It’s time to innovate at Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science! The Museum is hosting its Innovation & Engineering Weekend, a celebration themed around “Building the City of the Future,” featuring a series of event programming from Feb. 19**–22, 2015**.
Sponsored by Wells Fargo, Ryder and The Knight Foundation, the celebration will provide unlimited opportunities to learn about architecture and design, energy, environment, and transportation challenges and solutions for cities where people are at the heart of the ideas.
Weekend participants will have the unique opportunity to share their thoughts and visions on how to improve Miami’s urban landscape and build the city of the future with leaders from Gehl Studio, a global urban design firm. Gehl Studio will be collecting input on how the new Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science building (opening in downtown Miami in 2016) can best support innovation and technological advances in the South Florida community.
Innovation & Engineering Weekend will kick off on Thursday, Feb. 19, with the Museum’s popular “Science Up Close” event series. The casual science conversation will feature Dr. Rodolphe el-Khoury, Dean of the University of Miami School of Architecture, alongside small group discussions about innovation led by local and national authorities on the future of transportation, energy, architecture/design and the environment. Dean el-Khoury, a leader in architecture and design, will discuss “Inhabiting the Internet of Things,” a vision for the future where embedded technologies are in everyday objects and appliances, connecting us to one another and things in ways we are only beginning to imagine. Guests will enjoy music by the Frost School of Music along with complimentary beverages by Wynwood Brewing Company. Admission is free to the public but RVSP is required at http://bit.ly/ScienceUpCloseIE.
On Friday, Feb. 20, the Frost Science Young Patrons continue Innovation & Engineering festival with a fascinating City of the Future PechaKucha Night 20x20 presentation, a speaker format in which 20 images are shown, each for 20 seconds. The evening will conclude by the "raku" kiln fire while the pottery is cured for guests to take home. Suggested donation $10 but RVSP is required at http://bit.ly/PechaKuchaYP. Speakers include: David Rifkind, Associate Professor of Architecture at Florida International University, on the future of urban housing with sustainable buildings that have net zero emissions; Camille Coley, J.D., Assistant Vice President for Research and Associate Director of Florida Atlantic University’s Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, on the future of energy through the power of ocean currents; Stephen Davis, Ph.D., Wetland Ecologist for the Everglades Foundation, on the future of water for Miami and the importance of the Everglades in solving the water challenge; Meg Daly, Founder and President of The Underline, on the future of bikes in solving transportation challenges of the city of the future; Trevor Powers, Vice President of Engineering & Facilities of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, on the innovative design of the new Museum and the role of the Museum in the city of the future.
On Saturday, Feb. 21 and Sunday, Feb. 22, families are encouraged to visit the Museum and enjoy Innovation & Engineering Weekend, two days of technology, green solutions, and interactive activities. Guests will have the opportunity to plant seeds and discover urban gardening and hydroponics, compete in building challenges with local engineers, construct furniture out of recycled materials, explore the world of tomorrow with new research on immersive 3D environments and participate in various hands-on maker activities. Children 12 years old and younger are free with paid adult admission.
During Innovation & Engineering Weekend, visitors can also experience “Miami Cityscapes,”an exhibit of 10 Miami-based artists, each of whom have interpreted the four themes of the weekend: architecture and design, energy, environment and transportation. Internationally recognized artist Matthew Schreiber will unveil a laser installation inside the Museum’s Planetarium, an immersive environment enveloping the viewer in geometric forms. Guests will also be able to exclusively view the Spark-Renault SRT_01E racecar on behalf of the FIA Formula E Championship Miami ePrix, the fifth stop on the world’s first fully electric racing series’ 2014-15 calendar.
Who: Everyone is welcome!
When: Thursday, Feb. 19: Science Up Close, 6:30–9:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 20: The City of the Future PechaKucha, 7–10 p.m.
Sat.–Sun., Feb. 21 & 22: Innovation & Engineering Weekend, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Where: Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. 3280 South Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33129
Cost: Thursday, Feb. 19: Science Up Close, Free with RSVP at http://bit.ly/ScienceUpCloseIE
Friday, Feb. 20: The City of the Future PechaKucha, Suggested admission $10; RSVP at http://bit.ly/PechaKuchaYP
Sat.–Sun., Feb. 21 & 22: Innovation & Engineering Weekend, Children 12 years old and younger are free with paid adult admission
How: For more information about Innovation & Engineering Weekend, visit www.miamisci.org/iefrost or call (305) 646-4200.
- Information submitted by the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science