On 21 June 2023, Sandra Beckermann submitted a motion calling for an investigation into the possible return of a national architecture institute. The motion was carried by a large majority. In architecture circles, the motion is already causing a stir. Director Aric Chen and managing director Josien Paulides of Het Nieuwe Instituut responded.

The Stichting Coördinatie Lokale Architectuurinitiatieven (CoLA) and the IABR jointly wrote a letter to State Secretary Uslu. We would like to share the content of the letter with you. You can download the letter on the bottom of this page.

The national network of local organizations for architecture culture puts (inter)national spatial issues on the agenda and calls for more attention to be paid to architecture culture by supporting existing cultural networks and infrastructures, by connecting architects, architecture culture, and stakeholder networks to (inter)national social spatial tasks and to people’s living environment.

Also, managing architecture culture does not automatically lead to the construction of more dwellings more quickly. But a good housing policy is not possible without a coherent architecture policy, from which good commissioning and thus a good design culture can emerge, including a stronger position for the architect.

Meanwhile, an appointment with State Secretary Uslu has been scheduled.

Photo: Jacqueline Fuijkschot

GROUP A | CARBONLAB, International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) and KeileCollectief are delighted to invite you to the debate ‘Carbon Stories: Architects, let's calculate and act on CO2 reduction!’. MVRDV, Urban Climate Architects, GROUP A and Ladida will share their journey towards decarbonizing their projects and debate how this will change their role as an architect.

As we have just experienced the warmest planetary June and July since weather reports have been documented, the urgency to mitigate climate change is literally palpable. It is of critical importance for the construction industry to understand its current CO2 emissions and its potential for reduction or even storage in climate positive projects. What are the methods architects use for calculating CO2? How does it (re)define their role in relation to other stakeholders?

After three years of fundamental research into the role and relation carbon has to architecture, architecture firm MVRDV presents their calculation guidelines and what these could mean for architects pursuing impact with their work. The architectural teams of GROUP A, Urban Climate Architects and Ladida took this challenge to the core of their practice. Speakers will share their journeys towards decarbonizing their projects and how they see their role in the construction industry.

How to achieve a fundamental understanding of carbon based design in an era of urgency where every building, every ton of CO2 and every second counts? How to get from input to output in time to make a significant difference in projects’ CO2 reduction? What roles do the teams see for the architect in the trajectory of making Carbon Based design work and on which scale?

Investors, contractors, suppliers, policymakers, designers, educators, students and designers are all invited to share and debate the do’s, the don’ts, lessons learned, availability and quality of data, calculation methods, roles and carbon based design guidelines.

The event is English spoken.

Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023
Time: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Location: Keilepand, Keilestraat 9F, 3029BP Rotterdam
Language: English
Entrance: Free

You can reserve a spot via this link.

Thorbeckezaal

On Wednesday 6 September, the Dutch House of Representatives’ Standing Committee on Home Affairs organized a roundtable discussion on architecture policy. The discussion, in which the IABR participated as a knowledge partner, focused on the lessons we can learn from the rich Dutch public housing tradition and on the instruments that the House can give to Dutch architecture to enhance its position, to ensure that it produces not only a lot of buildings, but also beautiful buildings.

IABR president Saskia van Stein took part in this discussion. You can download her position paper on the bottom of this page.

‘Housing is not an isolated issue. Creating the conditions for a socially inclusive, climate-resilient city and a fair housing market requires recognizing and engaging with a changed narrative. The policy sector and the architectural discipline face the challenge of harnessing design strength and imaginative power for the sake of this change and linking it to (integrated) spatial planning.’

‘It is a misconception to believe that managing architecture culture will lead to more housing being built. A good housing policy starts with a coherent policy, from which good commissioning can arise, followed by good design. It is important to prioritize quality over speed and quantity in order to build sufficient sustainable housing.’

The roundtable was open to the public and took place in the House of Representatives building (Thorbeckezaal).

To read the other position papers, please click here.

Kitty van Dongen

We are pleased to welcome Kitty van Dongen as a new member of the IABR Board of Directors. Her appointment as of 1 July comes at an important time as we work toward the next cultural plan for 2025-2028.

Kitty van Dongen currently holds the position of CFO at Rotterdam Ahoy, where she played an important role in the development of the Hart van Zuid area. In particular, her involvement in the development of the Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Center (RACC) has led to a focus on sustainability and climate adaptive architecture.

One result of her efforts is the implementation of a thermal grid for heat and cold, where buildings are heated by warm groundwater in winter and cooled by cold groundwater in summer. This system is being expanded to allow more buildings to benefit from this sustainable heating and cooling solution.

In addition to her role as CFO, Kitty van Dongen is also a shareholder in Ahoy’s holding and operating companies. She has established a partnership with the Port Authority for the operation of the Submarine Wharf. In addition to her professional activities, Kitty van Dongen has been involved in various board positions and ancillary activities, including member of the Supervisory Board of Rotterdam Tentoonstellingsbureau, supervisor of Topsportcentrum Rotterdam and advisor of Cebeco Groep B.V.

