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The 11th edition of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) with the title Nature of Hope will take place from 29 June to 13 October 2024 and will include <a href="https://iabr.nl/en/nature-of-hope/exhibition">an exhibition</a> at the Nieuwe Instituut, a <a href="https://iabr.nl/en/nature-of-hope/public-program">public program</a> and <a href="https://iabr.nl/en/nature-of-hope/botanical-monuments">Botanical Monuments</a>, green places in Rotterdam. The theme of this edition, Nature of Hope, focuses on how architecture can restore ecological balance by taking biodiversity and nature as a starting point.<a href="https://iabr.nl/en/nature-of-hope/visit">Plan your visit</a>In addition to the exhibition at the Nieuwe Instituut, it includes an extensive Public Program and a green network through Rotterdam to visit its so-called Botanical Monuments. Through a series of events, lectures, workshops, excursions and other activities, Nature of Hope’s Public Program of connects to various forms of existing knowledge and the practices that are transforming the very nature of the design disciplines. Some of these will take place in the Practice Place, where we invite the architectural community in the broadest sense to come together around transforming practice. Keep an eye on the agenda for <a href="https://iabr.nl/en/nature-of-hope/public-program">the full program</a>.Nature of Hope will focus on a combination of hope and nature. This choice stems from the recognition that everything begins with the Earth and that our exploitation – or rather, depletion – of the Earth, each other, and the living world is leading to multiple ecological and social crises. As humans, we can no longer place ourselves above or at a distance from nature and nor do we wish to. How can we put the knowledge and practices of spatial design at the service of the planet and all the creatures that live on it?

This year’s biennale edition, themed Nature of Hope, is put forward by IABR Director Saskia van Stein and curated by the IABR 2024: Nature of Hope Curator Team. The team consists of architect and researcher Janna Bystrykh, architect-researcher and philosopher Catherine Koekoek, researcher and writer Hani Salih, spatial designer and researcher Alina Paias, and designer and writer Noortje Weenink. The curator team, whose members come from different backgrounds but share a common basis in spatial design, manifests the change that is already underway.

Nature of Hope 2024. The 11th edition of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) with the title Nature of Hope will take place from 29 June to 13 October 2024 and will include an exhibition at the Nieuwe Instituut, a public program and Botanical Monuments, green places in Rotterdam. The theme of this edition, Nature of Hope, focuses on how architecture can restore ecological balance by taking biodiversity and nature as a starting point.<a href="https://iabr.nl/en/nature-of-hope/visit">Plan your visit</a>In addition to the exhibition at the Nieuwe Instituut, it includes an extensive Public Program and a green network through Rotterdam to visit its so-called Botanical Monuments. Through a series of events, lectures, workshops, excursions and other activities, Nature of Hope’s Public Program of connects to various forms of existing knowledge and the practices that are transforming the very nature of the design disciplines. Some of these will take place in the Practice Place, where we invite the architectural community in the broadest sense to come together around transforming practice. Keep an eye on the agenda for <a href="https://iabr.nl/en/nature-of-hope/public-program">the full program</a>.Nature of Hope will focus on a combination of hope and nature. This choice stems from the recognition that everything begins with the Earth and that our exploitation – or rather, depletion – of the Earth, each other, and the living world is leading to multiple ecological and social crises. As humans, we can no longer place ourselves above or at a distance from nature and nor do we wish to. How can we put the knowledge and practices of spatial design at the service of the planet and all the creatures that live on it?<h2>Curator Team</h2>This year’s biennale edition, themed Nature of Hope, is put forward by IABR Director Saskia van Stein and curated by the IABR 2024: Nature of Hope Curator Team. The team consists of architect and researcher Janna Bystrykh, architect-researcher and philosopher Catherine Koekoek, researcher and writer Hani Salih, spatial designer and researcher Alina Paias, and designer and writer Noortje Weenink. The curator team, whose members come from different backgrounds but share a common basis in spatial design, manifests the change that is already underway..

