Urban mining in Tilburg, The Netherlands in ECOWEEK 2017

CONTENTS

15 Paths to Sustainability:

6 FOREWORD by Arthur Mamou-Mani

12 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

15 INTRODUCTION by Elias Messinas

18 ECOWEEK AND ThE REPRESENTATION OF PAThS TOWARDS SUSTAINAbILITy by Stefanie Leontiadis

A. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

22 ONE PLANET LIVING benjamin Gill

28 RE-ThINKING hUMAN DESIGN Theodora Kyriafini and Fotini Lymperiadou

36 hEALING GARDENS Radu Negulescu and Ana Muntean

B. CIRCULARITY

42 UPCyCLING IN DESIGN Margarita Kyanidou

48 REhAbILITATION AND RESTORATION Maria Carmela Frate

56 REUSE OF MARINE PLASTICS Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki

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C. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

62 PUbLIC PARTICIPATION: IN PLANNING AND IN PRACTICE Elias Messinas

78 DESIGN AND PARTICIPATION Maria Anastasiadou and Ellie Petridi

84 ARhIPERA SUMMER SChOOLS Lorin Niculae and Alexandra Purnichescu

90 URbAN DESIGN IN bRAZIL Luis Rossi, Nicolas Le Roux, and Paula Lemos

D. SOCIAL DESIGN

96 SOCIAL DESIGN: ThEORy AND PRACTICE Despoina Kouinoglou

110 EOOS ODM AND ZUV PROJECTS Lena beigel and Georg Sampl

116 ON ThE EDGE Ulrike Schartner

E. INNOVATION

124 ECOWEEK INNOVATION Kostas Giannakopoulos and Nafsika Mouti

130 RECyCLED PET IN ARChITECTURE Katerina Novakova

136 ChALLENGING ThE CONVENTIONAL Anna Tsagkalou

142 AUThORS

15 Paths to Sustainability:

FOREWORD by Arthur Mamou-Mani

Living with tight schedules and taking advantage of modern teleconferencing tools, we chose for this foreword to host an interview with award-wining UK-based architect Arthur Mamou-Mani on design and fabrication, innovation, sustainability and the power of the community. Arthur’s introduction is perhaps the best opening statement for the book, since his work and approach embed all the principles advanced in this book: sustainable design, innovation, social design, public participation and circular design.

Thank you Arthur, for joining us in this interview. How do you associate your work with the principles of sustainable design, innovation and community?

I like that you include the word community, because often the discussion leaves it out. because very often, architects think of design sustainability as one package where everything is about technology. Actually, technology is deeply human. Every time I hear discussions about technology in design and innovation, it feels very robotic. you are told that this is the tech of the future, that we should all switch to it, and that this will change the way we do things. And often the humans are left to a side, and people are slightly disconcerted by this vision. I think that this happens because we put the discussion on a pedestal, and we don’t allow for participation and community. And this is why I really love about what you are talking about in the book. The social aspect of sustainability, should always be included, but is often not integrated in the conversation.

At Mamou-Mani Architects, when we do installations, there is always an element of education, a need to explain the science behind these complex projects, because a lot of the time, sustainability is considered independently of its metrics. So people can easily fall into the trap of greenwashing, where one says that something is sustainable, but in fact it is not. because you don’t know the numbers behind it, and you don’t make use of tools like LCA1, that would allow you to understand the carbon footprint of something you are doing.

Just to give you an example. We are doing a project at the Design Museum at the moment, called Aurora, which will open shortly, and we did a comparison. We compared building it with petroleum-based plastics like AbS2 versus PLA3 , a bio-plastic made from fermented plant starch from sugar, which was what we used. After taking into consideration all aspects, from the cost of steel used to the cost for transportation, the energy

1 Life-Cycle Assessment. 2 AbS is the abbreviation for Acrylonitrile butadiene Styrene, an opaque thermoplastic polymer, a highly versatile type of plastic that is used for many different kinds of manufacturing in housing, the auto industry, toys and many consumer products. 3 PLA is the abbreviation for Polylactic acid or polylactide, which is deemed to be a bio-plastic, made from renewable materials, and thus recyclable and compostable under industrial conditions, though its biodegradability is a disputed topic.

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difference of just this one material, is the equivalent of the energy needed to build ten electric bicycles. This is amazing, since we are speaking about a 140 m2 pavilion. yet the difference between using a bio-based versus a petroleum-based material is quite remarkable.

yet despite the carbon emissions, there is a dispute about using this material rather than the other.

you may often hear one is worse than the other, but without the math. I remember when we did the Conifera by Cos project in Milan, we were immediately told ‘PLA is worse than AbS!’ because people think that it is bio-degradable and dispose of it irresponsibly, although it is compostable under industrial conditions. but this diverts the discussion from the metrics behind it, or the science behind it. While the limitations of the material can be overcome, in terms of energy consumption, producing PLA needs 80% less energy than AbS. And as it comes from a renewable source, which means we can grow it, as opposed to petroleum, a non-renewable fossil fuel which will eventually disappear like any mined resource, we are moving from mining to growing. A huge shift in concept. because, when we say the word ‘sustainability’ we mean that something can sustain itself. but if you use a limited resource, you are immediately in non-sustainability mode. So when you hear comments like ‘PLA is worse than AbS’, it really is shocking. how can a renewable source be worse than a non-renewable source? Even just as a concept? Ignoring all the statistics that support the position.

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in the evolution of parametric design, 3D fabrication and code development. but what does it mean when you share your tools? Do you also share the authorship? That may feel a bit threatening. Architects are very often trapped into thinking that they need to be the authors of everything they do, in order to be called the creators. but the idea of creator goes against the idea of evolution. Evolution of form in nature comes from millions of iterations of genes, tested against external parameters, like climate, or the relationship of a fig to a wasp. Everything is a balance in an ecosystem. It becomes almost metaphorical, to think of the idea of a creator, creating something, which may be contradictory to the idea of evolving. We call it ‘top-down’ versus ‘bottom-up’. because in collaboration, in community, even in innovation, you let things emerge from the behavior of materials, the provenance of materials, the type and constraints of the machine, the parametric iterations that you are dealing with, confronted by the sun, the wind, the climate. So, all of this is a sum of relationships and parameters that allow design to evolve on its own. As opposed to the general notion of a person who has a genius idea in his brain and then makes everything happen by themselves. It is often hard to reconcile the two.

Quite a beautiful and revolutionary idealistic concept, connecting us back to the book themes of community and social design, public participation, sustainable design, circularity and innovation, for a more sustainable future. Thank you, Arthur!

IMAGES 1. Galaxia. Credit: Jamen Percy. 2. Conifera. Credit: COS and Mamou-Mani Architects. 3. Galaxia. Credit: Julia Wolf. 4. Aurora. Credit: Mamou-Mani Architects. 5. Conifera. Credit: COS and Mamou-Mani Architects.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For fifteen years, ECOWEEK has been connecting with extraordinary professionals, academics and thousands of students from around the world, as well as with public officials and public bodies, NGOs, organizations, innovators, active citizens and local communities. They have all brought their ideas and expertise, as well as their exceptional creative talents, to the ECOWEEK platform, but above all they brought an innovative approach to sustainability. They connected ECOWEEK to local contexts, making the design process participatory and relevant both to the global climate crisis, and to local challenges.

This publication is dedicated to all of them, to acknowledge and thank them for making the ECOWEEK platform ‘one of the most unique for young professionals and students in Europe’, as one of our young participants once wrote.

This book would not have been possible without the contribution of professionals from around the world. We host their expertise, examples of their work, their ideas and vision and we are inspired by their leadership in sustainable practices. Their extraordinary work in their respective countries is important not only to the local context, but it also serves to provide examples of good practices for a wider audience. We thank them for joining this publication and we hope that their example and work will inspire other professionals, whether they are at the beginning of their careers or well-established.