With her broad experience and expertise, Kitty van Dongen is a valuable asset to the IABR Supervisory Board as the organization prepares for the future and the upcoming Biennale in 2024.

Office IABR Photo: Sabine van der Vooren

During Welcoming Wednesday we open our IABR-doors to you. Are you an architect, a researcher, an urban designer, a writer or do you want to share ideas on how to contribute to the societal challenges we face? Is there something you want to ask, share, tell or show Saskia van Stein (general and artistic director of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam)? We’re all limited by the scope of our horizon and we aim to break that frame and so are open to your questions, projects, portfolio or initiative.

We hope to welcome you soon.

The next Welcoming Wednesday will be on 27 September. Please send an email to kantoor@iabr.nl to make appointment.

Lesia Topolnyk

The International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam is establishing a number of longer lines of research and has appointed so-called Agents of Change for this purpose. These researchers focus on the effects and (spatial) consequences of a changing world.These Agents of Change are given the space to reflect on and further explore specific themes and (research) areas that have not yet landed at the center of the discipline, in order tosubsequently find their way into the public debate. In this way, they catalyze, nourish, and renew architecture.

For the coming period, the architect and winner of the Prix de Rome 2022, Lesia Topolnyk, has been approached.

Background (research) project
The research of Lesia Topolnyk pivots on the changing global political arenas enforces by climate change and will investigate their local and spacial impacts. The Marocan city of Tangier serves as her starting point. She will delve deeper into how diverse actors and local cultures are under influence of global forces often historically created systems of oppression and relations. Where could architecture be used as a guiding tool to create connections between different scales and how can the designer respond to these new large-scale challenges in a way that would strengthen them instead of destroying them?

This research will allow her to expand her knowledge beyond the European lens to include different political contexts and current relations between Africa and Europe.

About Lesia Topolnyk
Lesia Topolnyk (StudioSpaceStation), raised within a constantly changing political environment and educated as an architect, explores how different realities superimpose in human behaviour and are manifested in physical space. Lesia Topolnyk is winner of Prix the Rome 2022.Through dialogue with different disciplines and mediums, spatial design becomes a language that gives shape to the crucial interaction of visible and invisible processes bringing together global and local concerns. Founded to respond to the urgent societal and planetary issues, StudioSpaceStation operates across architecture, politics and art.

On Friday afternoon 16 June nai010 is organising a symposium at the festival heart of the Rotterdam Architecture Month. The symposium celebrates the launch of Women in Architecture, the first publication of the project ‘Documents and Histories: a series publications and events in which missing voices within architecture are highlighted.

The publication Women in Architecture encourages a new way of looking, researching and discussing. The symposium includes lectures, panel discussions and interactive discussion sessions with the audience.

About the Symposium

Catja Edens will provide the introductory lecture. She will explore the invisibility of women in history through the concept of authorship and discusses how those gaps continue to the present day. This is followed by a panel discussion with amongst others Indira van ‘t Klooster, Lidewij Tummers and María Novas Ferradás, on the historical context in which women architects operated, what challenges they faced and how certain difficulties remain unsolved. A second panel discussion elaborates on the contemporary issues for a multi-voiced architectural sector with Setareh Noorani, Lara Schijver, Saskia van Stein and Jolijn Valk. After the panels, the audience is invited to share knowledge, their own experiences and suggestions for a more diverse architecture sector, providing content for the next publication.

Programme

13:00-13:30 Walk-in
13:30-15:15 Introduction Catja Edens moderated by Gabriella Adèr Panel discussion with Indira van ’t Klooster, Lidewij Tummers, María Novas Ferradás Panel discussion with Setareh Noorani, Lara Schrijver, Saskia van Stein en Jolijn Valk
15:15-15:45 Break
15:45-17:00 Moderated break-out’s
17:00-17:30 Closing
17:30-18:30 Drinks

Date: Friday 16 juni 2023
Location: Festival heart Rotterdam Architectuur Maand (Maashaven Zuidzijde 1-2, Rotterdam)
Entrance: €15,00 (regular), €7,50 (student)
Language: Dutch

More info and tickets

Made possible by: AIR, Nieuwe Instituut, Arcam, Stimuleringsfonds, M.A.O.C. Gravin van Bylandt Stichting, Hendrik Mullerfonds, Van Eesteren-Fluck & Van Lohuizen Stichting, Abe Bonnema Stichting

Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn

International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR), Architecture Institute Rotterdam (AIR) and New Institute (NI) join forces and organise a Water Day on June 30 to conclude Rotterdam Architecture Month 2023. Water Day explores how we can use water challenges as an opportunity to restore our relationship with nature, create healthy, inclusive and resilient cities, and take action for climate justice. Various events throughout the day will offer the opportunity to learn more about both local and global perspectives on water. Rising water, shortage of drinking water, drought or floods; how do these issues affect our daily lives, what will happen in the longer term and how can we act on it?

