This afternoon the paper/project acceptance emails for the ACADIA 08 conference were sent out. We are extremely excited about the group of papers and projects this year. The number of submissions was very large so it made the task difficult and longer than expected. We would like to thank all of the authors for their patience and the reviewers for their hard work. Out of 174 submissions, we have accepted 56 papers and 13 projects.

Over the next few weeks we will begin to release the abstracts for each of the papers and projects and create an online gallery of work. Are are now in the process of curating the papers into their appropriate session. Please check back soon for more info.

In addition, we have posted the names of our amazingly dedicated group of reviewers. Please explore the reviewer links and see some of the great work they are doing in both practice and academia.

Conference and Workshop registration is now open. The discounted early registration lasts until August 15 so buy now for the lowest rate. Please visit the registration page for more details.

Papers and Exhibition Projects are currently being reviewed. The process will end on July 6 and you will be notified if your paper has been accepted or rejected on the following day, July 7. If your paper/project has been accepted, you will have until July 20 to make any final edits to prepare it for publication.

If you are are reviewer, please login in the the OpenConf review system.

The call for nominations is now out for the 2008 ACADIA Award of Excellence. Nominations are due on June 23, 2008. For more information on the awards, please see here.

We have been overwhelmed with requests for the paper and exhibition project submission deadline to be extended. This is a busy time of year for everyone so we have extended the deadline 1 month! Please submit your papers or projects by Friday, May 23, 2008.

Another question that has been asked by many of you is whether you can submit both a paper and a project for the exhibition. The answer is YES. We would love to have a strong correspondence between the papers presented and the exhibition posters.

If you have any questions please email conference@acadia.org.

Click to Submit Papers and Projects

Paper abstracts are due April 04, 2008. (Optional, but encouraged)

Full papers are due April 25, 2008.

Project submissions for exhibition are due April 25, 2008.

Submission Guidelines
Abstract: Should be less then 500 words. Please use the “Abstract” field in the submission form to submit your abstract (no upload is necessary). Abstract submissions will only be used to ascertain the number of reviewers and session topics. Authors who are unable to submit abstracts may still submit full papers for review.

Full Papers: Use standard 8.5″x11″ or A4 format saved as PDF. Should be less then 2500 words. Images w/ captions can be included. If the paper is accepted, the author will be asked to make revisions based on the blind review comments and to reformat according to a more specific set of formatting guidelines for publishing. Your paper and filename may not include any identifying marks or author’s name.

Projects: A slide presentation, maximum of 10 slides, 96dpi each, in .pdf format. One of ten slides must include a project description, 500 words or less. Your slide presentation and filename may not include any identifying marks or author’s name.

Featuring one of our Keynote Speakers:

Stephen Wolfram
Wolfram Research
CEO

Stephen Wolfram was educated at Eton, Oxford, and Caltech, receiving his Ph.D. in theoretical physics in 1979 at the age of 20. His early work in physics and computer science was recognized by a MacArthur award in 1981. In the early 1980s he made a series of now-classic discoveries about systems known as cellular automata, leading to numerous applications in physics, mathematics, computer science, biology, and other fields. In 1986 he founded Wolfram Research, Inc. and began the creation of Mathematica—now the world’s leading software system for technical computing and symbolic programming (and tool which made A New Kind of Science possible). Over the past decade Wolfram has divided his time between leadership of his company and pursuit of basic science. The results of Wolfram’s fifteen years of work were presented for the first time in his book, A New Kind of Science (May 2002). An instant bestseller, A New Kind of Science constituted international science news and quickly emerged as one of the most-discussed science books in decades.

Featuring one of our Keynote Speakers:

Francois Roche
R&Sie(n)
Co-founder and director
Paris, France

The architectural office R&Sie(n) was set up in 1989 and is lead by Francois Roche (1961, France), Stephanie Lavaux (1966, France) and Jean Navarro (1971, France). The office is based in Paris. The organic, oppositional architectural projects in the practice are concerned with the bond between building, context and human relations. Roche explains his concept of spoiled climate chameleon architecture, which links and hybrids the human body to the body of architecture by a re-scenarization on the rules of all the natures, even artificial. They use speculations and fictions as process to dis-alienate the post-capitalism subjectivities, in the pursuit of Toni Negri. R&Sie(n) consider architectural identity as an unstable concept, defined through temporary forms in which the vegetal and biological become a dynamic element. R&Sie(n) are currently undertaking a critical experiment with new warping technologies to prompt architectural “scenarios” of cartographic distortion, substitution, and genetic territorial mutations. This kind of attitude and work is not fully understood in France where R&Sie(n) is mainly maintained on the side of the production. R&Sie(n) hold(s) several professorships with Francois Roche, in London at Bartlett School, in Vienna at TU, in Barcelona at ESARQ, in Paris at ESA, in Philadelphia at UPenn, and is teaching now in advanced studio at Columbia NY, USA. With speeches at MIT, Havard, AA School, UCLA, Sci-Arch. Their projects have been exhibited at the Tate Modern (London 2006), Columbia University (New-York, 1999-2000), UCLA (Los Angeles, 1999-2000), ICA (London, 2001), Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, 2004), Pompidou Center (Paris, 2004), MAM / Musee d’Art Moderne (Paris, 2005, 2006), MIT’s Media Lab (Cambridge 2006), Pavillon de l’Arsenal (Paris, 2006), Orleans/ArchiLab International Architectural Conference (1999, 2001, 2003). R&Sie(n) were among the architects selected by France for the 1990, 1996, 2000 and 2002 (refused) Venice Architectural Biennale, and were also featured in the 2000, 2004 international selection.

