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The Keynote Speakers – FORWARD: Impulses of a Future-Oriented Generation of Architects

Filipe Magalhães

fala atelier, Porto, Portugal

task failed successfully // Aufgabe erfolgreich gescheitert
to paraphrase Kazuo Shinohara, “a house is a work of art.”

Filipe Magalhães (1987) graduated in architecture from the Faculdade de Arquitectura of the University of Porto (faup). He worked for Harry Gugger Studio in Basel and Sanaa in Tokyo. Since 2013 he has been running the office fala atelier in Porto together with Ana Luisa Soares, Ahmed Belkhodja and Lera Samovich. He is currently also a doctoral student at faup. In addition to his teaching activities in Lisbon and Milan, Filipe Magalhães is regularly invited as a guest critic and lecturer at various international universities and institutions.
 
Fala’s work has been exhibited and published at the Venice and Chicago Architecture Biennales, as solo and collective exhibitions, and in printed media, including Domus, L’Architecture d’aujourd’hui, Bauwelt and 2G. In 2020, fala atelier was selected by Domus as one of the 50 most relevant offices worldwide. The office explores architecture through fragments, through a vocabulary of columns, walls, windows, doors and panels. These basic elements are ordered, distorted, multiplied and reassembled. The building is a collage of these elements, but it is never a clumsy collection of individual parts but in the end a whole, a unity.
 
www.falaatelier.com
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Marija Katr?na Dambe

Nomad Architects, Riga, Lettland

Architecture Activism // Architektur-Aktivismus
We realized quite late in our architecture education what a disastrous impact the building industry had and still has, in the form of climate change, waste generation and depletion of natural habitats. The work we do with our office is foremost a form of environmental activism, using different strategies, to promote a more sustainable building sector.

Marija Katrina Dambe (1995) received a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 2017 and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Architecture from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in 2019. Her studies have shaped her view of environmental and climate policy as an interaction between theory and practice. In her work, she seeks to test current policy frameworks, suggests improvements and vividly communicates the benefits of sustainable construction. Timber construction and the circular economy in construction are the focus of her work. In the winter semester of 2022, she will be a guest lecturer for “Wooden Houses and Eco-Building” at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences and for “Interior Design” at the Art Academy of Latvia.
 
Marija Dambe founded Nomad Architects in Riga in 2019 together with Florian Betat and initiated the Latvian Architects Declare Climate & Biodiversity Emergency movement. Her motivation is to position Latvia as a pioneer in climate and environmental protection in the construction industry, which would at the same time have a positive social and economic impact on the Latvian population.
 
www.nomadarchitects.lv
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Mateusz Adamczyk

BUDCUD, Krakau, Polen

Building Communities by Design // Bildung von Gemeinschaften durch Design
Architecture through its narrative character, formal solutions and adequate quality has an ability to build as well as strengthen local communities – regardless of them being permanent or temporary. In times of constant emergencies and challenges, it is solidarity – built-in strong communities – that can overcome those and make the urban environment resilient.

That is why BUDCUD believes in building communities by design and through architecture. Regardless of the scale of the project, its budget or timespan, the practice envisions spatial environments where its users can meet and bond. BUDCUD focuses on exploring the potential of the site and strengthening it, evolving the vernacular qualities into a spatial locality that brings people together.
 
Mateusz Adamczyk is one of the founding partners of BUDCUD – a contemporary studio based in Krakow that works in the fields of architecture and urban planning. He has led the office together with Agata Wozniczka since 2011. The name BUDCUD is indicative of the office’s design strategy: “Bud” is derived from the Polish word “build”, while “cud” means wonder. The combination underlines the desire to present architecture as the promise of multi-layered journeys and interactions, informal activities and unforeseen events.
 
In addition to design practice, Mateusz Adamczyk’s activities range from advising on challenging international projects, supervising student workshops, participating in knowledge exchange between emerging European architectural practices, initiating bottom-up platforms for contemporary public spaces in Poland and curating architectural events. His work was presented at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale as part of the group project Othernity in the Hungarian pavilion. Since BUDCUD was founded, the office has been awarded prizes, won architecture and urban planning competitions and lectured all over the world.
 
www.budcud.org
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Manal Rachdi

OXO Architectes, Montreuil, France
 
Singularity in Architecture // Singularität in der Architektur
We believe that the most suitable projects for our time are those which are inspired by nature and which respect our environment. Global warming is an incredible opportunity to invent new resilient and innovative ecological architecture. We believe in livable, inclusive and green cities. We trust in innovative, social and realistic architecture for a changing world.

