IABR x AFFR: Systems of Support

On the occasion of the world premiere of On Shaky Grounds, a film by La-di-da Architects about the potential of timber foundations, IABR organizes a conversation about the relationship between soil, ecology and the future of building with natural materials.  

On Shaky Grounds 

It takes a lifetime for a spruce tree to grow tall enough to serve as a foundation pile. Its trunk is driven deep into the ground until it reaches a stable layer of sand. For centuries, this has been the foundation of building in the Dutch delta, where the soft ground lacks bedrock. Today, timber piles have been replaced by concrete. A million concrete piles are driven into the soil every year, remaining there indefinitely. As architects confront the environmental impact of construction, the question of foundations deserves renewed attention. Wood doesn’t last forever, but its impermanence may also be an opportunity. Together with experts we explore how architects could design from the ground up. We invite you on this journey on shaky ground. 

Admission to the event costs €13,50.

Program

17:00 | Introduction by Wouter Veldhuis

17:10 | Movie: On Shaky Grounds

17:55 | Conversation and Q&A with Ute Sass-Klaassen, Estelle Barriol & Diederik de Koning

The discussion will be moderated by Saskia van Stein.