We extend our gratitude for the generous support of Galenica SA of Greece, which has supported this publication with a grant. Galenica SA has also been a supporting partner of ECOWEEK in bucharest, Romania in 2016, where ECOWEEK workshops developed, among other things, healing gardens for a public hospital. We truly appreciate the support and leadership of Galenica SA in making ECOWEEK initiatives for public benefit possible, and this publication now makes the experience accessible to a much wider audience.

We thank the team behind this publication: the book’s graphic design and layout was masterfully undertaken by Artemis Petropoulou of Red-T-Point in Athens, Greece. The language editing of the manuscript was completed in the professional hands of Paspartu in Athens, Greece.

This publication is based on the cooperation of many professionals. however, the responsibility for the final product remains ours. We welcome constructive feedback and criticism in the (hopefully unlikely) event of errors or omissions, so that they can be corrected in future re-printings.

We invite you, if you found this publication inspiring, to share its ideas with friends and colleagues and invite them to join the path to sustainability.

Elias Messinas with Despoina Kouinoglou Aegina 2021

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IMAGES PREVIOUS PAGE Restoring an elementary school vegetable garden with urban mining of materials donated by local hotels in Ag. Nikolaos, Crete, Greece in ECOWEEK 2016. THIS PAGE: 1. ‘Towards Intersectional Justice’ webinar based in Rome, Italy in ECOWEEK 2021. 2. Bio-based materials structures in Tilburg, The Netherlands in ECOWEEK 2017. 3. Workshops hosted at Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Israel in ECOWEEK 2019. 4. Placemaking workshop in Jaffa-Tel Aviv, Israel in ECOWEEK 2017. 5. Placemaking workshop in Neot Shoshanim Community Center, Israel in ECOWEEK 2019.

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INTRODUCTION by Elias Messinas

Fifteen years is a long time. ECOWEEK was born the same year as my second daughter, Noa Or. Establishing an initiative like ECOWEEK was a reaction to the overwhelming input from the interdisciplinary Master’s program on Environment and Development at National

Technical University that I was attending at the time.

The program’s input combined with a sense of responsibility, the weight of this thought, that ‘now that I have two daughters (my third daughter was born two years later) I must do something about their future. Not in terms of things, but in terms of their most basic needs: a world that is healthy, sustainable, nurturing, livable and safe. At least the same or better than the world I inherited from my parents, able to sustain their lives, their professional dreams and potential, and a safe place to grow professionally, socially and create their own family.’ After fifteen years of intensive professional activity, engaging with ECOWEEK workshops, lectures, public discourse and panel discussions, involving thousands of professionals and individuals of all ages, communities, students, and the public, I am still amazed to hear comments like ‘Climate change is knocking on our door’. ‘No’, I reply with amazement. ‘Climate change and environmental degradation are not knocking on our doors anymore. They are already in our homes. In our work and in our lives. In the food we eat, in the water we drink and in the air we breathe. The chemicals and pollutants are in the earth we grow our foods. Whether we like it or not, whether we intended it or not, the climate crisis is already part of our life’. Climate change was knocking on our door half a century ago. back in the 1970s, when scientists started to warn politicians and the public that the planet was warming up. They identified the problem,

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through very accurate observation and extremely sophisticated computer models, and tried to inform decision makers about it. but, thinking that the political cost was too high, no substantive action was taken for many decades. Today climate change is evident, visible, in most parts of the world, and its consequences are unfortunately extremely unpredictable and dangerous. The costs of the destruction caused are estimated in the billions.

Still, despite all the declarations and often good intentions, substantive action is still not being taken, and collective ignorance, indifference and apathy are taking on more and more alarming proportions. Scientists and economists predict that the cost of climate change-related damage will continue to grow and absorb ever-increasing sums of public and private money, draining funds from health or education. For this reason, the action taken by organizations, professionals, individuals and certain governments around the world is extremely important and inspiring. We have to help these action initiatives to gather momentum, so that they can be embraced by societies across the planet. Thus, hopefully, we can collectively address this global crisis.

Today, after two years of dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, we have learned important lessons about reacting to a global crisis. We saw how collective reaction bears fruit, but we also experienced the effects of lockdowns on global and local economies. This invaluable experience may guide us to the solutions we need to apply to the climate crisis, solutions that can address the crisis, create more resilient communities, and support an adaptive and circular economy.

Changing the way we approach design is also part of the solution, and a way to address the climate crisis. Learning from experts how to apply sustainable, social, innovative, and circular solutions is what this book is about. At ECOWEEK, for more than 15 years, we have promoted solutions in sustainable design as an effective way to address the current climate crisis while supporting the economy.

The work presented in this volume covers a wide

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range of sustainable design areas, offering relevant ideas and inspiration to a wide range of design fields that may interest professionals and students. Many of the professionals in this publication are applying design solutions that may seem ahead of their time in some countries. Experience has shown that what seems distant and irrelevant in our present context may soon become common practice. It may take ten years or more, but inevitably in a globalized economy with digitally-networked societies and a global environment without borders, good and bad things will eventually reach our doorsteps. For many young professionals and students, this may very well serve as a glimpse of the not-too-distant future, for their studies, research, and career choices.

We hope that the examples and choices made by the professionals in this publication will inspire others. Design should not only serve society in creating a better human-made environments, but it should also be a driver for change and a pioneer of sustainability.

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IMAGES 1. Placemaking in Holon Community Center, Israel. Creation of an outdoor community library and hydroponic gardening with materials from urban mining (wooden pallets, pipes, and furniture) in ECOWEEK 2019 in Holon, Israel. 2. ECOWEEK 2013 in Krakow, Poland. 3. ECOWEEK 2017 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. 4. Tea and seeds gift by Rhoeco at ECOWEEK 2021 in Aegina, Greece. 5. Placemaking in Holon Community Center, Israel in ECOWEEK 2019. 6. Placemaking in London, UK in ECOWEEK 2014. Photographer: Antonina Bukowska.

ECOWEEK AND THE REPRESENTATION OF PATHS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY

Stefanie Leontiadis

15 Paths to Sustainability:

In 2011, I participated in the 6th ECOWEEK international workshop in Thessaloniki, entitled “Urban Communities and Green Architecture”, as part of the team headed by American landscape architect George hargreaves on “An Ecological Corridor for Thessaloniki”. At that time, I was a PhD student in Urban and Architectural Design at the Politecnico di Milano of Italy, exploring the topic of how to define a syntax of public open urban spaces in the contemporary urban environment. My reason for attending the workshop, aside from my continued efforts to actively participate in international conferences and design workshops with a special interest in sustainability in a variety of cultural contexts, was to understand more of the analytical and representational possibilities of sustainable design solutions. Ultimately, my analysis revealed four main categories related to the 2011 ECOWEEK theme, that loosely or specifically apply to any project looking for a more environmentally-friendly outcome: a) to extract linkages between activity and spatial patterns in human settlements, which when repeated over time, seek to form islands of local order, and structure the larger patterns of global, ecological and economic flows; b) to create layers

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meaning? What impact does it have? These are all questions that are couched in the language of the representational system. All of the works presented in this volume also serve to offer a relatively recent syntactic vocabulary or approach. They highlight individualized conceptual routes which nevertheless fall under a common umbrella: the search for innovative paths towards sustainability. Under this umbrella, readers may also perceive commonalities in the relationships evolving in the distant spaces of these separate architectural interventions and proposals. The hope is that readers may further relate these globally-collected proposals as potential solutions or feasible propositions that can be adapted in an endless multiplicity of local settings.

