Latest news with #MichaelMorris
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Accountancy firm team completes 'brutal' Lake District challenge
A team of accountancy firm professionals has earned praise after completing a demanding endurance challenge in the Lake District. Accountancy firm Armstrong Watson, which has offices in Carlisle and Penrith, finished 19th out of more than 60 teams in the UK Challenge, a three-day corporate team-building event, and its highest-ever placement as a first-time competitor. The 2025 challenge took place in the Lake District from July 10 to 12, with teams tackling a 'gruelling' mix of running, cycling, kayaking, and mentally taxing puzzles under intense 30C heat. The 2025 challenge took place in the Lake District earlier this month (Image: Armstrong Watson) Michael Morris, audit and assurance partner at Armstrong Watson and team captain, said: "We all had lots of fun, and despite the sheer and at times brutal stages in intense heat, we won't ever forget this experience. "It was the most challenging event I have taken part in over many years of entering various Iron Man competitions across the world and it was made harder as we didn't quite know what to expect. "A huge thank you and well done to the team, all of whom individually brought a unique dynamic to the overall team, strategy, planning and most importantly the skill, fitness and energy they brought to every stage. "We were also supported logistically and encouraged throughout by Stephen McCullough, who was by our side at all times." Armstrong Watson finished 19th out of more than 60 teams (Image: Armstrong Watson) Representing Armstrong Watson were Mr Morris, Kim Kreutle, and Michael Stewart from the Newcastle office; Jess Richardson from Penrith; and David Harper and Holli Coulthard from West Cumbria. The team was supported throughout by Stephen McCullough, the firm's marketing and business development partner. The UK Challenge, now in its 36th year, is designed to push participants to their physical and mental limits while building trust, communication, and problem-solving skills. The event began at 6am each day and often ran past midnight, leaving participants with little rest as they navigated through some of the Lake District's most iconic and demanding landscapes. Paul Dickson, CEO and managing partner of Armstrong Watson, praised the team's efforts and the significance of their achievement. He said: "We are incredibly proud of our team for taking on the UK Challenge with such enthusiasm, grit and teamwork. "Finishing 19th in a field of seasoned competitors is a fantastic result and a reflection of the values we hold at Armstrong Watson – passion, trust, honesty, and humanity. "Events like this not only build physical and mental resilience but also strengthen the bonds that make our people and our business stronger." The Armstrong Watson team's debut performance ranked among the best of any first-time entrants. Organisers of the UK Challenge highlight its broader impact on participants and their workplaces, with more than 97 per cent of entrants reporting improved teamwork and communication as a result of the experience. The event aims to foster personal growth and professional development while encouraging teams to push beyond their perceived limits. This week, Armstrong Watson, which operates across the North of England and Scotland, was named one of the top UK apprenticeship employers.
CNBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Guggenheim's Michael Morris: Drivers of Netlfix earnings beat and raise will continue
Michael Morris, Guggenheim Securities senior managing director, joins CNBC's 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss Netflix's latest earnings report.
Scoop
11-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Council Slashes Funding For Sister Cities Scheme
An Invercargill council manager has given a glowing review of sister city relationships despite a large cut to the programme's budget. In May, the council opted to significantly reduce its sister city spend as part of annual plan changes, dropping the budget from $50,000 to $10,000. It means a proposed trip to Suqian, China, is likely off the cards. The smaller sum was put aside for hosting, gifts, food and support to the Kumagaya Friendship Association — a connection to the council's other sister city in Japan. Despite the funding cut, council manager governance and legal Michael Morris was steadfast in his support of sister cities. He told Local Democracy Reporting the relationships were mutually beneficial because of the shared understanding and respect they built between communities. 'We are grateful to have established bonds of friendship with the people of Kumagaya and Suqian, and appreciate that together our communities can both celebrate and share in times of sadness,' Morris said. 'Council holds its sister city relationships in deep regard and esteem.' The community was 'all the more richer' for its relationship with Kumagaya which had allowed for school exchanges, Morris added. A total of $45,170 was spent on the sister city relationship with the Japanese city this term. That included $33,459 for a 2023 trip marking the 30 year anniversary, and $11,711 for hosting five councillors earlier this year. Nothing was spent on the relationship with Suqian during the current term. Partnerships with sister cities were established for set periods and the recent cut did not mean the council was breaking its relationship, Morris said. The move had been made under the annual plan in a bid to keep rates down. Sister city relationships have been discussed at the council on several occasions in recent times. In July 2024, the council debated whose turn it was to visit Suqian. Earlier that year, it came to light $750 was spent on a suitcase during a July 2023 trip to Kumagaya for the purpose of transporting gifts.
Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Council slashes funding for sister cities scheme
It means a proposed trip to Suqian in China is likely off the cards. The smaller sum was put aside for hosting, gifts, food and support to the Kumagaya Friendship Association - a connection to the council's other sister city in Japan. Despite the funding cut, council manager governance and legal Michael Morris was steadfast in his support of sister cities. He told Local Democracy Reporting the relationships were mutually beneficial because of the shared understanding and respect they built between communities. 'We are grateful to have established bonds of friendship with the people of Kumagaya and Suqian, and appreciate that together our communities can both celebrate and share in times of sadness,' Morris said. 'Council holds its sister city relationships in deep regard and esteem.' The community was 'all the more richer' for its relationship with Kumagaya which had allowed for school exchanges, Morris added. A total of $45,170 was spent on the sister city relationship with the Japanese city this term. That included $33,459 for a 2023 trip marking the 30-year anniversary, and $11,711 for hosting five councillors earlier this year. Nothing was spent on the relationship with Suqian during the current term. Partnerships with sister cities were established for set periods and the recent cut did not mean the council was breaking its relationship, Morris said. The move had been made under the annual plan in a bid to keep rates down. Sister city relationships have been discussed at the council on several occasions in recent times. In July 2024, the council debated whose turn it was to visit Suqian. Earlier that year, it came to light $750 was spent on a suitcase during a July 2023 trip to Kumagaya for the purpose of transporting gifts. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Science
- Irish Times
Space for everyone: What designing for the moon can teach us about living on Earth
This year's Venice Architecture Biennale introduced a first: the Universe Pavilion, a space-themed exhibition exploring how we might live beyond Earth. Designed by leading artists and thinkers from the German and Italian space sectors, the pavilion challenged traditional national showcases. It offered a timely reflection on a fast-growing idea: that space, like climate, transcends borders and that architecture might be one of our most potent tools in confronting both. The Venice biennale is often considered the world's most prestigious architecture exhibition. While not part of the official programme, the inclusion of the Universe Pavilion marked the first time space entered the architectural mainstream in such a high-profile setting – a signal that new frontiers are becoming future concerns. Among those contributing to the broader momentum in space architecture were three architects whose careers collectively trace the evolution of European and transatlantic thinking in this still-nascent discipline: Dr Barbara Imhof, Michael Morris and Orla Punch. READ MORE Imhof and her firm presented Building With and Living Off Lunar Resources, a concept exploring how to construct habitats on the Moon using solar-sintered lunar dust. Solar sintering uses concentrated sunlight to fuse lunar soil into solid building components, reducing the need to transport materials from Earth. 'You transport machines, not materials,' Imhof explained. 'You use what's there.' Space architecture demands a radical rethinking of how we build. It is not just about surviving in extreme environments; it is about recreating conditions for life where they naturally do not exist. As Imhof noted, 'Low Earth orbit, where the International Space Station sits, is orbiting 450 kilometres above us. The Moon is 1,000 times farther. It may seem easy to imagine travelling there because of the Apollo missions. But, honestly, we have to start from scratch.' Imhof is one of Europe's leading voices in space architecture. She co-founded Liquifer Systems Group in Vienna in 2004 and currently lectures at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. Her practice spans lunar design, analogue simulations and bio-integrated habitats. She has played a central role in the European Space Agency 's contribution to the Gateway, a new lunar outpost. Gateway, led by Nasa in collaboration with ESA; the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, is planned to orbit the Moon as a staging point for lunar missions and deep space exploration. ESA is contributing two key elements to the Gateway: the International Habitat (I-Hab), which will house up to four astronauts for missions lasting 30 days, and the Esprit module, which will offer refuelling capabilities and advanced telecommunications. The I-Hab is scheduled to launch in 2028 as part of the Artemis programme, Nasa's multinational initiative to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era. 'We've been working on I-Hab for five or six years,' Imhof explained. 'It's just three metres in diameter and six metres long. Every element of the design has been optimised for microgravity and safety.' Yet the Artemis programme itself faces uncertainty. Changes in US political leadership could delay or alter its course. 