Yvonne Farrell & Shelley McNamara

A lecture by Y Farrell and S McNamara, as part of The Poetic Dimension in Architecture lecture series. Organised by F Beigel and P Christou for the Architecture Research Unit.

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, Grafton Architects, Dublin
Intimacy within a Social Infrastructure – University of Engineering and Technology, Lima, Peru

In this lecture, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara will speak primarily about their concepts and experiences when designing the recently completed new building for the University of Engineering and Technology, in Lima, Peru. In November 2016 this building was named the world's best new building by the Royal Institute of British Architects and was awarded the RIBA International Prize. The Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC) is the first ever winner of the prize.

“The unique condition of Lima is the point of origin for the design. The dramatic relationship between Lima and the sea, huge cliffs that define the boundary between the city and the sea, the green valleys turned inland from the sea to the city, all these features were the starting points for the project. The UTEC site is part of one of these green "fingers" that connect the sea with the city. Given this location, the project for the new UTEC campus is conceived as a "man-made cliff," a continuation of the cliffs at the edge of the sea, clearly defined on its new location.”

Further information is available on Grafton Architects' website.

Image credit: University of Engineering and Technology, Lima, Peru.