Nature of Hope 2024

It's already December. Over the past year, the IABR has been actively engaged with the Nature of Hope biennale. For four months, the exhibition was hosted at Het Nieuwe Instituut. The curators reflect on their role during the biennale.<h2>Hani Salih</h2>Over the last four months, the Nature of Hope program has acted as the site of convergence for an array of practitioners, designers, and architects from all over the Netherlands, and beyond. Landing at the Nieuwe Instituut, after many years of travelling around the city of Rotterdam, particular consideration was given to the significance of the IABR’s return to this institution. As a focal point for Dutch architecture and culture, we recognized that this is a moment that can be used to capture the attention, and thus imagination, of the architecture audience in the country to showcase what is possible.&nbsp;The public program of the IABR was the embodiment of this. The broad scope of the program was evident not only in the knowledge presented at the exhibition, but also in the collaboration with other organizations in the Netherlands. Embodying the need for a more connected and networked way of thinking, we actively collaborated with organizations in Rotterdam to make this exchange of knowledge possible. We worked with organizations such as the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR), where we discussed material realities and how we might imagine alternative and more local flows, featured a beautiful film titled In Vivo by architecture collective Bento. Conversations in this panel started with a discussion of the notion of the Symbioscene, a theory that sees humanity’s future as one that is deeply integrated into nature and ecology symbiotically, and delved into how this could be a starting point for the reorientation of the practice of design.&nbsp;Another collaboration focused on the challenge of climate action through the lens of policy. Featuring Max Ajl, author of A People’s Green New Deal, the conversation included Rosemarie van Ham, a local policymaker and leader of the Inclusive Climate Action Rotterdam (ICAR), and Ken de Cooman, co-founder of BC Architects, and set out to understand how a new policy movement toward a truly just society can also provide us with the basis for a healthier and happier society.&nbsp;Engagement with the show, be it through the number of visitors or the attendance at the curator tours, showed that there has been a real hunger for this new narrative for architecture and design. There is a desire for an alternative kind of expo, where hope is present in the invisible strands that connect each of the participants’ works. It was inspiring to watch the conversations that started in the audience spill out into the hallways late into the evening, with each event. I can only hope that they continue to ripple out into the city and beyond.&nbsp;<h2>Alina Paias&nbsp;</h2>I was an associate curator of Nature of Hope. That means I conducted extensive research on specific topics and brought them to the curatorial collective to decide where and how they would fit into our exhibition. I was mostly focused on projects that worked with non-dualist, diverse, and culturally informed definitions of nature, and I also worked a lot to bring in projects that were based on perspectives that have been historically marginalized in relation to the conventional practice of architecture. It was a huge task to facilitate these participations from far away, as we often had to coordinate conversations across different time zones and come up with ways in which practitioners could participate without consuming too many resources to move people and materials around.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I was also the liaison between the Curator Team and the Production Team and, although it was a lot of work, I really enjoyed that task. My personal research focuses on the themes of energy, work, and information in relation to the ‘making’ of architecture, which we call architecture production. I think this affinity and respect for how things get done from day to day, what systems and tools are needed for that, and how they affect the final result helped a lot with communicating with the production team and developing procedures for the work that helped everyone.&nbsp;I also worked on the public program side of Botanical Monuments. It was truly a joy to be able to meet so many activists and stewards of nature in Rotterdam and to feel even more connected to the city. Through the Botanical Monuments events we were able to bring both attention and resources to these locations, and the IABR became a concrete actor in the ecologies and networks of Rotterdam.