REFERENCES

hargreaves, G., Karydi, I., Maroulas, V., Avasak, G., Chatzivasiliou, A., Kazas, C., Lambrou, M., Lazaridis, P., Leontiadis, S., Pachi, M., Papadopoulou, A., Pippa, D., Stojanovic, M. and Tzalla, O. (2011). ‘W1: An emerging eco-corridor’. In: E. Messinas (ed.) (2016). ECOWEEK 2016: The Workshops. ECOWEEK 2016. Leontiadis, S. (2015). The Architecture of Public Open Urban Spaces: Syntax and Representation. Saarbrücken, Germany: OmniScriptum Gmbh & Co.

IMAGES 1, 2, 3, 4. ECOWEEK 2017 W1: An Emerging eco-corridor in Thessaloniki, Greece workshop presentation.

A. SUSTAINAbLE DESIGN

ONE PLANET LIVING

Benjamin Gill, Bioregional

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Any cursory glance at the state of the planet’s natural environment quickly reveals that our only home’s vital ecosystems are in rapid decline. Despite the recent COVID-related travel restrictions, global carbon emissions continue to break records and the Living Planet Report of 2020 has reported an average decline of 66% in animal populations over the last 50 years. And the science of planetary boundaries shows that we are close to many tipping points that, if passed, may turn the planet into a state where it is only able to support a much smaller human population.

This stark picture highlights a number of key issues. First, we have moved well past the point where we can simply reduce our impact on the environment. We must now actively regenerate and rebuild our planet. Second, this challenge is too big for any one project or organization to address on their own. We need collaboration.

When we consider sustainable design, it must fit into this global context and include strategies to actively help regenerate the planet. Likewise, designs must focus on how the building can encourage and enable the occupants to live sustainably. Addressing these two issues requires a strategy of collaboration with key stakeholders: material suppliers, construction teams, the municipality and local service suppliers.

bioregional’s first foray into sustainable design was the development of the bedZED eco-community in South London. This iconic development was highly successful at reducing residents’ energy and water consumption and even their transport impact. yet analysis of the average resident’s ecological footprint showed that it was only possible for them to achieve a sustainable level of consumption if they avoided using the city’s local services, all powered by fossil fuels, and ensured that all their purchases were sustainable. So to be truly sustainable they had never to leave bedZED and could buy almost nothing!

This led to two key innovations in bioregional’s approach. The first was the development, with WWF, of the One Planet Living framework comprised of ten simple principles, plus detailed goals and guidance documents. The second part involved an increased focus on working with municipalities, cities and companies to broaden the scope of any development’s positive impact.

The One Planet Living framework is rooted in the science of planetary boundaries and yet is highly flexible and easy to understand. For 20 years, it has been used to generate restorative, zero-carbon

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should be the norm. The use of cement, which accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions, should be minimised, and projects must ensure that they have a positive impact on local biodiversity.

yet these are the easy challenges, they are simple problems with technical solutions. Truly sustainable design also needs to address the more complex societal challenges of how to promote sustainable consumption, change transport patterns, and even dietary habits. This requires that designers take a larger view and actively look for stakeholders that they can work with in order to maximise the impact of their projects. Only then can we start to create truly sustainable communities.

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IMAGES 1. One Brighton. A project embracing all ten One Planet Living Principles. Credit Tim Crocker. 2. The ten principles of One Planet Living. Credit: Bioregional. 3. BedZED ecovillage in South London. Bioregional’s first development which inspired the One Planet Living Framework. Credit: Bioregional 4. OnePlanet.com Mind Map. Credit: OnePlanet Digital. 5. Workshop on One Planet Living in Thessaloniki, Greece in ECOWEEK 2012. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. ECOWEEK 2012 W9: One Planet Living in Thessaloniki, Greece workshop presentation.

15 Paths to Sustainability:

RE-THINKING HUMAN DESIGN ASPECTS IN THE ROLE OF A GREEN SCHOOLYARD

Theodora Kyriafini and Fotini Lymperiadou, euZEN Architecture with Nikolaos Protogeros

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Two examples are presented. The first one is of small scale, arising from an ECOWEEK Workshop in 2016, a design intervention to an existing small school courtyard. The second one is of larger scale, the award-winning Innovative bioclimatic European School Complex and its school courtyards. both are in Crete, Greece. both focus on the creation of a natural environment which is able to play an important role in the psychomotor development of children and in the improvement of the microclimate.

BIOCLIMATIC AND ECOLOGICAL INTERVENTION IN THE 5th ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YARD, IN ECOWEEK 2016 IN AGIOS NIKOLAOS, CRETE, GREECE1

The aim was to design interventions for the small school courtyard of the 5th Elementary School in Agios Nikolaos which could be easily implemented by the municipality at low or virtually zero cost. Designing with nature in mind,

1 We acknowledge and thank the ECOWEEK workshop team. Workshop leaders: Theodora Kyriafini and Fotini Lymperiadou, euZen Architecture with Nikolaos Protogeros, Environmental Studies. Workshop group: S. Adamaki, A. Cheimonaki, A. Drosouni, K. Fotopoulou, G. Pantidou, E. Siskaki, C. Sofiou, M. Stiakaki, and M. Tzavla. employing principles of sustainability, ecological materials and a human approach, any space can act positively on the user’s psychology and bring people together, because nature works as the catalyst.

The existing Elementary School yard was completely bare, laid with concrete, and surrounded by prefabricated container-like classrooms. This resulted in an uninviting school environment, leaving the pupils unprotected in winter weather, and with no shade in the summer. Dangerous and slippery, it was a source of tension, aggression and disorientation.

Pupils were asked to prepare drawings of how they envisioned their ideal schoolyard, which were full of trees, flowers and places to play. The workshop’s proposal was an environment where pupils would be embraced by nature, creating a small oasis with possibilities for exploration, which could act as a source of stimuli for the senses and the mind, help to focus concentration within the learning process, as well as offering active environmental education. Creating a happy environment expressing the joy of life was the goal. The proposal incorporated the following recommendations based on the use of

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summer shading and the element of water is used as a cooling medium. Small streams and shallow ponds cool the area’s breeze currents using rainwater. The passages in between the buildings act as openings for the local summer breezes. Increasing planting and enriching it with high and medium evergreen vegetation creates a windbreaker that filters and significantly reduces the intensity of the northern winter winds. Furthermore, vegetation allows the cool night breeze to penetrate the buildings, helping to keep interiors cooler in summer.

Design with a sustainable, bioclimatic focus means than nature’s rhythms and forces are respected. Nature becomes the driving force of the design, the space, and its active use. There is nowhere better than a sustainable school to activate love for the environment and life, to appreciate that we are one with nature.

THE DESIGN TEAM: Architectural Design Theodora Kyriafini – Fotini Lymperiadou & Co L.P. / euZen Architecture Th. Kyriafini, F. Lymperiadou, K. Despotidis, A. Efthimiadou Associates: E. Malezi, A. Iosifidou, P. Galanis, I. Despotidis, A. Lymperiadou, F. Rizou, I. Kefalloniti, E. Panteleou, A. Florou, Maria Ioannidou Environmental Design Consultants: N. Protogeros, X. Zissis Tree Management Consultants: Th. Zagkas, Th. Zagka, N. Misyrlis Acoustics Consultant: N. Tsinikas Structural Design I. Lepidas - I. Spinassas, Maria Tsitsi, Kostis Chatzopoulos Associates: S. Kalatzi, Th. Tsantekidou Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Design S. Xanthopoulos & Associates G.P. / ‘Alterteam’ S. Xanthopoulos, A. Christoforidis, D. Goutzamanis Associates: N. Kotoulas, N. Protogeros, X. Zissis Chemical and Technical Facilities Design A. Dermetzoglou

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IMAGES 1. Bioclimatic European School inner courtyard of Kindergarten. Credit: euZEN Architecture. 2, 3, 4. Elementary School courtyard before and proposed by ECOWEEK 2016 workshop. 5. Elementary School courtyard aerial, sketch and final proposal drawing by ECOWEEK 2016 workshop. 6. Sketches of needs and dreams submitted by the pupils to the workshop design team in ECOWEEK 2016. 7. The ECOWEEK 2016 workshop team with Gina Mamidakis of Bluegr Hotels and Resorts, and Yiannis Tsagarakis of Ag. Nikolaos Municipality, patrons of the workshop. 8, 9. Bioclimatic European School renderings. Credit: euZEN Architecture. 10, 11. Bioclimatic European School renderings. Credit: euZEN Architecture. 12, 13. Bioclimatic European School plan and sketch of social function of a tree. Credit: euZEN Architecture.

