Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1021976
20 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 SEPTEMBER 2018 COMMERCIAL BRAZILIANFRENCH Architect Elizabeth de Portzamparc will be the keynote speaker at the second edition of the Malta Architecture and Spatial Planning Conference which is being or- ganised by the Planning Authority on Thursday 4th October. The theme chosen for this year's conference is 'Planning for liveable places'. Key experts will de- bate the big issues related to the challenges that are effecting land use in Malta. At the forefront of Malta's agenda, the conference will discuss the need to create the right social, economic and en- vironmental conditions for liveable places. Architect Elizabeth de Portzamparc as keynote speaker at the conference will show with her dual sociological and architectural approach, how she manages to combine the requirements of the social, urban and ecological aspects within her projects. Her work is characterized by innovative flexibility, architectural layouts designed to fos- ter sociability on the scales of both the building and the city, giving much importance to the to- tal spatial interconnections. Today, some of her major architectural projects include the iconic railway station of Le Bourget, the Grand Docu- mentary Equipment of Aubervilliers, the Musée de la Romanité in Nîmes, and projects for cul- tural facilities, building for hotels and houses in France, Brazil, Morocco, China and the United States. Renowned architectural writer Philip Jo- didio says that the range and breath of archi- tect Elizabeth de Portzamparc's projects places her at the forefront of contemporary french architecture,but her international background and designs for other countries also make a case for her emergence on the larger stage of 'star' ar- chitects. The Authority has invited a line up of foreign and local experts to address the conference in- cluding Dr. Mary Keeling (IBM), Stephen Hilton (Bristol Futures Global), Jerome Frost (ARUP), Mark Atherton (Greater Manchester Combined Authority), Jacco Schuurkamp (Department of City Management, Public Space and Green In- frastructure, The Hague), David Harley (Scottish Environment Protection Agency), Profs. Andrew Azzopardi (University of Malta), David Sislen (World Bank), Gerald Muscat (European Invest- ment Bank), Angelique Spina (PwC Malta), John Acres (Royal Town Planning Institute – UK) and Simone Vella Lenicker (Editor – The Architect). The conference which will be held at the Dol- men Hotel in St. Paul's Bay will also serve as a forum for networking and idea-generation. Res- ervations can be made through the Authority's online portal www.pa.org.mt. All proceeds from the conference will go towards the Malta Autism Centre. Malta Architecture and Spatial Planning Conference welcomes leading brazilian-french architect ON the occasion of CareMalta's 25th anniversary, Vassallo Group chairman Nazzareno Vassallo ac- companied by CareMalta's chief executive and the company's management team, presented a special gift to His Holiness, Pope Francis consisting of a number of personalised cards containing more than 1,500 finger prints from each and every resident of all CareMalta's homes. CareMalta currently operates nine homes for the elderly including the latest one in Sliema, Casa Marija. All the members of the company's management team were in Rome recently for their annual team- building event which is traditionally held abroad. The idea behind the cards presented to the Pope originated from all the CareMalta employees leaving their finger print on a large white canvas board signi- fying their commitment to I Care, a tailor made ser- vice excellence programme that CareMalta launched earlier this year. Elderly people leave their mark for the Pope NINE participants successfully graduated from the Stepping Out Programme 2017/2018 an edu- cational service offered by Equal Partners Foundation and spon- sored by Foundation MAPFRE. The programme was targeted towards youngsters between the age of 14 and 20 with a form of intellectual disability, aiming to instill essential skills for them to function in higher education, in the workplace and eventually for independent or supported living. Educators also focused on teach- ing participants about the use of money, street behavior, orienta- tion in different contexts, the use of computers, social media and other topics which are essential for young teenagers. Beneficiar- ies also participated in a live-in, in which they spent 3 days away from their home, practicing independ- ent living skills. Throughout the programme, regular supervision, discussion and collaboration between all par- ties concerned is carried out, to ensure that the adolescent does not work on the targeted goals during the programme but event in his/her daily life. Equal Partners Foundation is a parent-run, non-profit foundation supporting families with children and adults with disabilities and/ or learning difficulties. The sup- port programmes are highly in- dividualized and delivered within the community, in the natural environment where the individu- al requires support, including in homes, schools, places of work and recreation and the community at large. Equal Partners seeks to sup- port people with disabilities and learning difficulties toward a more independent and meaningful life within an inclusive society. Fundación MAPFRE is a non- profit organization created by MAPFRE with the main pur- pose of which is to promote the well-being of society and citizens across the company's footprint. Over the past 10 years, beneficiar- ies of Foundation MAPFRE's pro- grammes across the globe reached 100 million. Youngsters with intellectual disability complete programme focusing on daily skills