Our strength comes from strongly believing in dreamscapes where the public realm is exciting again, and where our buildings contribute in a smart way to the environmental problem. We believe that the best architecture must be a living ecosystem in harmony with the elements forming it, such as structure, technique and services, light and form, its integration into the context and landscape, the well-being that it provides and above all the meaning given to it.
 
Manal Rachdi studied architecture and urban planning at ENSA in Nantes, France. In 2013, he founded his own office in Montreuil with OXO Architectes. His projects integrate large green spaces to (re)unite nature and the city. His grandfather worked in the agricultural and forestry sector and greatly influenced his career.After initial studies in biology and geology, he was able to combine his childhood dream of living in the forest with his passion for drawing in architecture. His projects integrate large green spaces to bring nature and the city (back) together a bit. His work combines strategic analysis, witty experimentation, social responsibility and humour. His powerful and sensitive architectures are explorations of tomorrow’s living space.
 
www.oxoarch.com
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Nicolás Viteri

el sindicato arquitectura, Quito, Ecuador
 
Accommodating Above in Ecuador
In cities with low densities where the urban sprawl grows insatiably and where the voracity of real estate pushes up the prices of both land and the scarce supply of densified housing, we must open our eyes to find new ways of living by putting design at the service of creating innovative opportunities that secure access to housing and to the city for new generations.

In 2014, Nicolás Viteri founded his own company together with Maria Reinoso and Xavier Duque under the name el sindicato arquitectura – an office for architecture and construction – based in Quito, Ecuador. After completing their studies, the three office founders were keen to initiate and implement projects that help achieve the greatest possible improvement in various areas of life. They understand architecture as a profession that one learns by doing, as a tool that lifts architects as individuals out of the collective. In addition to d4er design practice, they also offer workshops on current topics in architecture, including innovative construction methods and 3D printing. The firm’s award-winning and published projects include the Parasitic House and the House among trees.
 
The strategy of accommodating above arose from the question of how we live and whether we have to sacrifice our future to borrow money for 20-30 years of our lives or pay high rents every month. What could an alternative look like that preserves our independence? Or are we forced to be part of this system? Our answer was to live with less, with better quality and to use the opportunities that chaotic cities offer us.
 
www.elsindicatoarquitectura.com
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Justin Cooke

Architecture Co-op, Cape Town, South Afica
 
Voice of Land: Echoes from the southern tip of Africa // Voice of Land: Echos von der Südspitze Afrikas
The Architecture Co-op Studio is engaged in a layered practice which aims to weave together landscape, ecosystem and architecture. Many of our projects are located in spectacular wilderness settings. With the help of multi-disciplinary integrated thinking, we aim to reveal and care for the spectacular ‘natural sense of place’.

Designing is an iterative layered complex process which requires passion and deep immersion. A process of discovery unfolds for each project. Detailed site studies, an understanding of the landscape, ecosystems, and cultural heritage grow the foundations of design aiming to achieve a deeply rooted connection responding to the unique locality. Projects are located in an elemental relationship with the land and aspire to create a calm and dynamic dialogue between people, buildings and the landscape.
 
Justin Cooke is a third-generation architect. He studied architecture at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. In 1993, he founded Architecture Co-op, a practice focused on consistently delivering high-quality design work, building strong relationships with team members and clients, and providing innovative solutions for each project.
 
Current work at the practice includes urban and rural projects, including work in conservation and heritage areas; strategic planning, management and implementation of conservation areas and eco-properties; landscape design; project management and a range of professional consultancy services. Work in recreational, institutional and residential projects is guided by environmental, social and contextual needs. The main focus is on finding regionally appropriate, environmentally sustainable solutions for projects of different scales from individual buildings to urban design.
 
www.architecturecoop.co.za
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Ermis Adamantidis

Not a Number Architects, Thessaloniki, Greece
 
Vision and Reality in (young) Architecture // Vision und Realität in der (jungen) Architektur
Not a Number Architects is an architectural studio preoccupied with the creation of meaningful space. Founded in London in 2008 by Ermis Adamantidis and Dominiki Dadatsi, NaNA has since been involved in a diverse range of projects spanning from space installations to urban planning. Engaging in a constructive dialogue with the client, they unleash a unique vision for every project.