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Catherine Koekoek&nbsp;</h2>To produce ecologically sound, regenerative, or sustainable architecture, design and construction processes have to be organized differently. For me, this seemingly simple insight was the central message of Nature of Hope and the foundation of the Practice Place program. Traditionally, the architecture discipline has been highly product-oriented: how a design was created has been considered less important than the end result. However, under the influence of the climate crisis and its increasingly significant social and environmental consequences, the discipline must fundamentally change.&nbsp;While the exhibition featured numerous inspiring examples of practices already doing things differently, the Practice Place was about action. How do we make this alternative, ecologically friendly way of working more widespread? What tactics, experiences, and strategic alliances do we need to make this happen?&nbsp;During the biennale, I was at the exhibition almost every day, giving tours to students, policymakers, friends, and family, and preparing and facilitating the Practice Place gatherings. Over the course of six day-long sessions, we brought together groups of 30 to 40 trendsetters from the field to discuss topics such as biodiverse soil, biobased construction, nature-inclusive design, local community initiatives, working conditions, and feminist and equitable building practices. We also organized three local assemblies in Arnhem, Deventer, and Saeftinghe, and together with the journal de Architect, I created ‘de Hoopcast’ – five podcast episodes in the wake of the Practice Place.&nbsp;Perhaps I am most proud of our collaboration with NAA! (Netherlands Angry Architects), The Architecture Lobby (TAL), and the Dutch branch of the Architects’ Climate Action Network (ACAN NL). This network was launched during a well-attended evening on 19 September at the Practice Place. What all these movements have in common is their efforts to address precarious working conditions in the sector and to link them to a broader, sustainable, and just transformation. The next day, during Work, Labour, Action!, the young Dutch and Flemish activists and organizers were thrilled to learn from seasoned labor union activists like Joshua Barnett and professor emerita Peggy Deamer, who traveled from New York for the occasion. They shared practical advice on building and sustaining a broad, bottom-up movement, with perhaps their most important tip being: Make your meetings fun.&nbsp;&nbsp;The mostly young, international professionals who attended these meetings are leading the charge for better practices and a livable planet. At the same time, their voices are not widely heard in the Dutch architecture discourse. The fact that we were able to connect their experiences to a growing, new narrative for the design world at the Practice Place made the biennale, for me, a true infrastructure of hope.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Noortje Weenink&nbsp;</h2>As an associate curator, I experienced Nature of Hope as a search for forms of spatial design and research that look to the future with both responsibility and anticipation, involving hopeful practices and projects that are not naïve about the crises we face.&nbsp;&nbsp;In terms of the exhibition, my focus was on the chapter ‘Resistance as Practice,’ about ways in which architects can contribute to activism and influence housing and climate policy. Personally, I am proud that as a cultural institution we were able to support Extinction Rebellion’s climate activism and highlight different design practices that are not (yet) standard – but should be.&nbsp;What stood out the most were the collaborations, first and foremost with the fantastic designers, artists, researchers, and experts who contributed to Nature of Hope. The many conversations and the collaborative development of their projects were inspiring, not only in terms of content but especially in terms of working methods. The contributors were open, generous, caring, and enthusiastic, sharing their knowledge and networks without hesitation. This was both instructive and encouraging – not only during the intense process of the biennale, but also for the discipline as a whole. Contrary to popular belief, it seems you do not have to be unkind or harsh to do excellent work – quite the opposite.&nbsp;Another highlight for me was talking to the Hoopzaaiers, the caretakers and volunteers of the Botanical Monuments. Together with Janna Bystrykh and Alina Paias, I visited many places in Rotterdam that I had never been to before. I was amazed, not only by the richness of the urban landscape, but also by the wealth of stories and knowledge about trees, plants, and animals. These stories deserve all the attention, and our Follywood map and public program contributed to this in a modest way.&nbsp;In addition to being associate curator, I served as the liaison between the curator team and the graphic designers, working closely with feminist design duo Esther Le Roy and Sarah Cleeremans (Le Roy Cleeremans). They translated the themes of nature, hope, and relationships into the visual design, and I am still impressed by their surprising methodology, colorful designs, and attention to detail.