User:Sandraizabela5/sandbox

Dr Sandra Izabela Piesik is an award-winning architect, author, researcher and designer, specialising in climate change adaption, rural – urban dynamics, technology development and transfer of natural materials and vernacular architecture. Dr Piesik is involved with the programmes of UNFCCC, UNCCD, UN-HABITAT, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and The New Urban Agenda.

Education
She obtained a Master of Arts in Interior Architecture (with distinction) and a Master of Arts in Fine Arts at the University of the Arts in Poznań Poland (1990–95), a university with a German Bauhaus tradition.

The architectural education was completed at the University of Portsmouth School of Architecture, South England where in 2000 she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with First Class Honours BA (Hons) Architecture RIBA Part 1. Following professional practice with Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects and PRP Architects in London Dr Piesik studied at the Architectural Association, London and obtained an AA Diploma in 2003 RIBA Part 2 and in 2004 a Certificate in Professional Practice and Management in Architecture RIBA Part 3 at the Bartlett School of Architecture, Faculty of the Built Environment University College London.

Seven years of research and development carried out in the Rub Al Khali desert and focused on the socio-environmental characteristics of the date palm industry in the United Arab Emirates resulted in doctorate studies on “Date Palm Leaves as a Natural Building Material in Innovative Construction in Developing Countries” and the award of a Doctor of Arts Degree in Discipline of Design in 2015 at the Faculty of Architecture and Design, University of Arts, Poznań.

Professional career
Dr Piesik worked in the United Kingdom in architectural practices AHMM Architects, Aedas, Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects and PRP Architects. Her overseas posts were in Brunei (Bandar Seri Begawan), Malaysia (Kula Lumpur), Indonesia (Jakarta), Singapore, United Arab Emirates (Dubai) with short-term assignments in Japan, Hong Kong, Egypt, Qatar and Uganda.

Between 1995 and 2010 she participated in educational, commercial, hospitality and transportation projects including award winning competition entries as well as design management of large-scale developments.

In 2010 she set up her own practice 3 ideas Ltd in order to focus on in depth research into authentic cultural continuity, sustainable development and climate change.

Research and Development
Her research carried out the United Arab Emirates on date palm leaf architecture across 80,000 km² of the Rub Al Khali desert between 2004-2015, resulted in the publication of Arish: Palm-Leaf Architecture (2012) a pioneering work on date palm leaf technology transfer. It is the first publication in English of 8,000-year-old date palm leaf heritage in the United Arab Emirates and led to a technology transfer programme, which she successfully completed with the construction of an award-winning building called The Sabla: Palm Leaf Shelters in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates in 2015.

The experience of working with indigenous communities has given Dr Piesik a deep understanding of other cultures and their social aspirations in local and global contexts.

A passionate advocate of contemporary adaptation in traditional knowledge systems, she curated and delivered the first European exhibition on Palm Leaf Architecture in the United Arab Emirates at The Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (IBG), London 2012.

Later research activities were focused on an analysis of enabling environments for the circular economy re-introduction in desert regions that resulted in coordinating a research paper as part of R&D Group Ecosystems: “A paradigm of agro-ecosystems of date palm oases understood in the wider context of economic and cultural ecosystems through transfer of knowledge and technology in the desert regions” for the UNCCD 3rd Scientific Conference 9–12 March 2015 in Cancun, Mexico on “Combating Drought, Land Degradation and Desertification for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development. The Contribution of science, technology, traditional knowledge and practices.”

A collaboration with The International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), led to an Urban and Rural Resilience Programme called Oasis City.

As part of the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference COP24 in Katowice, Poland (2018), Dr Piesik initiated a programme called: Mining Industries and the Sustainable Transformation of Towns with Circular Economy and Just Transition.

Her ongoing work on the adaptation of indigenous cultures and technologies resulted in first global review of vernacular architecture of the last twenty years and was published in 2017 in an award winning encyclopaedia: HABITAT: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Planet by Thames & Hudson.

In 2018 Dr Piesik collaborated with the European Space Agency on Lunar HABITAT.

She has given lectures in over thirty international institutions and universities across the globe and continues to engage in the international dialogue on climate change and contemporary adaptation of vernacular architecture and traditional knowledge.

Currently Dr Piesik is involved in collaborative projects focused on cities and urbanism in the context of integration between Rural and Urban Dynamics with the United Nations, which includes UNFCCC, UN-HABITAT and UNCCD offering a Policy Support Consultancy on Rural-Urban Dynamics.

United Nations Programmes Advocacy
Since 2012, Dr Piesik is actively involved with the United Nations Programme advocacy in projects, climate action events and capacity building activities. Current affiliations are with:

UNFCCC - The United Nations Convention on Climate Change The Paris Committee on Capacity Building (PCCB) Stakeholder Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN) Network Member

UNCCD - The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Policy Support Consultant on Rural – Urban Dynamics

UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme Urban-Rural Linkages to Advance Integrated Territorial Development: Guiding Principles and Framework for ction – Stakeholder

Papers and projects presented during United Nations Conferences:
 * UNCCD 3rd Scientific Conference Speaker and the founder of R&D Development Group Eco-Systems. “A paradigm of agro-ecosystems of date palm oases understood in the wider context of economic and cultural ecosystems through transfer of knowledge and technology in the desert regions.”
 *  UNFCCC COP22 Marrakech, Morocco 2016 Green Zone. Speaker and a panel convenor. “Urban and Rural Areas Resilience Programme. Oasis Cities. Adaptation of COP21 Paris Agreement”
 *  UNFCCC COP23 Bonn, Germany 2017 Mali Pavilion, Speaker and a panel convenor in collaboration with CTCN “Endogenous technologies and the Natural Capital. Cross-sectorial capacities for adaptation”
 *  UNFCCC COP24 Katowice, Poland 2018 COP24 The Paris Committee on Capacity Building Hub Speaker and panels convenor: Panel 1: “Mining Industries and the Sustainable Transformation of Towns with Circular Economy and Just Transition” (10.12.2019) Panel 2: “Urban-Rural Linkages to Advance Integrated Territorial Development: Guiding Principles and Framework for Action (12.12.2019)

Participation in selected events and programmes related to capacity building, climate action and sustainable development agenda.