We invest time in testing ideas that make architecture resonate on multiple levels. Design research and critical analysis rather than predefined formulas are what we believe can make architecture resonate in contemporary culture. By thinking about architecture rather than simply building it, NaNA has demonstrated its ability to undertake a wide range of projects of varying size, type and complexity, and in different cultural and geographical contexts.
 
Ermis Adamantidis is a registered architect with professional experience in the UK and Greece. He completed his architectural studies at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London (MSc in Adaptive Architecture and Computation), at RWTH Aachen University and at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (graduating with distinction), where he is currently also a lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Technology.
 
He first gained experience at Foster + Partners, where he was involved in the design process for several prestigious projects around the globe. In 2008, he founded Not a Number Architects together with Dominiki Dadatsi. The practice sees itself as a design team that combines architectural thinking with technological innovation. Academic research goes hand in hand with professional practice. Many works have been published, and exhibited at international conferences such as CAADRIA Singapore, MediaCity Weimar and Fabricate London, and received prizes and awards such as the Europrix Multimedia Award, World Architecture Community Award, Architizer Award and Core77 Design Excellence Award.
 
www.nan-a.eu
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Anni Le

KIENTRUC O, Ho-Chi-Minh-City, Vietnam
 
Buffer Zone – Crafting exciting atmospheres // Pufferzone – Spannende Atmosphären gestalten
Through the diverse cultural looking glass, this year’s conference’s theme will be an inspirational catalyst for active practitioners in the field of architecture, capturing the attention and benefiting the interest of both the attendees and the speakers.

Anni Le studied architecture at the University of Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Bachelor 2003) and Lund University, Sweden (Master 2012). Together with Dam Vu, she founded the architectural practice KIENTRUC O in Ho Chi Minh City in 2013 and has been teaching at the University of Architecture since then. KIENTRUC O is an office for urban planning, architecture and interior design. Projects vary in type and scale. The firm’s award-winning and internationally published works include the Chuon Chuon Kim 2 Kindergarten and House 304.
 
Translated, KIENTRUC means architecture. The office understands “KIENTRUC” as a verb, a continuous action that encompasses the entire process of deepening, contemplation and experience. The “O” in turn stands for reality, for a circle that reflects complete existence. Architectural manifestations are the result of close collective observation and the thoughtful application of craft and cultural traditions in their respective contexts. The result is an architecture that promotes a harmonious connection and coherent symbiosis between people and the environment.
 
www.kientruco.com
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Anssi Lassila

OOPEAA, Helsinki, Finnland

Change Happens in the Margins – It Is All About Scale // Change Happens in the Margins – Alles hängt vom Maßstab ab
In his talk, Anssi Lassila will reflect on the power of a peripheral perspective as a potential position for initiating change. It is in the borderline where different aspects enter into dialogue with each other, in the margins where transformation can take shape and find a new form.

Through shaping places and spaces architecture creates frameworks of life for people and communities. Through looking at the process of making architecture for projects of different scales, Anssi Lassila will address the question of the potential for creating change through architecture. Architecture is always about skilfully managing the scale of the project, no matter what the scale. When the scale of projects changes, also the dynamics of the process of creating architecture change. How could we move from the small scale to a larger scale without losing the connection with the scale of the human experience as an essential starting point?

Anssi Lassila (1973) is the founder and director of OOPEAA Office for Peripheral Architecture, based in Seinäjoki and Helsinki. OOPEAA works on a wide range of projects, from churches and public buildings to residential buildings and urban concepts. Ecologically sustainable solutions and the social relevance of architecture are always in focus. The projects explore the potential of timber constructions for urban housing and strive to develop modular systems. Significant works of the office are the “Kärsämäki Church”, the “Puukuokka” apartment blocks and the mixed-functional building ensemble “Tikkurila”. The office’s buildings have been honoured with numerous prestigious awards. Anssi Lassila himself has received the Alfred Kordelin Prize and the Finnish State Prize for Architecture for his work. In 2021, he was awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal by the President of Finland. Anssi Lassila is a Professor of Contemporary Architecture at the Oulu School of Architecture.

www.oopeaa.com

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