Circular Strategies Symposium Event

Thursday, October 10th 2024, 6:00 pm

Welcome Address: Petra Schaper Rinkel, Rector of the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

Introduction: Petra Gruber, Institute of Architecture, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Keynote:​“Ruins and Regeneration: The Near and Far Future of Disaster Recovery” by Eric J. Cesal (Instructor, Harvard Global Development Program, community-based responses to disaster).

Friday, October 11th 2024 | 9:00 am – 6:30 pm

The symposium will be organized around four conversation topics: ​“On the ground”, ​“From temporary to permanent”, ​“Large-scale reconstruction”, and ​“Material and approaches”. The conversations will be moderated by Anja Jonkhans, Lukas Allner, and Carmen Maria Egger.

Guest lectures and panelists: Patrick Coulombel (Emergency Architects Foundation, France), Cyrille Hanappe (Director ​“Architecture & Major Risks” ENSAPB, ENSA Paris Belleville, AIR Architecture, France), Cecilia Schmölzer (Emergency shelter and reconstruction expert, Red Cross), Natalie Mossin and Ingeborg Hau (Head of Institute and Curator of the Royal Danish Academy, Denmark), Hsieh Ying Chun (Atelier‑3, Taiwan), Vitalina Hoshovska (Balbek Bureau, Ukraine), Robert Sakic Trogrlic and Michaela Bachmann (IIASA, Austria), Kees Christiaanse (President Swiss Network with Ukraine, ETH Zurich, KCAP, the Netherlands), Lilet Breddels (Director of Archis Amsterdam and project manager at Ro3kvit, urban coalition for Ukraine, the Netherlands), Adam Przywara (Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Fribourg, Switzerland), Mattia di Carlo (Circular Expert, 3XN GXN, Denmark).

During the event, a full-scale installation, Branch Formations, by Daniela Kröhnert and Lukas Allner, will be on display in the main atrium (Conceptual Joining — an arts-based research project led by Christoph Kaltenbrunner and funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)).

Organized by Petra Gruber and Camille Breuil, Department of Building Construction, I oA, University of Applied Arts Vienna.

The fifth Circular Strategies Symposium addresses the timely, critical theme of post-disaster contexts: Aftermath. Reconstruction of Environments.

Disasters, whether natural or manmade, leave a devastating trail of destruction in their wake, disrupting communities, livelihoods and ecosystems. In the aftermath of such events, the role of architects in addressing these challenges is essential not only in terms of restoring physical structures, but also in terms of fostering resilience and rebuilding communities. When a lack of economic and/​or material resources is evident, a shift towards regenerative systems that minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency is required. The concept of circularity emerges as a respectful solution, offering a transformative approach to post-disaster architecture.

The symposium will deliver a multidisciplinary perspective on key themes, such as designing with immediate responses in mind, from temporary to permanent rebuilding, large-scale territorial planning, materials and approaches, aimed at transforming the narrative from despair to resilience.