15 Paths to Sustainability:

HEALING GARDENS

Radu Negulescu and Ana Muntean

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‘Evidence shows that a simple view of nature can radically improve health outcomes. So why couldn’t we design a hospital where every patient had a window with a view? Simple sight-specific designs can make a hospital that heals!” (Michael Murphy – ‘Architecture that’s built to heal’)

hEALING GARDENS explores how people relate emotionally to their physical surroundings, the degree to which physical environment affects behavior, and how the built environment can facilitate patient healing.

The program starts from the need to improve mental comfort in hospitals. Although the purpose of hospitals is to heal people, over time these institutions have become sources of stress for the afflicted. At the national level there is a generalized fear of ending up in such a place. The fear is justified, not only because of the idea of being ill, but also due to the idea of staying for even a few days within the walls of such a colorless and highly stressful space. A space that more or less induces disease as an idea associated with human indignity.

Naturally we are built to run away from things that hurt us. The instinctive desire to run away from danger and to preserve ourselves leads to states of both mental and physical stress; we feel the need to stay on the alert, which can amplify illness as experienced by patients.

Starting from the genetic need of the human body to connect with nature, our aim is to build the theme of the program around creating a stronger connection between humans and nature. This connection nowadays seems to be fading rapidly, leaving us with the impression that it may be more like a trend towards biophobia.

by contrast, we are implementing a program using the principle of biophilia, namely that the connection between body and nature is not only a mental one, but that it is also genetic. In analyzing human behavior, it can be seen that there is an often unconscious movement to re-connect with nature, which is achieved by visiting parks, walking in the mountains, engaging in outdoor sporting activities, etc. When we talk about the positioning of buildings in relation their natural environment, we are talking about biophilic design. a concept that involves making the connection with nature using simple design methods which stimulate the psyche.

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converting hospital structures into an integrated ecological architecture, the project allows nature to regain its balance and restores its role within a natural ecosystem.

In the project ‘The healing Power of a Window Frame’ the perspective changes, focusing on the patient’s perspective. In order to re-establish a connection with nature, it must be discreetly in all patient reception areas, from views through windows, to places of relaxation and restoration in a landscaped courtyard. It is interesting to create ‘green holes’ through which, through landscaping, patients can make a ‘jump’ to another space detached from their current problems, their illness and the stress surrounding it.

At a functional level, the proposal seeks to provide each of the seven pavilions on the site with a clear line of sight to a natural area designed to enhance spiritual healing for patients. Thus, the solution consists of a collection of small gardens, each of them with a different identity, depending on their location and particularly on the specific features of the pavilions they relate to and the needs of hospitalized patients.

based on this concept, students created a preliminary project, proposing landscaping solutions for the courtyards and drawing attention to the potential for green spaces to aid patient healing. The project will provide a basis for the subsequent execution of the landscape design for the hospital and a model of good practice to follow. PURPOSE ‘A designer must consider both the larger societal changes and the creation of better, more supportive environments from people’s daily lives. We believe that thoughtful design takes into account existing knowledge and provides a chance for people to express themselves, be effective, and feel empowered.’ (Clare Cooper Marcus)

Our aim is to further materialize this project, following implementation, to include functional farming of the outdoor spaces, establishment of a promenade designed for patient rehabilitation, spaces for relaxation, and landscape planning for the hospital courtyard. We want this project to become a model for hospitals in Romania.

Aesthetic goals need to be balanced and merged with ecological needs, contextual issues, and user preferences. Rather than asking people to choose between a set of designs, we intend to carry out context-sensitive design as a way to understand people’s specific psychological needs.

IMAGES 1. ECOWEEK 2016 Seven Days of Genius event in Bucharest, Romania. 2. ECOWEEK 2017 workshops in Bucharest, Romania. 3, 4, 5. ECOWEEK 2017 workshops in Bucharest, Romania, workshop presentation.

b. CIRCULARITy

15 Paths to Sustainability:

DESIGNING A CIRCULAR PAVILION: UPCYCLING IN DESIGN USING THE HARVEST MAP

Margarita Kyanidou

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Over recent years, the circular economy in architecture has been attracting more and more attention. Researchers, companies and startups are focusing on creating a circular framework for designers and architects, leading to new ways of thinking in architectural composition. It is however widely admitted that the knowledge and tools to make the concept a reality still need to be developed. A lot of research has been conducted into the ways in which different parts of a building or structure could in general be reused or recycled after its expected end of life, but it is also equally important to research the way in which this approach is influencing the design process at its core.

There couldn’t be a better way to reach conclusions on this subject than an active workshop with students on the key role of the design process, with the object of using circular economy design principles as practical tools to develop a complete small-scale design. Consequently, the ECOWEEK Meet-Up 48-hour Online Challenge on Circular Economy in 2020 was the perfect opportunity.

The aim of this workshop was the design of a pavilion with reused materials acquiring a second life, bearing in mind that they have to be entered in a materials library for subsequent reuse. The materials library used in this case was the harvest Map by Superuse Studios. harvest Map is an opensource online platform hosting a huge materials library of reused products from different sectors in which designers, architects or engineers can access at any time as needed. Reused products from all over the world can be registered on the map to be reused again and again, closing one loop after another.

Inspired by the ECOWEEK 2015 workshop in Thessaloniki, Greece, where a wood pavilion for Aristotelous Square was proposed, the aim this time was to redesign it using primarily reused materials. Due to the short design time, the proposals could be draft designs, sketches, or diagrams.

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and more specifically on circular economy in construction.

As an architect, I focus my designs on adaptive reuse and the upcycling of reused materials as new building components. Starting with the town where I was born, Edessa, in cooperation with a multidisciplinary team, we were facing the abandonment of the old town, our cultural heritage, and proposals for adaptive reuse here is a necessity. In combination with the upcycling of materials, this could lead to an architectural result with cultural, environmental and economic value for the city, a response with sustainable development at its core. Furthermore, my experience with Superuse Studios in Rotterdam, where we repurposed train windows as new building components, challenged me to propose similar solutions for components of used and abandoned trains around my country. There are thousands of abandoned carriages, a huge material resource that, instead of ending up as waste, could be upcycled, given a second life. For these ideas to come to life however, patience, persistence and hard work are the way forward.

Realizing that projects and proposals such as those mentioned above can inspire and work as a catalyst for sustainability, I gain strength and hope for a future where sustainable development could be a priority not only for the construction sector, but more broadly, as a way of thinking and a way of life in general.

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IMAGES 1. Repurposing existing windows in new uses. Credit: Margarita Kyanidou. 2, 3, 4, 5. ECOWEEK 2020 Circular Economy online workshop presentation. 6. ECOWEEK 2020 Circular Economy online workshop team meeting.

15+ Paths to Sustainability:

THE PARADIGM OF SUSTAINAbILITY bETwEEN ‘bUILDING REHAbILITATION’ AND ‘RESTORATION OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE’

Μaria Carmela Frate

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ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY The environmental system has a reticular geometry. Inside it, the system seeks its balance. When an environmental stress occurs, a poorly resilient eco-system shows its fragility, whereas an adaptable eco-system remodels itself. If an ecosystem is not resilient, we need to use sustainable strategies to enhance its state.

