Architecture is a public affair, its impact shared if not always evenly distributed. The vacillating boundaries of what constitutes public life, public realm or the ‘public interest’ are forever a contested space in which the ideologies of architecture are made explicit. A public act most commonly commissioned by private parties, the design and realisation of the built environment requires a reciprocity between collective and individual needs that often results in complex relationships of competing interests. The question, perhaps, is where does the public aspect of architecture reside and how might it be calibrated?

Topics for consideration may include (but would not be limited to):

• How do contemporary discourses in practice, theory, pedagogy or media embody the various public attributes of architecture?
• How has the public realm (spatial, legal, political, etc.) changed through history and how has this impacted the built environment?
• How might a public of architects (in the sense of a body/collective other than the standards of professional affiliation) be defined and what might be its potential?
• How are ideas of collective need or common good expressed in the role of the architect?
• Can a public be constituted that is meaningfully inclusive of minorities in society?

Building Material 22 invites submissions that explore the range of architectural possibilities inherent within the word ‘public’ in Ireland and elsewhere. Submitted articles must not have been published, nor be under consideration for publication, either online or in print. Written submissions should be a maximum of 4000 words and should be analytical and critical rather than descriptive. While inviting submission of academic papers, it also seeks and encourages interesting essays that fall beyond the academic pale. Shorter articles are welcome, as are graphic works.

Building Material is a peer reviewed journal and all submissions shall be assessed by two independent reviewers. Submissions not intended for peer-review are also welcome. A distinction will be made between peer-reviewed research articles and other material.

Completed articles should be addressed to the editor(s) by 02 March 2018. To facilitate the process of double-blind peer review, please ensure that all contact details are contained in a covering email and that authors’ identifying details are not included in the article file.

Acceptance decisions will be communicated by 30 March 2018. Articles should be prepared in MS Word, double-spaced at a minimum 11-point font size. Notes should adopt the UWA Oxford Referencing style, as outlined in the attached document. Single quotation marks should be used throughout. Image files should be formatted as individual jpg files at 300dpi.

Informal queries regarding submission may be addressed to the editor(s).

All submissions and correspondence should be addressed to buildingmaterial@architecturalassociation.ie.

Previous issues of Building Material are now available to view on JSTOR.

Building Material is an annual architecture journal, joint published by the Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI), the All-Ireland Architecture Research Group (AIARG), and the Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF).