Sydney’s annual festival of light and architecture returns to the harbour this Friday. Not just a spectacle of architectural projections, the 23-day Vivid Sydney also comprises Vivid Ideas; a complementary program of talks and events that celebrate innovation, creativity and community.

The Vivid Ideas program brings together business and creative leaders for professional development, updates on industry, market opportunities and a full gamut of innovation and inspiration.

We’ve scanned the program and pulled out the best architecture and design-related events. Here’s what not to miss:

SPARC-FMA INTERNATIONAL LIGHTING & FACILITIES EVENT

ICC-Populous-Guy-Wilkinson-Photography_Intl-Convention-Centre.jpgPhotography by Guy Wilkinson 

When: 30 May - 1 June, 10am - 6pm
Where: International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour

The sparc-FMA exhibition showcases the latest in facility management and smart lighting innovation from Australia and around the world. The event will see Australian and international lighting designers, lighting engineers, architects, interior designers, facility managers, manufacturers, suppliers and service providers demonstrating their latest products under one well-lit roof.


HOUSING AFFORDABILITY: PLACE BY PLACE FORUM

Image-Michelle-Smith.jpgPhotography by Michelle Smith 

When: 31 May, 9am - 3.30pm
Where: The Connection, 30 Shoreline Drive, Rhodes

The Housing Affordability Place by Place Forum looks at anchoring opportunities in local areas through the dimensions of governance, policy, design, partnerships and investment. It explores site specific typologies in greenfield, urban renewal and infill developments with a range of local and international speakers presenting case studies and sharing their expertise. Among the speakers are Fong Chun Wah (Singapore Housing and Development Board), Heather Nesbitt (Great Sydney Commission) and Ben Hewett (Office of Government Architect).


3D PRINTING & FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES SHAPING DESIGN

3D-printing.jpgImage: Vivid 

When: 2 June, 8am - 10am
Where: Level 6 Terrace Entrance, 140 George St, The Rocks 

The NSW branch of The Design Institute of Australia presents a discussion and interactive workshop with three leading industry practitioners: Andrew Simpson (Vert Design), Jennifer Loy (UTS) and Matthew Connell (Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences). Simpson, Loy and Connell will discuss their respective approaches to 3D printing and rapid prototyping technologies. More broadly, they will also discuss their work, and how they see the future of design, manufacturing and construction in the context of evolving technology.


CAD FOR BEGINNERS: A HANDS-ON WORKSHOP FOR ADULTS

When: 3 June, 10am - 12.30pm
Where: The Learning Space, The Connection, 30 Shoreline Drive, Rhodes 

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to create and customise a game piece for a set of checkers. It will cover how things are designed in CAD, basic tools in Autodesk, creating a 3D object suitable for printing, and saving an STL file ready to print. Participants will have the opportunity to take home their CAD files, which can be printed or further modified, and come back at a later date to pick up a print of their very own game piece. For ages 15+ only.


GHOST IN THE DESIGN - INNER FORCES DRIVING LOCAL AND GLOBAL ARCHITECTURE

130702_Bligh4.jpgPhotography by Hans Georg Esch

When: 3 June, 6pm - 9.30pm
Where: Foyer, 1 Bligh St, Sydney

The 1 Bligh Street building is an architectural exemplar. As a collaboration between Australian firm Architectus and Germany’s Ingenhoven Architects, it is also a prime example of international collaboration. ‘Ghost in the Design’, an in-depth panel discussion on the topic of the iconic building, features local and international guest speakers, a question and answer session, and German beer and wine. Speakers include Tim Williams (Committee for Sydney), Ray Brown (Architectus) and Chris Bosse (LAVA Asia Pacific).


GOOD DESIGN FESTIVAL

When: 8 - 11 June
Where: Argyle St & George St, The Rocks

This is an event not to be missed by design and tech enthusiasts. The Good Design Festival showcases the latest in automotive design, furniture design, consumer electronics, architecture, graphic, digital design and more. Attracting more than 10,000 visitors last year, the 2017 festival is set to be even bigger.


URBAN TWEAKS: PROTOTYPING CREATIVE AND LIVEABLE CITIES

When: 11 June, 3pm - 5pm
Where: Level 6 Terrace Entrance, 140 George St, The Rocks

This symposium discusses the increasingly popular concepts of urban ‘hacking’, city apps and the exploration of ‘in-between spaces’. These are the new platforms for alternative experiences of a city as a liveable, creative and empowering habitat, designed by and for its people. Speakers include Luke Hespanhol (University of Sydney), Andrew Shoben (Greyworld), Brownwyn van der Merwe (Fjord ANZ), Meg Bartholomew (PwC), Ryan Reynolds (Gap Filler), Steven Bai (Sencity Corp), Martin Tomitsch (University of Sydney) and Susan Zhang (Google UK).