Generally speaking, we need to disambiguate the word ‘sustainability’, even as a buzzword. In 1987 the brundtland Report associated the word ‘sustainability’ with the term ‘development’, but these two tend to clash with each other because development is perceived as having an anthropocentric meaning. According to the ecocentric vision, sustainability is the quality of no causing damage to the environment - the correct term would be ‘degrowth’1 .

Therefore, it may be more appropriate to use the term eco-sustainability (prefix eco, from Greek Oikos/home), representing sustainability of our environment. Eco is also a part of terms eco-logy

1 by Serge Latouche, 2007.

and eco-system. Inside systemic organization, human beings create architecture for living, which affects how they relate to each other and to other parts of this so-called ‘system’.

The first definition of sustainable architecture dates back to 2004. According to this definition, architecture is sustainable if it is able to compensate for deficiencies, employing technological innovation as appropriate to minimize adverse impacts on the environment, therefore rendering it eco-sustainable.

ABOUT ‘RE-USE AND RECYCLE’ BUILDINGS In 2004, the European Conference on Sustainable Cities signed the Åalborg Charter commitments. Under this agreement, commitment No 5 concerns recovery, restoration, reuse and regeneration of buildings and towns and cities, focusing on existing buildings.

Later, in 2012, the motto of Muck Petzet, curator of the German pavilion at the Venice biennale, was ‘Reduce/Reuse/Recycle: Architecture as Resource’. According to Petzet, we must renew our approach and aim to use pre-existing buildings,

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of ceramics. In the photographs you can see the workshop, the plaster molds and the muffle kilns, used for the third firing to obtain the gold and ruby lusters using broom as fuel in working order and Maurizio Rubboli working in the muffle kiln.Thus, in accordance with the objective to ‘reuse-recycle buildings’, it has been converted into a pottery museum in which it is possible to find out all about the old factory and its ancient gold and ruby ‘luster’ technique, a highly specialized technique in ceramics. This small museum is in active operation, and all its characteristic architectural features have been preserved.

In conclusion, on the one hand, the interventions are eco-sustainable, first of all by reusing buildings and all the resources used to build them, as well as reusing and recycling materials and technical elements; and on the other, (at a historical, cultural and social level) these are two examples of refunctionalization in which their original qualities and peculiarities are acknowledged through use of appropriate techniques of conservation and rehabilitation, according to the fundamental criteria of restoration: de-restoration, minimal intervention, compatibility, reversibility, distinguishability.

IMAGES 1. Rubboli after restoration. Credit: Frate/Becchetti. 2, 3, 4, 5. Roccolo before and after restoration and drawings. Credit: Frate/Becchetti. 6, 7. Rubboli pottery factory. Credit: Frate/Rubboli. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Rubboli before and after restoration. Credit: Frate/Rubboli. 16. Rubboli vegetation map. Credit: Frate/Becchetti.

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15+ Paths to Sustainability:

REUSE OF MARINE PLASTICS

Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki

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The New Raw: Sustainable design with plastic waste & digital craftsmanship

We presented our work at ECOWEEK in May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, everyone was working from home and all public events and workshops were held digitally. This unusual situation raised many questions about the future of living and working spaces. Is the ‘new normal’ (whatever that is) here to stay, become quickly outdated or even cease to exist?

At the same time, we are living in a period where digital fabrication technologies are empowering us to think, design and produce the objects that surround us at a faster pace than ever before. Furniture is no exception to this rule, and this is why it is now even more imperative that it should be designed and produced sustainably.

From the beginning, when it was founded, The New Raw, has focused on developing sustainable products and production processes. We are doing this by taking into consideration end-of-use cycles, using waste material as an abundant local resource and digital fabrication as a decentralised and localised production method. Working towards a sustainable future, we often ask ourselves 3 questions, which also define our core values:

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becomes crucial to design the full life cycle of the material and especially strategies for its after life. All our products are 100% circular, meaning that they can be easily repaired, reused or recycled. All our furniture pieces are mono-material structures with strong materiality, texture and performance. At the end of their use, they can be shredded and used again as raw material for our next products.

IMAGES 1. KOMET for Revive. Credit: Luc Roymans. 2. The New Raw. Credit: Stefanos Tsakiris. 3. Pots Plus. Credit: Stefanos Tsakiris. 4. Print Your City. Credit: The New Raw. 5, 6. Print Your City for Coca Cola Greece, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Credit: Stefanos Tsakiris. 7. Second Nature for Blue Cycle. Credit: Alina Lefa. 8. Pots Plus. Credit: Stefanos Tsakiris. 9. Print Your City for Coca Cola Greece, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Credit: Stefanos Tsakiris. 10. KOMET for Revive. Credit: Luc Roymans. 11. Second Nature for Blue Cycle. Credit: Alina Lefa. 12. Print Your City Zero Waste Lab. Credit: Stefanos Tsakiris. 13. Print Your City. Credit: The New Raw.

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C. PUbLIC PARTICIPATION

15 Paths to Sustainability:

PUbLIC PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING

Elias Messinas

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Public participation worldwide is becoming an integral part of the planning and decision-making process. Politicians, planners, architects, engineers and designers are starting to realize the benefits of unlocking the potential of public engagement in projects of public interest. We will attempt here to offer a short introduction to public participation, its characteristics and goals, its benefits, challenges and drawbacks, and some of the methodologies that apply to planning and sustainable design. We hope that this short introduction will open a window of curiosity for further reading and learning about how to work with the public, and not just for the public.

What is public participation? Developed in the 1970s, participatory processes were incorporated in the brundtland report (1987) and later in the principles of the Rio Declaration for Environment and Development (1992). According to Patsy healey (2008), public participation, or civic engagement, is the engagement of the public in the planning process in the form of public involvement, advocacy planning, citizen participation, collaborative planning, and inclusive partnerships.

The OECD handbook on public participation in policy-making (2001), suggests a practical road map to the active engagement of citizens in decision-making, through open working groups, laymen’s panels and dialogue procedures, by ensuring access to information, opportunities for consultation and public participation in policymaking. Since the year 2000, the European Commission has also adopted directives (such as the Aarhus Convention 2003/2005/2020) on public access to environmental information and public participation in environmental decision-making, offering European citizens and civil organizations the chance for greater involvement and influence in policy development.

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To conclude, I would like to refer you to Patsy healey’s5 (2008) call to consider the following when engaging the public in planning and policymaking: What kind of governance culture am I contributing to when I work with citizens? And how does engaging with citizen intelligence help to promote a substantive agenda for improving the livability and sustainability of places? What contribution am I really making, not just when I am engaging in one way or another directly with citizens, but in all the work that I do? Do I like the answers these questions lead me to? If not, what can I, and others, do to change things?

5 healey, P. (2008). ‘Creativity and urban governance’, Policy Studies 25, 87-102.

IMAGES 1. A participatory design workshop by ECOWEEK 2017 in Israel . 2. A participatory design session by ECOWEEK 2016 in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina. 3, 4. Public participation with school pupils and participatory design in Jaffa-Tel Aviv, by ECOWEEK 2017 in Israel. 5, 6. Public participation with the local community and placemaking with school pupils in Jaffa-Tel Aviv, by ECOWEEK 2017 in Israel. 7. Participatory urban planning by the Jerusalem Community Council Urban Planners in Jerusalem, Israel. Credit: Elias Messinas 8, 9, 10. Public participation at Ginot Ha’ir Katamon Community Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Credit: Elias Messinas 11. Planting trees on sidewalks: a joint initiative of residents and the Municipality of Jerusalem, Israel. Credit: Elias Messinas. 12. Consulting with City officials on implementing the residents’ requests on the renovation of a street in Jerusalem, Israel. Credit: Elias Messinas.

