On October 11 and 12, the College of Architecture and Urban Studies will host the Swiss Architecture: Designing, Constructing, Building symposium, featuring internationally known architects Valerio Olgiati, Meinrad Morger, and Beat Consoni, as well as architectural editor and publicist Heinz Wirz.

Switzerland has a longstanding tradition for its production of extraordinary architecture and design. It is then no surprise that it owns a significant number of architects who have achieved international reputation through their buildings. Four important contributors of this tradition will be visiting Virginia Tech. The symposium will present the newest achievements of contemporary architecture from Switzerland. The speakers will also discuss the revalorization of "constructing" and "building," as in the Swiss practice model, in which "constructing" is seen as an intellectual act of the architect. The elevated position of "constructing" in the design process given by Swiss architects and universities is a major reason for the continued success of Swiss architecture in its own country and around the world.

The symposium will consist of an introduction, four lectures, a podium discussion with the lecturers, and concluding remarks. The school will also host related pre-symposium and post-symposium lectures by faculty.

The symposium has been made possible by the School of Architecture + Design and the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, and by grants from The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts of Chicago; the Virginia Tech Office for Outreach and International Affairs; the Virginia Tech Office of International Research, Education and Development; and in-kind contributions by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association.

The School of Architecture + Design also plans a book publication to follow some time after the symposium that will include a historiographic introduction on the subject of the pedagogical aim of the symposium by Virginia Tech assistant professor of architecture Markus Breitschmid; a chapter by architectural editor Heinz Wirz; illustrated contributions by Beat Consoni, Meinrad Morger, and Valerio Olgiati; and a written version of the podium discussion. The publication has been made possible by a grant from The Graham Foundation for the Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts of Chicago.

The College of Architecture and Urban Studies is one of the largest of its type in the nation. The college is composed of two schools and the departments of landscape architecture, building construction, and art and art history. The School of Architecture + Design includes programs in architecture, industrial design and interior design. The School of Public and International Affairs includes programs in urban affairs and planning, public administration and policy, and government and international affairs. The college enrolls more than 2,000 students offering 22 degrees programs taught by 160 faculty members.

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