Featuring one of our Keynote Speakers:

Michael Weinstock
Emergence and Design Group, Founding Member
Architectural Association, Academic Head
AA Emergent Technologies and Design Master’s Program, Director
AA Master of technical Studies

Michael Weinstock is an Architect. Born in Germany, lived as a child in the Far East and then West Africa, and attended an English public school but ran away to sea at age 17 after reading Conrad. Years at sea in traditional wooden sailing ships, with shipyard and shipbuilding experience. Studied Architecture at the Architectural Association 1982/88 and has taught at the AA School of Architecture since 1989. Founding Member of the Emergence and Design Group, formed in 2002 as a multi-disciplinary research practice. Personal research interests lie in exploring the convergence of Emergence, Natural Systems, Evolution, Computation and Material Sciences, and has taught and published on these topics in Europe and the US since 1998. At the Architectural Association School of Architecture, Michael Weinstock serves the Academic Head since 2006. He is also director of the Emergent Technologies and Design Master’s program since 200 and master of Technical Studies since 1997.

Edited the following AD issues:

Featuring one of our Keynote Speakers:

George Jeronimidis
Director of Center for Biomimetics
Center for Biomimetics
University of Reading

Director of the Centre for Biomimetics, The University of Reading;
Professor of Composite Materials Engineering, School of Construction Management and Engineering, The University of Reading.

Prof. Jeronimidis is a Visiting Professor at the following institutions: Architectural Association, School of Architecture, London; Dipartimento di Architettura, Politecnico di Bari, Italy and the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Zhengzhou University, China.
Member of the Smart Materials and Structures Committee of the Institute of Materials, Metallurgy and Mining, IoM3
Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science

Career

PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of Rome (1970)
Scientific Officer, Laboratorio su Tecnologie dei Polimeri e Reolgia, CNR, Naples (1970-1975)
Research Fellow, Department of Engineering, University of Reading (1975-1980)
Lecturer, Department of Engineering, University of Reading (1980-1990)
Senior Lecturer, Department of Engineering, Reading University (1990-1995)
Director of the Centre for Biomimetics, Reading University (since 1992)
Professor of Composite Materials Engineering, School of Construction Management and Engineering, University of Reading (since 1995)

Research interests

Current research interests cover biomimetics, plant and animal biomechanics, smart materials and structures, and mechanics of composite materials and structures. The Centre of Biomimetics was the first research centre in the world looking at biology for inspiration and technological solutions. This research activity has received funding from various sources including UK Research Councils, Industry, European Union and Defense Agencies in the UK and the USA. Biomimetic projects have included developments of smart textiles, muscle-type actuators, integral strain sensors, impact-energy absorbing materials, natural fibre based composites, development of cellular materials from renewable starch sources and bio-inspired air-flow sensors. In recent years he has developed strong links with the architectural community in various parts of Europe where there is a growing interest in bio-inspired solutions in relation to sustainable architectural design. Professor Jeronimidis’ research in composite materials, structures and design is aimed at exploiting fibre systems for added functionality. Nearly all biological structures are composites and the way in which nature exploits composites for adaptive, functional and responsive structures can provide ideas for integrated performance in materials and structures in sectors such as construction, transport, etc. He has been involved in several research projects in composite structures for smart wind –turbine blades (self-regulating), friendly suspension systems for road and rail transport which minimize damage to infrastructure, composite flywheels for energy storage with funding from UK end EU sources. In parallel, the interest in renewable and sustainable materials for engineering applications, from transport to buildings, has been supported by several grants to investigate the possibility of using plant fibres, such as flax and hemp, for structural composites competing with glass-fibre systems. Professor Jeronimidis has published extensively in his various research fields of interest and has been invited to give Keynote Lectures at several international conferences, meetings and schools on Biomimetics, Smart Materials, Composite Structures and Architecture.