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15 Paths to Sustainability:

PARTICIPATORY DESIGN AND PUbLIC PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Elias Messinas

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Engaging in public participation for almost a decade has been a process of constant learning from experts and the public. In this case, the experience comes from involvement in managing public participation at Ginot ha’ir Community Council, one of the 27 community councils of the city of Jerusalem, especially intense now that the city is undergoing an extensive process of urban renewal and infrastructure upgrade.

Urban populations are growing. They are expected, by 2050, to account for more than 70% of the world population. As cities grow, urban needs for services and public spaces grow. Emerging new technologies make cities ‘smarter’, and also allow for better communication and transfer of information, permitting urban residents to be more connected and better informed, offering them access to greater involvement in the way in which the city is run, planned and developed.

Jerusalem is a city with an ancient history, having been destroyed and rebuilt at least twice. It is also a city in growth, with a population of almost one million, expected to grow by 40% by 2040. based on these demographic projections, the city has started out on an unprecedented urban renewal program (the Pinui Binui and Tama 38 programs) with the object of building tens of thousands of new housing units with increasing urban density. In addition, the new mayor, Moshe Lion, has initiated infrastructure renovation projects to rehabilitate streets and sidewalks, parks and public spaces. Lastly, the Ministry of Transportation, in collaboration with the city, is in the process of upgrading the public transportation system with new light rail lines, bus routes, and bicycle paths.

The implementation of these plans does not just impact the lives of thousands of residents on a daily basis. It also requires a certain degree of participation, for the residents have to have some say in how the city is changing. how much more densely-populated can neighborhoods become before sunlight, views, traffic, parking, and qualityof-life are negatively affected? What ought to be preserved in order to maintain the character of historic neighborhoods? how can green spaces be expanded with each new development and made more accessible to people, despite specific topographies? And how can the city increase its population while at the same time providing adequate solutions for schools, kindergartens and other public facilities?

We will share a number of examples, based on Arnstein’s (1969) ‘ladder of public participation’, in

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These sessions were invaluable, since they quickly familiarized the design workshop group with the challenges they were facing, and very soon revealed the four areas on which they needed to focus their limited time: creating an outdoor waiting area by the main front gate, restoring the herb garden in the backyard, creating shaded seating areas in the schoolyard, and restoring the interior garden around the entrance courtyard.

The first two days were spent in intensive brainstorming of design solutions for these spaces. On the third day, the island’s hotels opened the doors to their back yards, full of materials and used furniture, inviting the students to choose and reuse old wooden deck tiles, stones, ceramic pots, planters, and many more items. These materials enabled students and parents together to implement the designs and restore the school areas at almost no cost. In addition, parents donated paint, paintbrushes, and generously cooked and helped the students during the workshop week. The unique community spirit that evolved was generously rewarded by the end result. As soon as the tools were collected and the sites cleaned up, the pupils took over the new outdoor spaces. but the true reward for ECOWEEK was the continued efforts of the school, after the conclusion of the workshop week, to continue restoring the school spaces, and they have now recently secured funding for a new school library.

The ECOWEEK workshop session empowered the school community to such extent that it was able to continue upgrading the school on its own initiative.

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IMAGES 1. Parents join the rehabilitation of a public school entrance in the ECOWEEK 2016 workshop in Ag. Nikolaos, Crete in Greece. 2. Rehabilitation of a public school yard workshop at ECOWEEK 2016 in Ag. Nikolaos, Crete in Greece. 3. Rehabilitation of a public school yard workshop at ECOWEEK 2016 in Ag. Nikolaos, Crete in Greece. 4. ECOWEEK 2016 design-build workshop team with Gina Mamidakis of Bluegr Hotels and Resorts, and Antonios Zervos Mayor of Ag. Nikolaos Municipality, patrons of the workshop. 5. Urban mining and reuse of materials for the rehabilitation of a public school yard at ECOWEEK 2016 in Ag. Nikolaos, Crete in Greece. 6. Community representatives examine sidewalk conditions for pedestrian mobility. Credit: Elias Messinas. 7. The new community library at Solokol Park in Talbyie neighborhood in Jerusalem. An initiative of the Jerusalem Foundation and a private donor, in coordination with the Community Council Ginot Ha’ir, the local community, and the Municipal Department of Gardens. Credit: Elias Messinas. 8. Public participation in Jerusalem, Israel. Credit: Elias Messinas. 9. Children, teachers, parents and grandparents join the workshop team from Dogus University (Istanbul, Turkey), in the rehabilitation of a kindergarten in Thessaloniki, Greece, using materials from urban mining, in ECOWEEK 2012 in Thessaloniki, Greece. 10, 11. Public participation and site visits with the local community as input for the ECOWEEK 2017 design workshop at the Sun Grove in Jerusalem, Israel. 12. Urban mining and reuse of materials for the rehabilitation of a public school yard in ECOWEEK 2016 in Ag. Nikolaos, Crete in Greece.

15 Paths to Sustainability:

DESIGN AND PARTICIPATION: TOwARDS A NEw CONCEPT OF CARE

Maria Anastasiadou and Ellie Petridi

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Designing a workshop on design

When we were invited by ECOWEEK to design a workshop under the general themes of ‘history – Tourism - Sustainable Design: Aiming Towards a Sustainability Vision in Practice’ our immediate response was to incorporate a participatory approach for the reactivation of public space in Aegina, Greece. In our view, sustainability is inextricably linked to care for the environment, natural as well as built, and participation is a form of care. but we will elaborate on this in the second part of this piece.

Re_[Design] workshop focuses on exploring the possibilities for a qualitative expansion of public space, in order to offer more stimuli and opportunities for social interactions. In other words, we propose rethinking public space in Aegina as an inclusive playground. The title is a reference to various verbs that influence our design process: rethink, reuse, renew, reinvent, but also remember, respect, relate, reflect. They articulate the steps we take into account while designing for a more activated and inclusive public space.

We think about design within the framework of two inspirational quotes: ‘Form Follows Function’ and ‘Form Follows Fiction’1 At the intersection of these two guides, we try to transform imaginary structures into functional and stimulating architectural interventions. To this end, we strongly believe that public participation at certain points of the design process has the potential to accelerate it and make it more relevant. In fact, we endorse

1 Rephrasing of Susan hofmann’s (diebaupiloten) title “Form Follows Kids’ Fiction” in hofmann, S. (2012). “Form Follows Kids’ Fiction. Participatory and Interactive Architecture for Schools and Nurseries”. Education and Architecture, 238-245.

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This particular approach develops in two distinct directions (Figure 7), which differ at the starting point from which the care originates. On the one hand, care is expressed by the participatory and activist practices of citizens with regard to the place in which they live. On the other hand, the sense of care is formed by the degree to which citizens feel that public authorities take care of public space, and the degree to which the space incorporates collective decisions regarding the allocation of resources and future planning. Accordingly, the appreciation of care for the space can be established by analyzing the messages put out by the authorities indicating the extent to which they assume or fail to assume a burden of care for their citizens, and also by analyzing the ways in which citizens take care of their own surroundings. Thus far we have explored how care can be traced through a number of spontaneous social practices (participation) or institutional decisions arising from democratic processes (pluralism). between the two dominant approaches, the ‘bottom-up’ and the ‘top-down’, we can propose a third approach, which ascribes a role to design (Figure 7). Care, as approached in our research, can also relate to the design strategies of architects & designers’ collectives. Our choices, both with regard to the materials of our projects as well as the inclusive and participative production of space, have the potential to shape a more sustainable future.

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IMAGES 1. Intervention Points Strategy for Play Syntax. Credit: Little Architecture. 2. Speaking tube and vegetation scale model. Credit: Little Architecture. 3. ‘Beyond’ toolkit for Plural Use of Public Space. Credit: Little Architecture. 4. Climbing-seating structure scale model. Credit: Little Architecture. 5. Bridges and tunnels scale model. Credit: Little Architecture. 6. Tiles -textures and smells scale model. Credit: Little Architecture. 7. Exploring the Directions of Care diagram. Credit: Little Architecture.