&nbsp;&nbsp;Scenographers Diogo Passarinho and Gonçalo Reynolds (Diogo Passarinho Studio) supported the concept and development of a sustainable exhibition design, reusing existing materials sourced at the Nieuwe Instituut. The minimal leftover waste demonstrates that we can truly produce exhibitions and biennales sustainably – we even cancelled a container because we produced so little waste.&nbsp;A special shoutout goes to the Production, Marketing &amp; Communications, and Programming teams. They took on the enormous task of bringing over 80 projects and 125 events to life and to the public. As an IABR ‘veteran’ (this was my third Biennale) I am amazed, each biennale year, by the dedication and expertise of everyone involved – both inside and outside our team.&nbsp;

Retrospect of the curators

As the 11th edition of IABR comes to a close, the theme Nature of Hope continues to resonate as a call to rethink the future. Alastair Parvin, founder of <a href="https://www.opensystemslab.io/jobs" target="_blank">Open Systems Lab</a> and one of the most intriguing voices of this edition, is uniquely positioned to reflect. His work not only pushes the boundaries of traditional architecture but also raises critical questions about who will shape the future. In a candid conversation, Parvin shares his reflections on the 11th edition, highlighting the urgent need for radically new systems and interdisciplinary collaboration.<h2>Rethinking the discipline</h2>As we reflect on this year’s Biennale, Parvin raises an intriguing observation: for an event centered around architecture, there were surprisingly few projects focused on actual buildings. His own career, which began in 2006 after graduating in architecture at Sheffield University School of Architecture reflects this shift. "We thought we’d be designing green neighborhoods," he recalls, only to realize that many architects were being funneled into unsustainable projects with little room for innovation. While many of his peers grew disillusioned and left the field, Parvin took a different route. He began to learn about areas like finance, real estate, property legislation, and systems design, expanding his focus ever since.It’s no wonder Parvin was glad to see that traditional views on architecture took a back seat at this year’s Biennale. As the CEO of a London-based non-profit that focuses on digital innovation in housing and the built environment, it just makes sense that architecture isn’t only about designing buildings: it’s about reimagining the whole system that shapes how we create spaces.&nbsp;<h2>The behind-the-scenes of architecture </h2>Although it feels like common sense to him now, Alastair still pauses to reflect on how much the role of an architect has evolved since he first began. Much of the work exhibited during Nature Of Hope isn’t what you’d traditionally call architecture—it’s about engaging with the systems behind the design. This shift comes to life through the Biennale’s interdisciplinary nature, focusing on the often unseen structures that quietly shape and govern how we live.“This year’s Biennial reclaims things that aren’t usually seen as architecture,” Parvin explains. "It was paradoxical that there were so few buildings in it. Instead, the exhibition explored the underlying systems— mobility, planning, and governance.” The behind-the-scenes of our discipline, so to speak. Complex, often unglamorous topics that aren’t visually striking but are essential to understanding how we live today, Alastair notes. “And in doing so, it opens up a richer conversation about how we shape the world around us.” And who needs to be part of that conversation? Parvin’s answer is simple: “Everyone. From software developers and engineers to organizers and researchers. They’re the ones designing our future environments.” This inclusive approach has been a guiding principle for Alastair, who, over the years, has built a diverse team at <a href="https://www.opensystemslab.io/jobs">Open Systems Lab</a>. “We’ve almost let go of the title ‘architect,’ yet here we are, invited to exhibit at the IABR,” he chuckles. "Alongside others who may not fit the mold of traditional architects either, but who are doing groundbreaking work to reshape our world."