SOAR EU-level Dialogue - Call for Best Practice Architectural Examples

Strengthening the security and resilience of at-risk religious sites and communities (SOAR) project is holding an online EU level Network Dialogue event on 14 November 2022 for network members, technical experts, agreed stakeholders, e.g., EU Commission, national government representatives, and identified academic institution representatives.

The EU-funded project SOAR aims at increasing the awareness of, and capacity to prevent and mitigate physical and human security threats to places of worship through Security by Design (SBD). The concept of ‘Security by Design’ incorporates security features into the design and fabric of the building and its urban context.

The project partners Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI), the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, and the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) cooperate in this endeavour with an extensive network of professionals, including representatives from all majority and minority faiths practising within the EU. The project is supported by the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations.

This network dialogue meeting presents three Best Practice Architectural Examples of applied standards in Security by Design for Places of Worship. The architectural projects were submitted to the SOAR call for Best Practice Examples and are also part of a publication which will be presented during this webinar as well.

Date: 14 November 2022, 3 – 5:00 pm (CET)

Place: online, the link will be sent to you after registration

https://soarproject.eu/

Agenda (CET):

15:00 pm Welcome message from the Architects’ Council of Europe (Dr. Veronika Schröpfer)

15:10 pm Presentation of the SOAR Project: Achievements so far, pilot countries and trainings, timeline, events, and resources available for you (Kaashif Awan, Enhancing Faith Institutions)

15:25 pm Presentation of the SOAR Call for Best Practice Architectural Examples (Dr. Selma Harrington, ACE EB Member, SOAR AB Member and Chair of the Jury)

15:40 pm Security by Design - application of principles and good practice in places of worship: Notes from a Security Expert (Paul Smith, EFI)

15:55 pm Presentation of the Alcalá Church (Alejandro Beautell, Beautell Arquitectos)

16:10 pm Presentation of the Monastery of the Capuchins (Sofia Aleixo, VMSA Architects)

16:25 pm Presentation of the New Parish Complex ‘Resurrection of Our Lord’ (Massimo Lepore, TAMassociati)

16:40 pm Interactive session with the audience using sli.do, Q&A

16:50 pm Final remarks (Dr. Selma Harrington)

17:00 pm Conclusions and End