26 February to 27 April - Architecture has always been informed by the movement of ideas and looking outwards. Our towns and cities are testimony to centuries of shifts, changes and advances, so what ideas might shape the next big thing? Inspired by the 'Venice Takeaway: Ideas to Change British Architecture', the RIBA hosts a season of international exchanges, debates and special events in a quest to re-imagine architecture and explore big thinking.

Exhibition

• Venice Takeaway: Ideas to Change British Architecture
  26 February - 27 April 2013 
  Charting a course that takes in Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand and the US, the Venice Takeaway presents the work of ten architectural teams that travelled the world in search of inspiration, reminding us that the practice of architecture is as much about observation and thinking as it is about design. 

International Exchanges

• #1. The Dutch Way: From Houseboat to Water House
  Tuesday 26 February, 6 – 7.30pm
  From Buckminster Fuller's Triton City to Kiyonori Kikutake's Marine City, living on water has long exercised designers' imagination, but are water based communities becoming a realistic proposition rather than just a utopian dream?
• #2. Architect Explorers: Landscape and Transformation
  Thursday 28 Feb, 6 - 7.30pm
  What is the British Exploratory Land Archive (BELA)? How can architects learn from the landscape? Inspired by Los Angeles, Smout Allen and Geoff Manaugh outline proposals for exploring and mapping the UK with fresh eyes and new potential.
• #3. Itsuko Hasegawa: Ordinary and Heroic
  Wednesday 6 March, 6 - 7.30pm
  Known for kicking against the grain of architectural fashion, Itsuko Hasegawa reveals the drivers behind her work and explores the notion of design leadership in difficult times.
• #4. Fideicomiso! Putting Architecture at the Heart of Housing
  Tuesday 23 April, 6.30 - 7.30pm
  In Argentina 'Fideicomiso' enables the development of housing by groups of people working as clients direct with architects. How could it be applied in the UK?
• #5. Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA): Berlin and Belfast 
  Tuesday 23 April, 7.45 – 8.45pm
  The IBA in West Berlin was a far-sighted urban renewal project completed in 1987. Would an international building exhibition be the best way to deliver better quality architecture in the UK?

Debates

• Constraint and Creativity: Is Red Tape the Enemy of Architecture?
  Tuesday 5 March, 6.30 - 8pm 
  In comparison to other countries, the UK is regarded as a place stifled by red tape and as risk adverse. Will the government's proposals to tear up Building Regulations threaten design quality or will they set us all free?
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  The Working Village: Exploring a radical pilot entrepreneurial village
  Wednesday 14 March, 6 - 8pm
  Against the backdrop of failing high streets and dying neighbourhoods, is there a radical way of putting planning in the service of the economy? Could Localism be the genuine mechanism for growth as we were once promised? Live think-tank event.
• Lessons from Brazil: Is Standardised School Design Compatible with Architecture?
  Tuesday 19 March, 6.30 - 8pm
  In the 1980s Oscar Niemeyer led an experimental programme in Rio de Janeiro, building 508 prefabricated schools. As the UK embraces standardisation, but stands accused of lacking ambition, can we take inspiration from Brazil?

Special events

• Discussion Bureau
  Open Charter Agency: Image of the architect
  26 February & 26 March, 6 - 9pm
  The Open Charter Agency is a new platform for the public to explore how architects might act as agents of change and thoughts on the profession. Express your views and let them know what you think at the OCA Bureau.

• Spring Last Tuesday
  Visionaries and Dreamers
  Tuesday 26 March, 6 - 10pm
  Discover more about visionary architecture and how imaginative thinking has travelled the world with a special late evening of talks, events, film, workshops and more inspired by the Venice Takeaway exhibition.
• Creative family workshop
  Fantastical Cities 
  Saturday 6 April, 11am - 2pm
  Bright ideas can come from anywhere at any age. Using international architecture as inspiration from the RIBA's collections - fold, draw, cut, stick and colour to create a new spectacular cityscape. Families are invited to enjoy getting creative together