With tours, workshops and lectures we will dive deep into an array of possible solutions: from neighborhood initiatives that collectively work on water storage and tidal parks that make room for river and nature, to large-scale design strategies that work on radical alternatives to dominant systems.

With contributions of Shrishtee Bajpai (researcher and environmental activist), Ziega van den Berk (landscape architect), researcher, Taneha Bacchin (architect and urban designer), Henk Ovink (Special Envoy for Water), Dirk van Peijpe (urban designer) and others.

Program

10.00 - 12.00 Tours & visits
Location: Rotterdam West | Language English | Tickets: invitation only
A tour with local initiators who work in collaboration with local residents to capture and make space for water to be more resilient in both wet and dry periods. The tour concludes with a a visit to the M4H area where we will learn more about climate adaptation and tidal management.

14.00 - 16.00 Water Workshop
Location: Festival Heart RA Month, Maashaven | Language Dutch | Tickets (free)
A workshop where initiators, residents, policy makers, designers and interest groups work together to consider how we can connect small-scale initiatives to the large-scale water challenge. Led by a workshop leader we will work in three rounds on three different scale levels to connect this (design)challenge. More info

19.30 - 21.00 Lezing: Restoring our Relationship with Water
Location: Nieuwe Instituut | Language English | Tickets (€10/€5/€0)
Worldwide, we are facing a large number of water issues: drought, flooding, lack of drinking water, loss of biodiversity and social inequality. What are possible ways to restoring our relationship with nature and contribute to healthy, inclusive and resilient cities and societies? On this event researcher and environmental activist Shrishtee Bajpai will give a lecture based on her involvement in the of Rights of Rivers movement, concerning rivers Ganga and Yamuna, and open the discussion on systemic alternatives for social justice and rights of nature. Alongside the keynote, the evening will consist of moderated conversations between various Netherlands-based and international stakeholders whose practices are rooted in water issues. More info

Devprayag - Confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda to form the river Ganga. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Rotterdam Architecture Month, Nieuwe Instituut (NI) and International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) have invited researcher, writer and environmental activist Shrishtee Bajpai, to speak about global water-related issues. Her practice is situated in India. In her keynote she will highlight the urban, architectural, social, ecological and geological aspects of designing with water, together with invited guests architect and Assistant Professor TU Delft, Taneha K. Bacchin, architect and researcher at MUST, Ziega van den Berk and the audience.

Water issues including drought, flooding, lack of drinking water, declining biodiversity, and social inequality, pose significant global challenges. To address these issues, Shrishtee Bajpai, will discuss her involvement in the Rights of Rivers South Asia movement that focus on the rights of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna, and we explore systemic alternatives for social justice and the rights of nature alongside conversations with stakeholders from the Netherlands and around the world to discuss possible ways to restore our relationship with nature and foster healthy, inclusive, and resilient cities and societies.

In a pre-recorded video message Henk Ovink will reflect on the lessons learned during the UN Water Summit held in New York City (US), and hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.

Water Day and Lecture: Restoring our Relationship with Water is part of the closing event of Rotterdam Architecture Month organized together with Nieuwe Instituut and IABR. With tours, workshops and lectures, this progamme highlights urban, architectural, social, ecological and geological aspects of designing with water.

Program
Location: Nieuwe Instituut | Language English | Tickets (€10/€5/€0)
• 19:30 Keynote Shrishtee Bajpai
• 20:15 Conversation with researcher, architect and urban designer Taneha Bacchin, researcher and environmental activist Shrishtee Bajpai and architect and researcher Ziega van den Berk, moderated by Saskia van Stein (director IABR)
• 21:00 End

Speakers
Shrishtee Bajpai is a researcher, writer, and activist working on themes of environmental justice, systemic alternatives, Indigenous knowledge systems, more-than-human governance, and rights of nature. She is a member of the environmental action group Kalpavriksh in India. She is also part of networks such as Vikalp Sangam, Global Tapestry of Alternatives and Global Alliance for the rights of nature.

Taneha K. Bacchin is an architect, urban designer and researcher specialised in the integration of landscape architecture and territorial (water) ecology in urban design. She is Assistant Professor Urban Design Theory and Methods and Coordinator of Research Section of Urban Design, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology. In her projects and teaching, she investigates the nexus between space, ecology, culture, and politics in the design and planning of critical and highly dynamic landscapes. Her current work focuses on environmental fragility, extreme weather and resource scarcity in relation to processes of de-territorialization and re-territorialization, with projects in the North Sea, the Arctic, Brazil and India.

Ziega van den Berk graduated cum laude from the Academy of Architecture Amsterdam with her project: 'The Doggersland the nursery of the North Sea', a wind farm in which she approached the task from the existing landscape and marine life. She won with this project the 1st prize for the Archiprix of 2021 and the NVTL talent award 2022. She is part of the Embassy of the North Sea where, with a multidisciplinary team, she researches the human and more-than-human voices and interests surrounding the development of offshore wind farms. She is also part of the Weterschappelijk Klankbord Commissie for developments around the North Sea and has been working as a landscape architect at MUST since 2013.