15 Paths to Sustainability:

THE ARHIPERA SUMMER SCHOOLS (2012-2019)

Lorin Niculae and Alexandra Purnichescu

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The ArhiPera Summer Schools are based on an open approach and represent a human way of looking at architecture that aims to make life and society a better place for vulnerable communities affected by extreme poverty. by providing people with a home, they also get the chance for a new start in life and hope for the future by means of an integrated approach, which is also based on finding solutions for education and employment.

Eight versions of the ArhiPera Summer School of Social Participatory Architecture have been held over a span of 9 years in Călăraşi County, in the south-eastern part of Romania, and Buzău County, central Romania. Following the concept of best practice in the field of participatory architecture, the projects undertaken during the summer schools focus on continuous communication, empowerment and civic participation in order to elaborate public policies in housing. Addressing the process as a whole, rather than its form, is one of the policies promoted by ArhiPera and this approach is applied through design-built activities.

Two key theoretical concepts – sustainability and participation – lie at the core of the approach. It is a non-formal experience, dependent on collaboration, motivation, involvement, solidarity, creativity and experiment. These are more than just words, they are reflected in the students’ work and their evolution, as well as in the design of the

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The strategy of other workshop groups, working in parallel to our group, to create more outdoor waiting and play areas, contributed to getting more people outdoors and thus reducing the density and noise in the lobby. The design included elements resembling trees, and plants to clean the air and soften the look of the space, new floor finishes, new ceilings and lighting, new colors for the walls integrating blackboards and bulletin boards, and new pockets for plants built from wooden pallets. The workshop process was not only enriched and guided through interaction with the local community, but was also enriched through the interaction among the groups’ participants as well, each from a different background. ECOWEEK succeeded in creating bridges among the students, with the purpose of transforming space and life into something better.

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IMAGES 1. ECOWEEK 2019 workshop team in Holon, Israel. 2. The ArhiPera Summer School. Credit: Lorin Niculae. 3, 4, 5, 6. ECOWEEK 2019 in Holon, Israel, W3: Community Center Lobby Interior Design presentation renderings. 7. ECOWEEK 2019 W3 workshop team hosted at the Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), with Lorin Nicuale and Gil Masika, Director of the Neot Shoshanim Community Center in Holon, Israel.

15 Paths to Sustainability:

PARTICIPATORY PROCESSES IN URbAN DESIGN PROjECTS IN bRAzIL

Luis Rossi, Nicolas Le Roux and Paula Lemos

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To share a little bit of the scenario surrounding participatory processes in brazil from the perspective of urban projects, we have to face the fact that the opportunities for popular participation in urban design projects are very scarce and poorly structured.

With regard to the scarcity of opportunities, we can identify some reasons for this. While in countries such as France, where the law states that architectural projects with a cost of more than 133 thousand euros (2006 data) must be contracted via architectural competition, in brazil, the regulation of contracting occurs through the Lei de Licitações (8,666 of 1993) which, despite making provision for and recommending competitions, does not establish mandatory use of the arrangement, leaving the criterion of lowest cost for the project as the preferred solution.

For most projects of public interest, we also have the obligation of Public Hearings where the projects are required to be presented to the public. however, these hearings are usually seen as a purely bureaucratic process, carried out in haste and on a recurring basis, ensuring that political decisions override public opinion.

In the last revision of the São Paulo Strategic Master Plan in 2014, guided by a government that valued popular participation and the creation of a more democratic city, the entire process was nourished by countless participatory meetings, public hearings and digital contribution tools that allowed the construction of a new, more tangible and visual version of the document. Different representatives of societal groups have been involved in this process over the years, creating a result that was praised by UN-habitat, and which inspired several other cities. however, the new revision due to take place in 2021 under a new government has not yet positioned itself in the same direction, causing various entities linked to the city to initiate formation of a movement to exert pressure and demand participation.

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the city center. The invitation to tender for this competition, in which COTA760 was awarded third place, was prepared to meet demands raised by the city’s population at various public hearings. In addition, the involvement of local representatives on the jury brought people closer involvement in the decision-making processes affecting urban transformation.

It is necessary to expand opportunities and make them more dedicated to discussing the issues from the lived experience of the place. To discuss the realization of ideas, form, economic and administrative models. In the case of the ideas competition project for the Parque do Cocó in Fortaleza, for example, we can see how, within the scope of an architecture and urban design project, it is feasible and fundamental to success to bring conceptual, political, administrative and management issues into focus, as a basis for visualizing the form and spatial dimensions of the project. Concepts addressed in the project, such as the natural and decentralized treatment of sewage, or the creation of a biodiversity educational site linked to the local university, appear as possibilities linked to the conditions of the place, which can be discussed and presented with greater clarity to the people involved or impacted by such measures.

We also understand that there is a difficulty in bringing architectural discussion closer to the urban debate in practice. The urban debate, which requires fundamental popular participation in some ways, also tends to reject architectural language at the level of urban design. There are major obstacles to bringing discussions of the scale and dimensions of design to topics such as housing, mobility, basic sanitation and other issues which need local community involvement. And only if this is taken into account will people be able to grasp the themes and engage in debates that effectively relate to their experience. We can clearly observe a pattern in which people only take an active role in participation when actions directly affect the places they use on a daily basis. Only when the direct threat of removing a tree, or cutting off a square, is discovered in the neighborhood, will there be engagement, and people may eventually take a stand. It is therefore necessary to regulate for arrangements that allow for this level of engagement to take place proactively, that clearly communicate the issues in practical terms with a strong visual dimension.

IMAGES 1. Organized workers building the Copromo housing project in 1993. Credit: Usina CTAH. 2. Public hearing in 2013 for the revision of São Paulo’s Strategic Master Plan. Credit: Cesar Ogata. 3, 4. COTA760 with a group of parents, teachers and volunteers from the Amorim Lima school. Credit: COTA760. 5, 6. COTA760’s proposal for the Amorim Lima schoolyard. Credit: COTA760. 7. Movement for the preservation of the São Crispim Square. Credit: COTA760. 8. Paula Lemos speaks at a public hearing on the preservation of São Crispim Square. Credit: COTA760. 9, 10. COTA760’s proposal for the city of Conde architecture competition for renewal of the city center. The project was awarded 3rd place. Credit: COTA760.

D. SOCIAL DESIGN

15 Paths to Sustainability:

SOCIAL DESIGN: INTRODUCTION AND APPROACHES IN PRACTICE

Despoina Kouinoglou

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There are many definitions of the term of social design and they seem to be different in each discipline or field of study. however, social architecture can draw upon theories from a number of established academic disciplines, including political science, psychology, sociology, economics, and anthropology.

One may wonder, isn’t architecture or landscape architecture social by definition? Well, the answer is that there is no single yes or no answer. The reality and history have proven that the largest urban regenerations have been achieved in order to resolve social issues, whether they were related to spatial, environmental, health or other issues. however, today’s architects, landscape architects and designers are by no means innocent and their proposals are definitely not apolitical. The industry has proven this too many times and clients’ demands may often lead to decisions that are not always sustainable or socially driven. The design approaches and solutions adopted may be detrimental to the lives of others.

Social and environmental inequalities may be created or exposed. Some of the recent examples include the wall that has been built between USA and Mexico, as well as the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and the black Lives Matter movement, when it became clear that the poor standard of the infrastructure in black and Latino communities led to further isolation and health inequalities, or even gentrification, and the housing crisis caused in barcelona due to the operation of the Airbnb platform. My beliefs and aspirations and my feelings of ethical responsibility to do what I could to help vulnerable populations while trying to preserve and enhance the natural environment led me to the School of Agriculture, and later on to the field of landscape architecture. During my studies in landscape architecture, I believed that social design was mainly focused on or considered to be humanitarian architecture. It also seemed that there was a lack of social research in the field of landscape architecture, and only within the field of urbanism were participatory design processes able to become the protagonists in the studies of public and social life.