<h2>Reflection on this year’s theme </h2>Of course, this year’s theme of Nature Of Hope was naturally our central point for reflection. Parvin acknowledges both its abstract nature and the complexity it entails. "We’re constantly reminded that the systems around us are broken. Hope sounds appealing, but there’s a certain distance to it, as if it’s always just out of reach, somewhere in the future," he shares critically. This is why Parvin was particularly encouraged by the number of practical projects on display at the Biennale. "Rather than wishing for what needs to be changed, visitors were shown projects that asked, 'How are we going to achieve it?' That approach was refreshing," he notes. Parvin is a strong advocate of practical optimism—a hands-on approach that gives hope real substance, a philosophy he applies within his own team but also saw back in the projects exhibited. Yet while the exhibition offered a sense of hope, Parvin believes it also confronted visitors with the enormity of the challenges ahead. "I think people left not only with hope but also with a sense of fear," he observes. "The problems we face sometimes feel terrifying. But at the same time, the biennale showed us that people are doing incredible work, tackling these issues directly," Parvin emphasizes.&nbsp;<h2>The process behind</h2>Building on the theme of how rather than what, we exchange thoughts on the process of setting up the Biennale. After all, how the event was created is just as important as what was exhibited. “The team curated an impressive range of works, from tailored experiences for diverse audiences throughout the city to over seventy featured projects at the Nieuwe Instituut. Nature Of Hope truly over-delivered - yet despite the abundance, it came together as a cumulative experience, rich with different perspectives and ideas. Most exhibitions I’ve seen don’t engage nearly as many disciplines or go into this level of depth,” Parvin remarked, highlighting the depth of research and context provided.&nbsp;What really set this Biennale apart, Parvin noted, was the curatorial team's hands-on approach. “In most exhibitions, especially when budgets are tight, you usually drop off your work and move on. But this year’s IABR team was deeply involved throughout the process. They were right there with us, asking, ‘How would you exhibit this?’ They didn’t just handle the logistics—they were actively engaged, even co-creating some of the featured pieces alongside the designers."<h2>Looking back to move forward</h2>What now? The Biennale has ended, but the journey continues for all of us, we conclude. For visitors, creators, and professionals alike. "Nature of Hope isn’t a theme that suggests we’ve solved the problem. It’s an ongoing process", Parvin reflects, emphasizing the continuous nature of the work ahead. As we together speculate on how a potential future biennales could build upon the tone set by Nature of Hope, Parvin proposes approaching the theme from another angle—by looking back. "It might seem unusual at first, but it makes a lot of sense," he explains. "This Biennale gave us optimistic ideas for reshaping the future. But to understand how change happens—and to believe it’s possible—we need to look at the past."&nbsp;History often focuses on the big stories, like kings, queens, and wars. But how did we really get here? And how do we move forward from where we are now? Parvin suggests that by exploring the history of our systems, we can better understand the forces that have shaped the present and how to redesign them. "Change can feel impossible sometimes, but when you study other societies, you realize big transformations have happened before.” He believes that looking at past shifts can help us find solutions to today’s challenges, particularly for younger generations growing up amid these issues. “It’s like fish trying to talk about water. Understanding invisible forces shaping our world is difficult. Yet, when you look at history, it makes you realize that these systems can be redesigned, and in fact, they are going to have to be.”<h2>How change happens </h2>As our conversation draws to a close, it becomes clear that Nature of Hope isn’t just about hoping for a better future, but also about understanding both the complexity and, as Parvin puts it, the simplicity of change. For him, it starts with “just doing.” Design is flexible and constantly adapts to the needs of the moment. You can take on many different roles, from artist to developer, building manager, gardener, or soil specialist, as we saw throughout the biennale.“Nature of Hope showed us that architecture today goes far beyond designing beautiful forms,” says Parvin. "Given the urgency of the challenges we face, we have to start using the same sort of creativity we might have once used to design a building or a neighborhood to try to redesign the processes, systems and incentive-structures through which buildings, neighborhoods and cities are made".&nbsp;Parvin is convinced that this 11th IABR edition has inspired professionals who feel stuck in outdated systems. "The quiet message of the Biennale was perhaps that the best way to spark change is simply to start—no matter where you are or what you're doing." With this powerful call to action, we conclude our reflection, serving as a reminder that real progress begins with the first step, no matter what form it takes.

