ROMAN PRIZE HONORS INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTS

This spring the Borromini Award for Architecture was given in two categories: French architect Jean Nouvel won the Borromini Award for his body of international work, and Chilean architect Mathias Klotz, won the Borromini Award for Young Architects for the Altamira School, in Santiago. In establishing this award on the fourth centennial anniversary of that great architect's birth, the City of Rome pays tribute to the extraordinary work of a genius. Next week we'll see why Nouvel and Klotz have been chosen to share this tribute.

PLANNING A SCHOOL THROUGH A COMMUNITY CHARRETTE

District of Columbia Public Schools recently held a series of charrettes, or interactive design sessions to solicit community input to processes normally reserved for architects, engineers, and educational facilities planners. The charrettes were open to local residents, teachers, students, and parents who stopped by to offer their opinions. When neighbors sit side by side and plan a school together, a rare kind of give-and-take occurs. Ideas flow forth, and challenges are raised and met. Buildings come to life. Everyone in the community benefits, but the students benefit most of all.

A ROOFSCAPE IN RECOVERY

The medieval walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia has remained virtually unchanged since the 15th century. With pride, the town residents have maintained a consistent pattern of limestone buildings with the yellow and red roofing tiles. However consistency and peace were both destroyed in attacks by the Serbs in 1991. According to writer Steven Allan, it was the destruction of the roof tiles that hurt the most. Next week he will show us the ongoing restoration work and describe the struggle to hold onto historic building traditions.