Contact:
Dominic Mercier, Communications Director, AIA Philadelphia
(t) 215.569.3186, (m) 215.876.7781

CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE PRESENTS DETOUR: CODE ARKITEKTUR LECTURE AND DISCUSSION

Digital images available upon request

PHILADELPHIA (March 18, 2009) - The Center for Architecture and the Royal Norwegian Consulate General will present a lecture with Henning Kaland, founding partner of Norwegian architecture firm Code, Tuesday, March 31, 2009, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Architecture (1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia). The lecture is free and is being held in conjunction with the exhibition Detour: Architecture and Design Along 18 National Tourist Routes, scheduled to be on view at the Center this summer.

The architecture firm Code was established in Oslo in 1997, by partners Bjarne Ringstad, Julian Lynghjem, Gaute Stensrud, and Kaland. Ole Einejord joined the firm as partner in 1999. Kaland will present the firm’s work with a particular emphasis on its commissions for Norway’s National Tourist Route project – a network of scenic byways, viewing platforms, and roadside pull-offs.

The 12-person firm describes its practice as a “positive, non-judgmental approach to the present. Within our work lies a consciousness about the coexistence of factors such as landscape, texture, culture, politics, sustainability, performance, and economics.” Code has won a number of national and international architecture competitions for projects, including private residences, office buildings, schools, hotels, and urban development projects. Current projects include residential housing in Tromsø, Hokksund, and Oslo, as well as National Tourist Route projects in Senja and Gaularfjell. This last project is featured Detour. Code was recently invited as one of 10 architects worldwide for the competition on a new Edvard Munch museum in Oslo.

Kaland graduated from Bergen School of Architecture in 1993. In addition to being one of the founding partners of Code architecture, Kaland currently leads the office. Being the son of a master builder, he grew up on construction sites and worked both as carpenter and radio DJ before graduating as an architect. He initiated Code’s focus on sustainability and is a member of several competition juries and the Oslo Counsel of Architecture. He teaches courses and lectures at several universities and organizations in Norway and abroad.

The Center for Architecture performs the charitable and educational work of the Philadelphia chapter of the American Institute of Architects and serves as the physical home for the Chapter in Center City Philadelphia. The Center for Architecture was envisioned with three core principles in mind: Public Engagement, Collaboration and Design Excellence. The Center is an exhibition gallery, studio, museum, interpretive laboratory, tourist destination, reception hall, and classroom. The Center is also home to the AIA bookstore & Design Center and the Community Design Collaborative.