How Change Happens: Alastair Parvin reflecting on the 11th IABR biennale

‘I’m the Secretary of Time Travel, what are you the secretary of?’ This is how Meta Knol likes to introduce herself at Place Councils. Following the Practice Place meetings at Het Nieuwe Instituut, we’re organizing three meetings in collaboration with the Ministry of the Future to explore the future of specific places in the context of bioregional building. On 18 September, we visited Architectuurcentrum Rondeel in Deventer.Among us were the Secretaries of Fringes, Development, Not-Knowing, Temporal Optimism, and Good Vibes – people who, in their everyday lives, work for local authorities, design firms, Building Balance, or Staatsbosbeheer. Together, we traveled three generations back and three generations forward in time to explore what it means to build with what already exists. There’s a lot already happening in the region known as the Urban Triangle, which links Apeldoorn, Zutphen, and Deventer. For example, a fragment of the hempcrete façade of Voorst town hall in Twello, designed by De Twee Snoeken, can be seen in the Nature of Hope exhibition. In addition, with the support of Building Balance, farmers are growing hemp for insulation on around 160 hectares. However, we discovered that this hemp is processed in Oude Pekela (130 km away) and then transported to southern Bavaria (another 850 km away) to a factory now owned by Kingspan.What if every building project included planting the trees needed to eventually replace the structure, as used to be the case on farms? Or if every street had an extra row of trees for urban harvesting? But then again, will the IJssel River still flow where it does today in 30 years’ time? And what about the beech forests on the north side of the Veluwe – will they still exist, or will they have dried up? Despite this workshop on future thinking, we still don’t have a clear picture of the future. However, it’s becoming clearer which actions can help create a hopeful future. We’re learning what to do (bike, walk, plant trees, don’t be afraid), what not to do (build in floodplains), and what to change (learn to appreciate what we already have).Throughout the biennale, nearly 200 people from different design practices gathered in the Practice Place – a space for dialogue and active hope – to create a multivocal narrative for a hopeful future. In addition, we organized local Place Councils to explore bioregional building in Deventer, Veldstation Saeftinghe in Zeeuws Vlaanderen, and Arnhem. On 10 October, we will present the results of these meetings during a festive event in the auditorium of Het Nieuwe Instituut. Please register <a href="https://iabr.nl/en/nature-of-hope/public-program#a-new-narrative-for-architecture-urbanism" target="_blank">here</a> to attend.

Practice Place: lokaal plekberaad Deventer

Nature of Hope approaches architecture as an ecological practice. People are not separate from nature, but an integral part of it. But the binary thinking in which nature is everything that is not human or made by people has a long and dominant history. To introduce the exhibition, IABR therefore asked researchers, philosophers, historians and writers to reflect on how we look at nature. Every week we share one of the contributions, which can also be seen in the exhibition.Clemens Driessen writes about Maria Sibylla Merian, who early on saw the importance of the relationships between plants and animals – but whose knowledge is also a product of colonialism.Maria Sibylla Merian has been called the first ecologist. Through her lifelong fascination with the metamorphosis of insects, she pioneered the representation of the relationships between animals and plants. Her images did not just flatly depict dead specimens collected in popular cabinets of curiosity. In lively compositions, individual insects are shown in symbiosis with the host plants that provide food and shelter in their distinct life stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and then butterfly.   While many scholars still believed that insects could emerge spontaneously from dead matter, her systematic investigation into the development of insects such as butterflies and moths was groundbreaking. With her book on caterpillars an artistic and scholarly success, and intrigued by the incredible collections of insects arriving in Amsterdam through the colonial trade, Merian embarked on a research trip to Surinam in 1699.   The plantation owners who hosted Merian mocked her attention to the diversity of nature. She complained that they were only interested in sugar. In her accounts of fieldwork in search of insects, Merian drew on the knowledge of Indigenous and enslaved people. While she had them cut paths and bring new species, they shared descriptions of the behaviors of animals and functions of plants. In the book she compiled after her return, Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, Merian recounts how they used certain plants to treat illness and others to abort pregnancies so that their children would not have to endure the cruel treatment of the Dutch plantation owners.  Even though her unique combination of descriptions and images was taken seriously by later systematizers such as Linnaeus, who named many species after her, Merian’s approach of paying close attention to behavior and symbiosis was largely traded in again for the mere ordering of specimens and their anatomy. After the modern separation of art and science, the vivid understanding of the complex relationships between plants and animals mostly turned into efforts to control pests in ever larger monocultures.   Merian's work representing ecological relationships can again be crucial if we are to learn to live with biodiversity and appreciate the complex connections between plants, animals, and, as in her work on Suriname, people. But her images are also a reminder of how scientific advances can be the product of a system of colonial violence and the commercial appropriation of local knowledge.