Call for applications to HENN's Design Research Exchange residency 2015
Dezeen promotion: applications are now being accepted for HENN's Design Research Exchange summer residency programme focussing on strategies for high-rise development.
Organised by the Berlin architecture studio, the Design Research Exchange (DRX) is a non-profit residency programme that brings together researchers, designers and industry experts from various fields.
Attendees have the opportunity to partake in workshops, lectures, meetings and discussions – as well as gaining insights into ongoing HENN projects.
Each event throughout the duration of the programme will be centred around this year's focus: "towards vertical urbanism".
"As metropolises continue to densify and the average height of buildings reach ever skyward, high-rise towers will play an integral role in the dynamic evolution of our future urban landscapes," explained the organisers.
"However, this vertical expansion and its currently unresolved relationship to the horizontal plane, pose a new set of challenges," they continued. "In 2015 the DRX will address these challenges and continue its investigation of high-rise research and design strategies in search of innovative and prototypical models for our future cities."
Aiming to provide the environment for idea generation and experimentation, DRX is set up as a tool for examining and advancing architectural design techniques and construction methods.
To be considered for a place on the residency, applicants are asked to submit an written abstract and letter of motivation outlining their design or research focus by 30 April 2015.
HENN has given three underlying themes for applicants to expand on: urbanity and integration; accessibility and flow; climate and atmosphere. These are expanded on in the information provided below.
Dezeen Jobs is media partner with the programme, which will take place at HENN's Berlin studio from 20 July to 4 September 2015.
To apply and to find out more information about the residency, visit the HENN DRX website.
Here is some more detailed information regarding submission details and guidelines:
DRX 2015 – Call for Applications
Towards Vertical Urbanism
We live in a rapidly urbanizing world. By the year 2050, nearly 70% of the global population will reside in cities. As metropolises continue to densify and the average height of buildings reach ever skyward, high- rise towers will play an integral role in the dynamic evolution of our future urban landscapes. However, this vertical expansion and its currently unresolved relationship to the horizontal plane, pose a new set of challenges.
In 2015 the DRX will address these challenges and continue its investigation of high-rise research and design strategies in search of innovative and prototypical models for our future cities.
We are requesting a call for applications of researchers and designers around the world, to join our residency program in Berlin from July 20th – September 4th 2015. We encourage you to formulate a short abstract expressing your research/design focus, addressing one of the three underlying themes:
Urbanity & Integration
Historically, cities have been horizontally organised systems, comprised of plazas, streets, buildings, blocks, and parks. They all play an integral role in shaping the image of the city and set the stage for a vibrant public life. High-rise buildings, however, are often singularly programmed entities, disassociated from the surrounding urban context providing little added value to the urban community.
» How can we translate the dynamic urban qualities of a horizontal city into the vertical tower?
» How can the tower itself be harmoniously integrated into the existing urban fabric?
Accessibility & Flow
The elevator, providing an efficient mode of vertical circulation, has greatly enabled the development of the high-rise tower. However, due to its strict mode of destination-oriented, unidirectional movement, it simultaneously limits the user experience.
» How can we develop alternative modes of circulation within a tower, just as a city can be experienced in different ways and velocities?
» How can the transition of horizontal locomotion and vertical transportation be organised within and across multiple buildings?
Climate & Atmosphere
High-rise towers are often hermetically sealed, fully climatised environments, which exclude (or limit) exterior conditions such as daylight and natural ventilation.
» How can we set up natural conditions to create "micro-climates" which translate the exterior qualities of the city into the context of the high-rise tower?
» How can the boundary between inside and outside be dissolved?
If you have ideas or are researching on topics regarding one of the above clusters, we encourage you to submit your abstract and a letter of motivation by 30 April, 2015.
The abstract should conceptualise an idea or a topic of interest you wish to carry out during the seven weeks of DRX in dialogue with us and our network of experts.

About the DRX
The Design Research Exchange (DRX) is a residency programme for researchers.The Design Research Exchange (DRX) provides an open platform to unite experts from various fields. By exploring architectural topics of shared interest, the DRX promotes multi-disciplinary discussion between academics and professionals.
We envision the DRX as an ideal environment for the advancement of fresh ideas and fertile ground for experimentation, testing new technologies and materials, and informing our future built environment.
The topic of investigation for each DRX event is selected by the DRX organisers for its contemporary relevance and novelty within the discipline. Throughout the DRX, the invited experts present key public lectures and provide critical feedback and guidance during the event. While working in small teams on the appointed topic, researchers have opportunities to join ongoing discussions, meetings, workshops, and lectures while gaining insight into ongoing HENN projects. Internal expertise, IT infrastructure, facilities, and materials for experimentation is provided by HENN for all DRX functions.