During reading week, which begins on February 17, Daniels Faculty students have an opportunity to do something quite a bit more exciting than hitting the books: associate professor Aziza Chaouni will be taking a few Daniels graduate students along with her to an international design workshop she's leading in Dakar, Senegal.

The focus of the workshop will be the Centre International du Commerce Exterieur du Senegal (CICES), a 19-hectare fairground designed in the early 1970s by French architects Jean-François Lamoureux and Jean-Louis Marin. The modernist regional pavilions at CICES expertly reference traditional African building styles, and the grounds and exhibition halls have hosted countless regional and local events. But age and lack of upkeep are starting to take their toll on CICES, leaving its future uncertain.

Participants in Chaouni's workshop will visit CICES, attend lectures by local and international experts, and tour key landmarks in and around Dakar. The group will work with local stakeholders to imagine ways of revitalizing CICES and restoring it to its place as an icon of modern architecture in the region.

The workshop will include students from the Daniels Faculty, the Mackenzie Presbyterian University of Sao Paulo, the Collège Universitaire d'Architecture de Dakar, and the Université Polytechnique G5 of Dakar.

Daniels graduate students interested in joining the workshop have until Friday, January 10 to sign up. Students are responsible for paying their own airfare, but accommodation and transportation in Dakar will be provided free of charge. Some financial assistance may be available through the Office of the Registrar and Student Services. The workshop begins on February 17 and ends on February 21.

If you're a Daniels graduate student who's interested in reserving a spot, claim your place by emailing Aziza Chaouni as soon as possible.

For more details, download the brochure.