Henk Ovink is a Dutch special envoy to the United Nations and flood expert. In 2015, he was appointed by the Cabinet of the Netherlands as the first Special Envoy for International Water Affairs. As the Ambassador for Water, he is responsible for advocating water awareness around the world, focusing on building institutional capacity and coalitions among governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector and NGOs to address the world’s pressing water needs and help initiate transformative interventions.

Design: Cengiz Mengüç

The second edition of the dialogue series NEW STORE - BACK OFFICE will take place on Wednesday 14 June 2023 from 5 to 7.30 p.m. at the Keilepand, Rotterdam. Featuring presentations by jewelry designer Irma Foldenyi, designer and researcher Selçuk Balamir, architect Tom Frantzen and others. The follow-up discussion will be led by Aric Chen (director Nieuwe Instituut) and Saskia van Stein (director IABR).

In a series of presentations, this edition will discuss what it will take to change the current financial model and how design can provide perspectives for alternative value creation.

This event is part of NEW STORE - BACK OFFICE, a long-term collaboration between the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) and Nieuwe Instituut (NI). The program focuses on thinking and imagining non-extractive value models. The IABR will focus on the ‘back office’: the extractive processes and systems behind consumption, such as (invisible) labour, infrastructure, distribution, and data.

Date: Wednesday 14 June 2023
Time: 17:00 - 19:30 PM
Location: Keilepand, Rotterdam
Language: English/Dutch
Entrance: Free

Would you like to actively participate in the conversation? Then sign up here

Photo: Jacqueline Fuijkschot

This page is only available in Dutch.

Mede namens CITYFÖRSTER nodigen we je van harte uit voor de vierde editie van de debatserie Carbon Stories. Deze avond zoomen we in op het thema duurzaam verstedelijken. Sprekers uit verschillende disciplines in de bouwsector delen hun kennis, visie en bediscussiëren welke veranderingen noodzakelijk zijn. Hoe krijgen we de transitie op het niveau van stedenbouw voor elkaar? Hoe formuleren we uitgangspunten en regelgeving richting een werkelijk duurzame verstedelijking van Nederland? Wat is er nú nodig om de doelstelling van het Parijs Akkoord van 2030 te behalen?

Bij het ontwerpen en de ontwikkeling van het circulaire en CO2 neutrale bouwproces is er veel aandacht voor materialen, producten en gebouwen, maar opvallend weinig onderzoeken naar de effecten van de locatiekeuze. Dit terwijl er op stedenbouwkundige schaal al een hele reeks besluiten zijn genomen (vorm, typologie, dichtheid, mobiliteit) die van grote invloed zijn op het ontwerp van individuele gebouwen. Besluiten die bepalend kunnen zijn in de CO2 voetafdruk van deze ontwikkelingen. Hoe kunnen we CO2 reduceren op stedenbouwkundige schaal?

Sprekers zijn Martin Sobota (CITYFÖRSTER), initiator van een onderzoeksgroep met betrekking tot klimaatpositieve stedenbouw en opent de avond met een oproep. Jurriaan van Stigt (LEVS architecten), zal spreken over een onderzoek naar de CO2 footprint voor gemeente Amsterdam. Wouter Streefkerk (Gemeente Rotterdam), licht de rol van CO2 budgetten toe in stedelijke ontwikkelingen. David van Keulen (Afdelingshoofd Mobiliteit bij Gemeente Den Haag) gaat in op de rol van CO2 in de gemeentelijke mobiliteitsmodellen en Tobias Tonch (Real Estate Concept Developer bij Synchroon) spreekt over de rol van ontwikkelaars om klimaatpositieve stedelijkheid aan te bieden.

Het debat wordt gemodereerd door wetenschapsjournalist Geert Maarse.

De serie Carbon Stories katalyseert het gesprek over de (on)mogelijkheden van een klimaatpositieve gebouwde omgeving. De perspectieven van de financier, ontwikkelaar, ontwerper, bouwer, consultant en materiaalleverancier komen hierbij aan bod. In een serie thematische bijeenkomsten diepen we het CO2 vraagstuk bouwsector breed uit. Carbon Stories is een initiatief van de denktank Carbonlab van GROUP A, de Internationale Architectuur Biënnale Rotterdam (IABR) en het KeileCollectief.

Datum: Donderdag 22 juni 2023
Tijd: 19:30 - 21:30 uurLocatie: Keilepand
Voertaal: Engels/Nederlands
Toegang: Gratis

Reserve a spot via the link. The reservation is free of charge.

This page is only available in Dutch.

De derde editie van de debatserie Carbon Stories vindt plaats tijdens de vastgoedbeurs Provada. Vanuit de RAI Amsterdam ligt de nadruk op de financiële kant van de transitie naar een klimaatpositieve gebouwde omgeving. Sprekers uit verschillende disciplines in de bouwsector delen hun kennis, visie en tonen aan dat duurzaam bouwen nú al financieel aantrekkelijk is en bediscussiëren welke veranderingen noodzakelijk zijn.

