IASTE 2021: Virtual Traditions
The Transience of tradition in changing geographies and global landscapes

Please note; this conference originally planned for the 3-6 September 2020 has been rescheduled to 7-10 April 2021.
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is delighted to host the 18th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE): Virtual Traditions. Over the past 30 years, IASTE has helped shape the discourse around the political, cultural, economic, and legal frameworks of tradition.
- From: Wednesday 7 April 2021, 8.30 am
- To: Saturday 10 April 2021, 5.30 pm
- Location: Nottingham Conference Centre, Burton Street, Nottingham, NG1 4BU
- Download this event to your calendar
Event details
18th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE)
Conference Theme
Tradition has multiple forms, manifestations, and influences that shape the processes used to produce, transform, preserve, and consume built environments in synch with socio-cultural and economic change. Over the past 30 years, IASTE has helped shape the discourse around the political, cultural, economic, and legal frameworks of tradition.
With the predominance of mobile communication, social media, and online interaction, the terms “virtual” and “tradition” are no longer at opposite ends of cultural discourse, as they seemed to be a decade ago.
The organizers of IASTE 2021 Nottingham invite participants to revisit the notion, concepts and practices of tradition at a time when virtual and mobile interaction is increasingly dictating the terms of everyday life, at home, at work, and in the public sphere. Participants will investigate the intellectual dialogue and reciprocal influences at the intersection of physical and virtual landscapes, and reflect on how new methodologies, practices, policies, information technologies, and even the parallel presence of virtual space and cloud communications inform the meaning of tradition in the built environment.
By examining alternative futures of tradition, the conference organizers anticipate a progressive inquiry and dialogue regarding the epistemological and philosophical basis of tradition. As in past IASTE conferences, we invite scholars, professionals, and practitioners from architecture, architectural history, urban design, art history, anthropology, archaeology, folklore, geography, history, planning, sociology, political science, urban studies, conservation, design, digital technologies, and related disciplines to submit papers that address one of the following tracks.
Download the call for abstracts poster
Booking information and enquiries
For all enquiries please contact the event organisers or visit their website for more information.
Conference schedule
Deadline for Abstract Submission | 18 October 2019 |
Finalise Abstract Reviews | 31 December 2019 |
Notification of Acceptance of Abstracts | 17 January 2020 |
Deadline for Conference Registration by Presenters | 1 September 2020 |
Deadline for Revised Paper Submission | 1 September 2020 |
Notification of Acceptance in Working Paper Series | 1 October 2020 |
Conference Programme | 7 – 10 April 2021 |
Post-Conference Tours | 11 April 2021 |
Post-conference tours
Nottingham Caves and Robin Hood | 11 April 2021 |
London Architecture (in association with RIBA) | 11 April 2021 |
Conference organisation
Local Conference Director: Prof. Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem
IASTE President and Conference Director: Prof. Mark Gillem
IASTE Vice President: Ms. Montira Horayangura
IASTE Secretary/Treasurer: Dr. Hesham Issa
IASTE and Conference Coordinator: Ms. Amy Strieter
Local Conference Venue and Event Coordinator: Mrs. Miriam Marsden
NTU conference organising committee team
Chair: Dr. Andrew Knight, Dean, School of Architecture, Design & Built Environment ADBE
Prof. Ming Sun, Associate Dean for Research
Prof. Michael White, ADBE
Mr. Gavin Richards, Head of Department of Architecture
Dr. Marisela Mendoza, Senior Lecturer, Department of Architecture
Dr. Ana Souto, PG Tutor, Department of Architecture.
Dr. Diane Wren, Research Fellow, CAUGH
Day-to-day coodination
Dr. Diane Wren, Research Fellow, CAUGH, ADBE
Ms. Farida Waheed, CAUGH, ADBE
Mr. Yousef al-Daffaie, CAUGH, ADBE
Sessions committee
Chair: Prof. Nezar AlSayyad, IASTE President Emeritus
Members: Heba Ahmed, Howayda Al-Harithy, Mohamad al-Jassar, Anne Marie Broudehoux, Flavia Brito doNascimento, Cecilia Chu, Lyndsey Deaton, Jonathan Hale, Chee-Kien Lai, Duanfang Lu, Andrzej Piotrowski, Gehan Selim, Ipek Tureli.
Conference sponsors
Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Global Heritage, The School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment of Nottingham Trent University; and the Urban Lab of The University of Oregon
Location details
Room/Building:
Address:
Nottingham
NG1 4BU
Travel Info:
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