June 5–6, 2023, 5pm
Copenhagen
Denmark
The re:arc institute, is pleased to present the Greenhouse Sessions, a two-day multiformat event at the Greenhouse Pavilion, during the 2023 UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen, Denmark. re:arc institute, a philanthropic initiative committed to supporting architectures of planetary well-being, will host a series of conversations with architects, designers, and activists, such as with Yasmeen Lari, Cave_Bureau, and COMUNAL, working at the intersections of ecological design and spatial practice, to co-imagine how we might together transform our relationships with the natural environment. The program, in addition to the conversations, includes live music and DJ sets, an immersive sound bath, and presentations by local social design practitioners. View the program highlights below:
July 5, Greenhouse Sessions: Day one
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6pm, In Conversation: New Modes of Participation with Organizmo and Arhipera
By facilitating meaningful conversations with different stakeholders in decision-making processes, and de-centering the ‘Architect’ and other authoritative figures, we can begin to see the critical roles of knowledge exchange, mutual recognition, social collaboration, and discursive design principles in participatory design praxis. In this conversation, we will explore the challenges of top-down approaches in participatory design, redefine the formalities of civic infrastructures, engage with regenerative frameworks, and learn about methods that may enhance creative dialogue with local community members. Join us as Ana María Gutiérrez, Director of Bio Architecture and Alternative Technologies at Organizmo, and Silvia Niculae, Communications Director at Arhipera, discuss the importance of bottom-up participatory design interventions to address spatial inequalities and the well-being of our social and ecological fabrics in their respective regions of Colombia and Romania.
7pm, In Conversation: Yasmeen Lari and Elke Krasny on Understanding Architecture(s)
On the heels of their recent collaboration, Architecture for the Future (MIT, 2023), Yasmeen Lari and Elke Krasny will reflect on the many responsibilities of those working within the built environment, the need to recognize new and pluralistic forms of spatial practice, and how to address the interconnectedness of socio-ecological crisis at the planetary scale.
July 6, Greenhouse Sessions: Day two
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5pm, In Conversation: Mikaela Loach & In Futurum on Redefining Radicality
Mikaela Loach will present a keynote address on her work as an activist for climate justice, with a particular focus on the connection between regimes of global hegemony and the climate crisis. Following her presentation, Loach and In Futurum will discuss key points of intersectionality within the climate justice movement.
6:45pm, Planetary Custodianship: A Roundtable Discussion with Cherry-Ann Davis, Nina Paim, Afaina de Jong, Cave_Bureau, and COMUNAL: Taller de Arquitectura
Building on an ongoing dialogue about the intersections of care and design, this roundtable will consider that care is not a magic pill that would heal the ills of design; it’s what we actually do. Working with care, therefore, requires unpacking what is done under this blanket category. In this exploratory conversation about the ethics and responsibilities of community-engaged architecture, the panellists will discuss the craft and pragmatics of caring, and ask: who holds us accountable to the care work we set out to do in the name of planetary custodianship?
About re:arc institute
re:arc institute is a philanthropic initiative committed to supporting architectures of planetary well-being through acknowledging the interdependence of our social and ecological systems. The institute funds the development of community-led solutions that address the root causes and consequences of climate breakdown and nurture the creative reimagining of our current social and ecological processes and systems.
About the Greenhouse
The Væksthuset (Greenhouse) is an official SDG pavilion during the 2023 UIA World Congress of Architects, in Copenhagen. Presented by re:arc institute grantee Banegaarden, in collaboration with Forma Studio, the pavilion will highlight the need for and potential of green, educational, and regenerative spaces in the hearts of our cities. Built around the restoration of 100-year-old propagation greenhouses from the Copenhagen Botanical Gardens, the Greenhouse pavilion exhibits the importance of expanding the life cycles of our buildings. The space will serve as both a youth educational and a community event centre, and include vital learning spaces for children and adults, with a mission to inspire and pass down climate-focused knowledge of reduction and resilient practices.