Voorlopers in de ontwikkeling van klimaatpositieve projecten Onno Dwars (Ballast Nedam) en Constantijn Berning (Edge Technologies) gaan in gesprek met duurzame innovator Norbert Schotte (Gideon), sector banker bouw Leontien de Waal (ABN AMRO) en beleidsmaker Thomas Wellink (RVO). Ze voorzien het publiek van nieuwe argumenten en concrete modellen die de kansen van de opgave aantonen. Hoe krijgen we de transitie op financieel niveau voor elkaar? Wat is er nodig om klimaatpositieve materialen op te schalen en regelgeving aan te passen? Wat is er nú nodig om de doelstelling van het Parijs Akkoord van 2030 te behalen?

De serie Carbon Stories katalyseert het gesprek over de (on)mogelijkheden van een klimaatpositieve gebouwde omgeving. De perspectieven van de financier, ontwikkelaar, ontwerper, bouwer, consultant en materiaalleverancier komen hierbij aan bod. In een serie thematische bijeenkomsten diepen we het CO2 vraagstuk bouwsector breed uit. Carbon Stories is een initiatief van de denktank Carbonlab van GROUP A, de Internationale Architectuur Biënnale Rotterdam (IABR) en het KeileCollectief.

Het debat wordt gemodereerd door wetenschapsjournalist Geert Maarse.

Als voorbereiding op het debat is er een artikel gepubliceerd op vastgoedmarkt.nl. Benieuwd naar dit onderwerp en wil je tijdens de Provada verder praten? Kom dan naar de Carbonlab stand op het Architectenplein van het Vastgoedmarktpodium in Hal 11, locatie 11.

LET OP: voor deelname aan dit event zijn toegangskaarten tot de Provada vereist.

Datum: Dinsdag 13 juni 2023
Tijd: 14:00 - 15:30 uur
Locatie: Provada, RAI Amsterdam, Zaal E108
Voertaal: Nederlands

Carbon Stories 20 April 2023. Photo: Jacqueline Fuijkschot

On 20 April, the third edition of the Carbon Stories debate series took place in Rotterdam with the theme Systemic Innovation in the Construction Sector. According to Peter van Assche (architect at bureau SLA and professor of Architecture & Circular Thinking), culture change is crucial in times of systemic crisis. Using examples from Indonesia, Mo Smit (architect, researcher and lecturer at Delft University of Technology) showed how economy and communities can come together to create new forms of culture. Thomas Wellink (senior advisor of Sustainable & Innovative Building at RVO) highlighted the importance of regulation and Jan Willem ter Steege (architect at Popma ter Steege) showed what kind of architecture systemic recycling can lead to. The evening, moderated by Geert Maarse, closed with a public discussion in which a plea was made to unite the architecture sector and create a register of ‘clean architects’.

Would you like to get more insight into CO2 and the role of architecture? Click here to watch the debate. (Only available in Dutch)

SAVE THE DATE

The next editions of Carbon Stories will take place on Tuesday 13 June (main language Dutch) during the PROVADA real estate fair at the RAI Amsterdam, with the theme Money Is (Not) the Issue: sustainable is not more expensive?! What economy does a climate-positive built environment fit in? Pioneers in the development of climate-positive projects Onno Dwars (Ballast Nedam) and Constantijn Berning (Edge Technologies) engage in a conversation with sustainable innovator Norbert Schotte (Gideon), sector banker Leontien de Waal (ABN AMRO) and policymaker Thomas Wellink (RVO).

The next Carbon Stories will take place on Thursday 22 June (main language in English) in the Keilepand in Rotterdam, with the theme Sustainable Urbanization: how can we formulate principles and regulations to achieve a truly sustainable urbanization of the Netherlands?

Transition-Scapes: a new research project on interactive exhibition formats that depict future scenarios on the (energy) transition

In order to involve residents in the energy transition architects, urban designers and planners are looking for new tools with which they can visualize various scenarios surrounding complex transition tasks. Tools that can make implications understandable and discussable at the level of the resident: the living environment. This research project explores the design of such a tool: Transition-Scapes. These are interactive exhibition formats aimed at depicting and representing future scenarios around the (energy) transition. A design framework for the design and use of such a tool will be developed together with exhibition makers, design professionals, experts in the field of energy transition, researchers and students.

Transition-Scapes, has been accepted for a RAAK SME grant funded by National Organisation for Applied Research SIA (Regieorgaan SIA), part of the Dutch Research Council (NOW) and will be developed as a collaboration between AUAS – Civic Interaction Design Research Group, AUAS – Spatial Urban Transformation Research Group, International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam, Arcam, Het Nieuwe Instituut, UNStudio, Bright, One Architecture, Generation.Energy, Clever Franke, Tellart, Shosho, Gemeente Amsterdam, Alliander, &Flux, Over Morgen, Play the City, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, TU Delft.

