationship between education and practice, arguing for a lifelong cycle of practice and education.
“Education should not end with RIBA Part III, or even limp along through minimum prescribed CPD events. It should no longer be possible for an architect to finish their education. I propose a more comprehensive model of life-long learning. If practitioners come back to the schools throughout their lives, they will be constantly invigorated and, by extension, they will constantly invigorate the schools to which they return. This would constitute a discourse – in the sense of a ferrying back and forth – in which practice and education are both part of a seamless continuity. The purpose of education is not so much the acquisition of set skills but – to borrow a phrase from John Hattie – learning how to learn. Once you have done this, you have built an engine for a lifetime of renewal.”