'No one knows what's happening,' Imhof said. 'If they cancel or delay Artemis elements, everything downstream is affected, including I-Hab.' Even so, she believes Europe's contributions – from communications systems to refuelling infrastructure – are essential and must be protected through long-term funding and policy commitments. Much of the required technology is still under development. 'We're at technology readiness level five or six,' Imhof added. 'This means that the project is still in its testing and laboratory phase. It takes years and considerable resources to reach TRL 9, which signifies that the system is fully tested and proven for flight operations. If politics keeps shifting, we won't make it.' The challenges are real. But the lessons drawn from designing for space have profound implications for Earth. 'To build sustainably on Earth, we need to use local materials, reuse rubble and minimise transport emissions,' said Imhof. 'That's what space architecture teaches us because in space, we have no choice.' This ethos also shaped the work of Michael Morris, an Irish-American architect who, with his wife Yoshiko Sato, co-founded the New York-based Morris Sato Studio. Together, they launched SEArch+ (Space Exploration Architecture), a practice dedicated exclusively to off-world habitat design. Morris, whose family hails from Mayo and Roscommon, has often spoke of pride in his Irish heritage, crediting it with shaping his outlook as an architect drawn to storytelling, endurance and imagination. 'Designing for space strips architecture back to a core question: how do we survive?' Morris said. 'You can't take anything for granted. That mindset is invaluable as we confront climate change and resource scarcity on Earth.' Mars ice house: a habitat for four crew members, developed by highlighting 3D printing techniques and using material indigenous to Mars. Photograph: Michael Morris Morris and Sato viewed space architecture not as a novelty but as a means to advance the discipline. Their work earned top honours in Nasa's Centennial Challenge for a Mars habitat design in 2015. A generation behind Morris and Imhof, Irish architect Orla Punch is an emerging talent in the field. In 2015, as a final-year architecture student at the University of Limerick , she designed a Martian habitat. She earned the department's prestigious gold medal, awarded to the top student in the degree programme. It was the first time a space-based project had earned such recognition in the school's history, marking her as a breakout talent in the discipline. Punch then completed postgraduate training at the International Space University in Strasbourg before joining the ESA's astronaut centre in Cologne, Germany. There, she contributed to research under the mentorship of ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and scientist Dr Aidan Cowley as part of the Spaceship EAC project, exploring topics ranging from lunar energy systems to astronaut wellbeing and modular habitat designs. 'I was always interested in human space exploration,' Punch said. 'Humans cannot survive beyond Earth without some version of a home. That idea fascinated me psychologically, materially, and environmentally.' Today, she is an associate partner in San Francisco at Foster+Partners, a global architectural firm known for iconic buildings and pioneering space design including the Gherkin in London and Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The firm has collaborated with ESA on lunar habitat concepts and designed the Virgin Galactic terminal and hangar facility within Spaceport America in New Mexico. In March, Foster+Partners showcased its off-world design work at the Earth to Space exhibition at Washington's Kennedy Centre, featuring 3D-printed structures and models that link space research with sustainability on Earth. While Punch's work at Foster+Partners currently focuses on Earth-based dwellings, she continues to draw inspiration from space architecture. 'Designing for space stretches my thinking,' she said. 'And every project has the potential to change how we live, up there and down here.' Together, these three architects offer a portrait of a discipline still in formation, one that is not yet codified or widely taught but growing in urgency and influence. In space, every drop of water counts, and so it should be on Earth. Techniques such as solar sintering, closed-loop life support systems and rubble reuse are already being integrated into sustainable building practices here at home. At the Venice Biennale, the Universe Pavilion offered a timely reflection on this very idea. While not an official national pavilion, its inclusion signals a growing recognition that space, like climate, transcends borders. Its creators hope that one day, the Biennale will formally include a Universe pavilion alongside national showcases. Because if space belongs to all of us, architecture may be the tool through which we shape that shared future. And perhaps, just perhaps, these designs, once imagined for lunar soil and Martian dust, may teach us how to build better here on Earth, before it's too late.