More info

Patricia Reed, Research Sketch for Figuring Planetary Space, 2023

The International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (financially) enables a number of researchers and has appointed them as so-called Agents of Change. These researchers are commissioned to reflect on the effects and (spatial) consequences of a changing world, by conducting research into specific themes that lie on the periphery of the current (architectural) discourse. In doing so, they deepen the understanding and/or catalyze the discussion on particular topics, which can then find their way into the public debate and contribute to sharpening, broadening, nurture and renewing the architectural discourse/discipline.

Among others, Patricia Reed (artist, theorist and designer based in Berlin) has been approached for the upcoming period.

PATRICIA REED
FIGURING PLANETARY SPACE

Project Background
The dawn of Euromodernity is inseparable from a) the philosophical reengineering of the concept ‘Man’; and b) the invention of ordered, measurable (Euclidean) space, evidenced by the proliferation of projective geometry adopted in Renaissance perspectivism. This historical precedent suggests that Euromodern ‘Man’, as once purely philosophical archetype, gained operational traction (for better and for worse) because it co-emerged alongside a representational space through which to mirror his newly ‘degodded’ agencies, in particular a space to position himself, to practice himself, and from within its logics, to reason.

Succinctly put, historical epochs are not only conditioned by discursive configurations, but equally by spatial configurations that enable the making-local of said discursive concepts (localization), rendering them amenable to perception, experience, and actionability or ways of doing.

Correspondingly, if ‘the planetary’ is to mark a break from historica Euromodernity, which entails more than sheer scientific recognition, the figuration of planetary spatiality becomes imperative in order to relocalize concepts of human self- understanding, that in turn, catalyze practices of inhabitation otherwise.

Distinct from the projective geometry (and broad ethos) of Euromodernity, the planetary compels a figuration of spatial and temporal entanglement wherein human self-conception is rather wholly embedded within an Earth-System. These spaces of embedding are scale-sensitive, meaning there is not one universal space of the planetary to be discovered, instead it is about understanding ‘species’ of space, how they are nested and hang in relation to one another, distinctly, yet inseparably. Because planetary space is not universal, it is not synonymous with sheer largesse, thereby rendering what is humanly ‘local’ irrelevant. Instead, it is about asking how what is commonly understood as ‘local’ is unsettled by planetary entanglement and the high-dimensional spaces inherent to it. How would such planetary spaces of embedding affect cosmological self-narrations, or affect our understanding of causality at the juncture between historical worlds, and what sociotechnical affordances are made possible as a result?How would such spaces of entanglement recondition ways of sensing and sense-making from within such high-dimensional coordinates, thereby transforming the very delineation of ‘sites’ that anchor situated thought and activity?

Research-wise, the project will depart from investigations into topological spaces with guidance from mathematicians, considering the complexity of spatial modeling that has been developed over the last 70 years within the field.

This research project is also supported by the Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Germany

About Patricia Reed
Patricia Reed is an artist, theorist and designer based in Berlin. Recent writings have been published in Ceremony: Burial of an Undead World, Sound - Space - Sense, The Unmanned, Pages Magazine, Glass Bead Journal, and e-flux Journal. Reed is an affiliate researcher of the Antikythera program, and teaches at the Design Academy Eindhoven. A compilation volume of Reed's works will be released by Holobionte Ediciones (Spanish) in 2023.

Photo: Jacqueline Fuijkschot

This page is only available in Dutch.

Datum: Donderdag 20 april
Tijd: 19:30 - 21:30 uur (inloop vanaf 19:15 uur)
Locatie: Keilezaal, Keilestraat 9, Rotterdam
Voertaal: Nederlands
Toegang: Gratis

Meld je aan

Op donderdag 20 april organiseren GROUP A, het KeileCollectief en de Internationale Architectuur Biënnale Rotterdam (IABR) de derde editie van de debatserie Carbon Stories. Deze avond stellen we systemische innovatie in de bouwsector centraal.

Sprekers uit verschillende disciplines delen hun perspectieven op het onderwerp: wat is het systeem en waar liggen de kansen voor innovatie en CO2 reductie?Welke rol speelt de financiële sector, regelgeving, de overheid en het ontwerpveld in de transitie naar een klimaatpositieve ruimtelijke omgeving en hoe verhouden de verschillende sectoren zich tot elkaar? Welke veranderingen, verbanden en samenwerkingen zijn er nodig om de transitie naar een klimaatpositieve gebouwde omgeving te versnellen?

Carbon Stories onderzoekt met alle disciplines uit de bouw welke veranderingen er nodig zijn om tot transitie te komen. Per editie kijken we door een andere bril naar de vraag hoe de bouwsector haar CO2-uitstoot kan reduceren. Waar tijdens eerdere edities materiaal innovatie en de kansen voor een een CO2-negatieve samenleving centraal stonden, zoomt deze editie in op de vraag hoe we de transitie op systemisch niveau voor elkaar kunnen krijgen.Welke economische maatregelen zijn daarvoor nodig en welke rol speelt onderwijs hierin? Wat is er nú nodig om de doelstelling van het Parijs Akkoord van 2030 te behalen?

