Sustainable Euregio – 1st ARCHIREG Symposium

Second Panel

 

A platform for experimentation with reused and upcycled materials might provide a true support to build sustainable and ecologically in the region. This hypothesis concerned a paper presented by Anke Fissabre and Evelin Rottke in collaboration with a group of master students at the FH Aachen: Florian Dittmann, Moran Dorner, Sebastian Peters. The paper presented the results of a research-teaching project on existing timber construction with reused and upcycled materials, such as one-way-pallets. It highlighted the idea of an Euregional building material exchange network based in Hoogcruts, also as a meeting place for collaborative exchanges among students, academics and professionals of the region.

 

Understanding a place by perceiving and examining its distinct layers, means to overcome the reproduction of physical reality. This hypothesis concerned the paper entitled “Place and sustainability” gave by Remy Kroese, from the Maastricht Institute of Arts. It presented the results of teaching initiatives held at the Institute as well as works developed by the research practice “Dear Hunter.” Kroese provided examples of hand drawn maps in comparison to contemporary digital maps (i.e. Google maps) in order to frame the innovative disciplinary domain of ‘Cartopology.’ Maps can do more than just reproducing a place and can empower the narrative features of cartography.

The discussion that followed, moderated by Andrea Alberto Dutto (RWTH Aachen University) concerned the relationship between architecture and society, with a focus on the negotiations between architects and clients. Changing perspectives in the processes of building and architecture was another subject of discussion.

 

The first day of the Symposium was concluded with the keynote lecture gave by Laurens Bekemans, architect, and co-founder of the Brussels-based office BC architects. Bekemans described his work as an “act of building, which in its projects seeks to create a local network consisting of actors with different backgrounds and skills, allowing the use of different materials and technologies.” After describing the first built project of BC Architects in Burundi (Africa) in 2011, Bekemans explained the establishment of BC Materials and BC studies, as a hybrid practice led by the idea of using local and nearby building materials, turned from an initial economic use into an ongoing ecological concept.

 

In the subsequent discussion, led by Axel Sowa, Laurens Bekemanns called for a stronger focus on customers’ wishes and adaptation to regional resources in the 21st century. Bekemans argued that growth ought to be defined as a transfer of knowledge to decentralize crafts and local labours rather than a general trend related to economic growth. He stressed the need to change the ordinary way of building towards an idea of ‘circular building’ and the possibility, as architects, to intervene as consultants, designers, and producers involved in all parts of a project .