 * HABITAT Events Programme - (2017 – 2019) in New York, London, Milan, Brussels, Bonn, Novosibirsk, Florence and Rotterdam.
 * UNESCO Conference (2019) Meishan, Sichuan, China - Culture 2030 | Rural-Urban Development: The Future of Historic Villages and Towns.
 * LW Circus (2019), Florence, Italy - Urban and Rural Dynamics Workshop, celebrating 500th Anniversary of Leonardo’s Da Vinci’s death.
 * I Maestri del Paesaggio, Bergamo.
 * INTBAU World Congress 2018 Speaker “HABITAT: Adaptation of Traditional Knowledge Systems and the Global Sustainable Legislation.”
 * Climate Week New York City 2017 “Habitat: Vernacular Architecture in a Changing Planet. Implementation of the Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals”. (Speaker and Panel Convener).
 * G-STIC Brussels Global Sustainable Technology & Innovation Conference 2017 (Speaker in the Materials Science Session).
 * The Climate Innovation Summit 2017 Climate KIC, Milan (Panel Member on Greening the City).
 * The British Museum and The Royal Anthropological Institute Conference: Anthropology, Weather and Climate Change The British Museum, Clore Centre, 27–29 May 2016 Convener of the Panel: The Generation of Climate Knowledge.

Books
“HABITAT: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Planet” published in London by Thames & Hudson 2017 The BBC Design book of 2017. “HABITAT: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Planet” published in New York by Abrams Books 2017 “HABITAT: Traditionelle Bauweisen für den globalen Wandel” German edition by Edition DETAIL 2017 “Habiter la Planete: atlas mondial de l’architecture vernaculaire” French edition by Flammarion 2017, First Prize Winner at “J’aime le livre d’art”, Paris 2017 “HABITAT: Arquitectura vernácula para un planeta cambiante” Spanish edition by Blume 2017

“Arish: Palm – Leaf Architecture” published in London by Thames & Hudson 2012 Arabic edition published by Kalima and TCA Abu Dhabi in June 2015

Contributor to other books:


 * Venice Biennale 2018 Publication Architette = Women Architects celebrating work of women architects
 * ISPA, Manual de instalaciones, sistemas y proyecto arquitectura bioclimatica, The Catholic University of Chile, Editors: Gonzalo Escobar & Mauricio Lama (2019)
 * Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World, 2nd edition (EVAW2) Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (2019-2020)

Articles
Recent articles:
 * What Would a Thinking City do to Avoid Self-Destruction?, Think City, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2019
 * Embracing acceleration for climate action in adaptation and mitigation, The Ecologist, London, UK 2018
 * Marry old and new building techniques for big energy savings, Foresight Climate and Energy, Copenhagen, Denmark 2018 (in collaboration with Karen Rizvi)
 * Circular Economy for Sustainable Development, Reports of the Finnish Environment Institute 26/2018 (co-author together with: Berg, Annukka; Antikainen, Riina; Hartikainen, Ernesto; Kauppi, Sari; Kautto, Petrus; Lazarevic, David; Saikku, Laura)
 * Turning Challenges into Opportunities, INTBAU 2018
 * How Our Habitat Has Changed and What We Can Do to Save It, Culture Trip, London 2018
 * Changing Planet and Changing Habitat. Sandra Piesik Asks, What Next?, Designboom, 2017
 * How architects can engage with the “big picture” perspective?, “Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Planet” Urban Next (in collaboration with Joana Lazarova) 2017
 * COP23 Post Scriptum What is next? Thoughts on the Potential of Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Planet. HABITAT: in Conversation with Christian Kieckens and Sandra Piesik, Detail.de 2017
 * COP23 Endogenous Technologies and the Natural Capital. Cross-Sectorial Capacities for Adaptation, Detail. de 2017
 * What can we learn from pre-carbon cities?, Climate KIC, Daily Planet 2017
 * Vernacular architecture, its craftspeople and our sustainable future, The Ecologist, 2017
 * Why learning to build like our ancestors is essential for the survival of the planet, BD 2017
 * Desert wrap, RIBA Journal, 2014
 * The Arish Story, National Geographic Al Arabiya, 2012

Awards

 * First Prize Winner at “J’aime le livre d’art” Awards for “HABITER La Planète” by Flammarion, Paris, November 2017
 * The Sabla: Palm-Leaf Shelter: Winner of Community & Cultural Project of the Year and the second in the Sustainable Project of the Year during the Middle East Architect Awards in 2015
 * Nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2015
 * Selected by The National as the Cultural Innovation project of 2014
 * Arish House, Liwa Oasis, Rub Al Khali Desert
 * The Architectural Review Emerging Architecture Awards 2010

Membership

 * The Paris Committee on Capacity Building (PCCB) of UNFCCC
 * The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) of UNFCCC
 * The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), The Netherlands
 * Architects Registration Board, London
 * RIBA Chartered Membership, London
 * Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with IBG, London
 * Former fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, London
 * The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)