Carbon Stories katalyseert het gesprek over de (on)mogelijkheden van een klimaatpositieve gebouwde omgeving, en komen de perspectieven van de ontwerper, financier, ontwikkelaar, bouwer, bewoner, consultant en materiaalleverancier aan bod. In een serie thematische bijeenkomsten diepen we met Carbon Stories het CO2 vraagstuk bouwsector breed uit.

Met Peter van Assche, Architect & founder bureau SLA, co-founder Pretty Plastic, Professor Architecture & Circular Thinking, Thomas Wellink, Senior Adviseur Duurzaam & Innovatief Bouwen bij RVO, Mo Smit, Architect, Onderzoeker en Docent TU Delft, founder Bouwtuin en Jan Willem ter Steege, Architect en founder Popma ter Steege Architects en anderen.

De avond wordt gemodereerd door Geert Maarse.

This page is only available in Dutch.

OASE Rotterdam

Dit event is afgelopen. De lezingen kun je hier terugkijken.

Internationale Architectuur Biënnale Rotterdam (IABR) en Embassy of Water bundelen hun krachten en organiseren een speciaal waterevenement op vrijdag 24 maart, als geaccrediteerd parallel evenement van de VN Water Conferentie in New York, dit jaar georganiseerd door Tajikistan en Nederland. Je bent van harte uitgenodigd om samen met inspirerende sprekers en met elkaar vorm te geven aan een nieuwe ontwerphouding ten opzichte van water.

We staan in Nederland voor een groot aantal en soms zelfs tegengestelde wateropgaven; droogte, zeespiegelstijging, gebrek aan drinkwater of overstromingen. De huidige reflex is te denken dat we deze opgaven vanuit technocratische, rationele ontwerp- oplossingen tegemoet moeten treden zoals we dat al eeuwen doen. De veranderingen die nodig zijn, zijn echter fundamenteel en systemisch, hebben invloed op sociaal-cultureel, economisch en politiek gebied en kennen uiteraard ook allerlei ruimtelijke implicaties. Daarbij is controle onmogelijk, het gaat immers over de samenhang en zeker als het onze vervlochtenheid met water betreft. Nationale programma’s als Mooi Nederland en het ‘water en bodem sturende’ ontwerpprincipe luiden een nieuwe tijd in. Een tijd die vraagt om een veranderende houding ten opzichte van het niet-menselijke, om te luisteren en andere vragen te stellen, een tijd om tot meer integrale en regeneratieve ontwerpoplossingen te komen.

Voorbeelden van een integrale manier van gebiedsontwikkeling en de daarbij horende ontwerphouding, zijn er volop. Deze ontwikkeling vraagt ook om meer aandacht voor rechten en sociaal culturele verandering. Hoe herstellen we de relatie met onze natuurlijke omgeving, hoe geven we water een stem en hoe zorgen we dat onze ontwerpen een netto positief effect hebben op water- ecosystemen? Hoe vertalen we nieuwe inzichten door naar de praktijk, nemen we anderen hierin mee en verankeren we de stem van water binnen landschappelijke en (binnen)stedelijke structuren?

De kracht van ontwerp, verbeelding en ontwerpend onderzoek zijn onmisbaar bij het constructief bijdragen aan nieuwe ontwerpoplossingen. Alle verschillende perspectieven zijn van belang, van waarde. We kijken uit naar een dag vol inspiratie en beweging.
Water Works, ecologies of entanglement, wordt gemodereerd door Marsha Simon.

Ochtendprogramma

09.30 – 10.00 Inloop, met de film Droogte in de Delta. Het IABR–Atelier Droogte in de Delta (2020-2021) deed ontwerpend onderzoek naar de kansen en kaders voor grootschalige opslag van zoetwater in de boven- én ondergrond in Nederlands. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd door Studio Marco Vermeulen onder leiding van Marco Vermeulen.

10.00 – 10.10 Welkom door Anouk van der Poll (Embassy of Water) en Saskia van Stein (IABR)

10.10 – 10.45 Tafelgesprek met Floris Alkemade, architect en voormalig Rijksbouwmeester, en Anne van Kuijk, adviseur omgevingskwaliteit bij provincie Noord-Brabant Aan de hand het resultaat van het IABR Brabantstad Atelier 2014, verbeeld in een groot geweven wandtapijt in de hal van het Provinciehuis (Den Bosch), wordt gesproken over de implicaties van water en bodem sturend.

10.45 – 11.00 Intermezzo

11.00 – 11.15 Korte pauze

11.20 – 12.10 Fransje Hooimeijer – Associate Professor Environmental Technology & Design aan de TU Delft Onderzoekers, stedenbouwkundigen, landschapsarchitecten en ingenieurs maakten in het kader van de Redesigning Deltas beweging vernieuwende ontwerpen voor 5 regio’s in Nederland. Mede-initiatiefnemer Fransje Hooimeijer vertelt over de ideeën en impact.

12.10 – 12.30 Groepsdiscussie

Lunch

12.30 – 13.00 Vegetarische lunch

Middagprogramma

13.10 – 13.20 Arita Baaijens – schrijfster, ontdekkingsreizigster en bioloog. Arita onderzoekt onze bazige relatie met natuur. Ze ontwikkelde deep mapping als methode om ook landschap en water een stem te geven bij ruimtelijke opgaven.

13.20 – 13.30 Anne van Strien – deep designer. Anne vertelt over de resultaten van een aantal diepgaande ‘water-dialogen’ die zij samen met Waterschap De Dommel organiseerde bij de Embassy of Water.

13.30 – 13.40 Phebe Kloos -antropoloog, specialisme mens-waterrelatie, werkzaam bij het waterschap. Hoe geef je water een stem? Die verkenning deed Phebe met hydrologen-in-spé: studenten die aan Van Hall Larenstein en Wageningen University & Research een watermanagement opleiding volgen.

13.40 – 14.40 Workshop Stem van Water, onder leiding van Arita Baaijens, Anne van Strien en Phebe Kloos. Arita, Anne en Phebe nemen je mee naar buiten, naar het water. Hier gaan we met elkaar experimenteren hoe je je kunt verplaatsen in water, water een stem kunt geven. Vervolgens vertalen we onze inzichten naar de praktische realiteit. We gaan ontwerpen voor water.

14.40 – 14.50 Korte pauze

15.00 – 16.00 Inspiratiesessie door Dirk van Peijpe, stedenbouwkundige en oprichter van De Urbanisten. De Urbanisten staan wereldwijd bekend om hun waterpositieve projecten, die bijdragen aan een veerkrachtige en aantrekkelijke stad.

16.00 – 16.30 Groepsconversatie en afsluiting

16.30 – 17.30 Borrel

Je kunt je aanmelden voor een dagdeel of voor de gehele dag.

Praktische Informatie

• Datum & tijd: vrijdag 24 maart, 09:30 – 16:30 uur.
• Locatie: OASE, Schiehaven 15a, 3024 EC Rotterdam
–> OV: neem de metro naar Delfshaven of Coolhaven, tram 8 naar Schiemond of de watertaxi naar Schiemond (75).
–> Auto en parkeren: bij OASE is een klein aantal parkeerplekken. In de buurt vind je parkeergarage Q-park Schiecentrale.
• Voertaal is Nederlands
• Vanwege enkelglas kan het wat fris zijn, trek iets warms aan!
• Dieetwensen kun je doorgeven via de aanmeldlink
• Deelname is gratis

Water Works, ecologies of entanglement wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door Gemeente Rotterdam, Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap, provincie Noord-Brabant, gemeente Eindhoven, Waterschap De Dommel, drinkwatermaatschappij Brabant Water en Dutch Design Foundation.

The Ministerie van Maak received over 130 entries in response to its open call to architects, engineers, and designers willing to use their knowledge and imagination to come up with new designs for the Netherlands. The entries represented a nice mix of recent graduates, start-ups and renowned firms. The entirety of the spatial solutions will eventually form the largest model of the Netherlands ever and will be on display from 14 October during the 10th edition of the Architecture Biennale Rotterdam.

One hundred designers have been selected from the 130 entries. In the beginning of September they will receive a so-called Test Kit: a blank model measuring 1 m2 with separate building blocks representing 10,000 houses to scale, 5,000 trees, water, and other elements required to create an integrated design solution and to build the corresponding model.

About the Ministerie van Maak
The Ministerie van Maak wants to contribute to the radical transformation of the Netherlands and offer concrete solutions for the housing shortage, the energy transition, and the effects of climate change. ZUS, MANN, and the Architecture Biennale Rotterdam founded the Ministerie van Maak on 16 June 2022. It is a single ministry that thinks ahead, plans, builds, and thus will realize the 1 million additional homes we need in a sustainable and responsible way and with respect for future generations.

More information
www.ministerievanmaak.nl

The Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) has partnered up with the Solar Biennale, an initiative of solar designers Marjan van Aubel and Pauline van Dongen. This collaboration will stimulate the discourse on the spatial consequences of solar design. We are facing an unprecedented transition toward renewable energy in which the design challenges are systemic and on multiple scales, from the domestic interior to redesigning infrastructures.

The Solar Biennale counterbalances the prevailing technological and economic viewpoints on solar energy and focuses on the human angle: after all, a solar-powered world goes beyond scientific research and uniform solar panels. Cultural practices and place-specific energy needs also determine how the post-carbon future will develop.

The IABR has a deep-seated and longstanding interest in the spatial implications and ramifications of climate change and the role that architecture can play: the energy transition we face will have a major impact on our cities.

On 9 September, at the opening symposium of The Solar Biennale, IABR curator Derk Loorbach (DRIFT) will host a breakout session, as will OOZE (Eva Pfannes and Sylvain Hartenberg) and Robbert de Vrieze (Transformism). IABR Director Saskia van Stein will kick off with a lecture.