In my view, it seems to have been easier to define or characterize the design of refugee camps or social design projects in Africa and other countries as isolated social projects. however, this approach significantly changes when it becomes clear that by designing and creating inclusive, safe, sustainable and interactive places in a thoughtful way, then the physical, humane and natural environment can be at the forefront. This approach can actually make an impact on users’ lives and experiences, and can lead to sustainable green and blue solutions. And as chance would have it, this is nothing new. Its roots go back to Central Park in New york and its creators F.L. Olmsted and C. Vaux, who established the typical American urban parks. The concept and design of Central Park was based on European standards, and the main reason for its creation was its social aspect, open to everyone, of any status or ethnic group.

Today, more than ever, it is crucial that we go back

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to these roots and remind ourselves of the core principles of social design. It is not only human conflict that gives rise to this need for social design, but also the challenges, movements and tragedies that are to come with the climate crisis. It is those challenges that our discipline will be called to tackle and resolve. The public has spoken clearly, and the demands for social and environmental justice became so powerful during a year of complete social distancing and isolation, with so many people reclaiming public spaces, especially within the large urban centers.

For more than 15 years, ECOWEEK has been focusing on environmental education and empowerment of people through sustainable and social design. Aiming, among others, to address the inequalities that arise through conventional design. ECOWEEK developed programs and design workshops around the world, emphasizing the social aspects of design and the participation of the local stakeholders.

This chapter attempts to present some of the ‘social’ aspects of design in architecture and landscape architecture, in practice, in research and in the ECOWEEK workshops in Greece in 2016. From innovative new technologies and pro-bono work, to tackling issues of homelessness and the design of refugee camps, this chapter aims, through tangible examples, to empower future generations of designers and architects, to stand up to the ethical responsibilities that come with the discipline, towards people and the environment. To explore the endless possibilities that ultimately prove that one person or a small group, can make a meaningful impact.

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IMAGES 1. Detail of Spatial Integration of Refugees in Nairobi City: Multi-cultural center for refugees and local communities project. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou and Jackson K. Gathanga. 2. Movement, networks and the use of technology in the integration of urban refugees in the city of Nairobi. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou and Jackson K. Gathanga. 3. Spatial Integration of Refugees in Nairobi City: Multi-cultural center for refugees and local communities project. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou and Jackson K. Gathanga.

15 Paths to Sustainability:

THE REDESIGN OF REFUGEE CAMPS AND THE CONNECTION AND INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES wITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH SPACE

Despoina Kouinoglou

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Internationally, in the permanent artificial facilities which refugee camps become, many of the problems that arise are the products of inadequate planning, design and decision making, characterized by an absence of integration of the cultural traditions and needs of users that could focus on the organization and reclamation of social life. These inadequacies of planning and design can either reinforce social exclusion, or we can see them as a catalyst for action, in the integration of refugees and the creation of a multicultural society.

It is time to rethink the spaces assigned to refugees and to take under consideration all the elements that could transform these places into decent living spaces, because the need for quality spaces remains, regardless of the citizenship status of an individual.

The aim of this study is to showcase the quality of spaces within refugee camps, both in Greece and across the world, through a review of the literature and a case study of Lagadikia, Greece, the main goal being to identify solutions that promote and organize social life within the camps and serve to connect and integrate refugees within local communities. The study1 was initiated during

1 I take this opportunity to thank the people that helped in making this study possible: Dr. Aya Kubota and the University of Tokyo, Kyriakos Giaglis, Evi Papatheodorou, Frederick Mungongo Lisa McMunn from Danish Refugee Council, Mr. Theofilachtos Sidiropoulos and the Ministry for Migration Policy in Greece, Liat Rennet from IsraAid, Dr. Lena Athanasiadou and Euthimis Charalampidis, Dimitris Nanos, the ECOWEEK workshop team, and the ECOWEEK organizing team. The study was further developed as my thesis for the Postgraduate Program of Studies in Landscape Architecture at the

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the ECOWEEK 2016 workshop in Thessaloniki, Greece, led by Despoina Kouinoglou, Dastid Ferati, and Astrit S. Rraci2. The ECOWEEK event titled ‘Placemaking in One Planet’, aimed to address

Polytechnic School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece under the supervision of Professor Kiriaki Tsoukala. 2 The workshop team included Smaro Dalakoglou, Erica Galiti, Vasiliki Fragkaki, Anastasia Koktsidou, Alexandra Ktenidou, Margarita Kyanidou, Korab Mahmuti, Christos Margaritopoulos, haya mani, Georgios Melissourgos, Danae Melita, Iliana Skaragkou, Alexandra Souvatzi, and Eleana VlachakiStamatopoulou.

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3. Integration with local communities through space

The integration of the refugees will the local communities can only be achieved when all the parties involved have reconsidered the importance of the right to work, and opportunities to earn a livelihood are created. Taking into consideration the role of the marketplace in the cultural identity of the Syrian people, an open marketplace between the two recreational buildings was suggested, where local people and refugees could interact by exchanging goods thereby creating a new common culture. This proposal is based on the principles of the Framework for the Social and Solidarity Economy, which was developed by E.U. The proposed activities include the creation of a co-operative center and an open market, a community-supported agriculture network, which follows the principles of sustainable agriculture and will promote the reproduction of local plants, installation of a solar-energy system in the camp and the village which will be managed in common, the creation of a wi-fi network for all, and the exploitation of the peri–urban gaps between the village and the camp where some of the suggested activities could be located, and lastly the support of public institutes such as AUTh and other co-operative organizations in order to provide technical knowledge, consultancy advice and resources.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Countries and their cultures forum (online). Esri and Koren, M. (2013). Where are the 50 most Popular Camps? (online). Radford, T. (2015). Refugee Camps are the ‘Cities of Tomorrow’ (online). IMAGES 1. The entrance to the camp in 2016. Photographer: Despoina Kouinoglou. Credit: ECOWEEK. 2. View looking towards the camp from Lagadikia village in November 2016. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou. 3. Public washrooms and men’s social interaction building in November 2016. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou. 4. Public library in November 2016. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou. 5. Social interactions in November 2016. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou. 6. The use of space in November 2016. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou. 7. The spatial arrangement of Lagadikia camp (November 2016 and March 2017). Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou. 8. The influence of art and culture in 2016. Photographer: Danae Melita. Credit: ECOWEEK. 9. Interactions based on gender in 2016. Photographer: Danae Melita. Credit: ECOWEEK. 10. The need for privacy in 2016. Photographer: Danae Melita. Credit: ECOWEEK. 11. The need for semi-private areas in 2016. Photographer: Danae Melita. Credit: ECOWEEK.12. The spatial division between the administrative area and the camp in 2016. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou. 12. The spatial division between the administrative area and the camp in 2016. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou. 13. The need for self-organization and work – Jafra Group in 2016. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou. 14. Transactional spaces. Photographer: Danae Melita. Credit: ECOWEEK. 15. The influence of arts. Photographer: Haya Mani. Credit: ECOWEEK. 16. Five Types of Spaces. Credit: ECOWEEK 2016 W1 Workshop. 17. Rearrangement of containers. Credit: ECOWEEK 2016 W1 Workshop. 18. Flows of movement and spatial units. Credit: ECOWEEK. 19. Peri-urban gaps as a potential space of integration. Credit: Despoina Kouinoglou.

15 Paths to Sustainability:

EOOS ODM AND zUV PROjECTS

Lena Beigel and Georg Sampl

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EOOS NEXT is a diverse group of designers/ architects/theorists who apply sustainable and social design strategies to a large variety of projects.

by employing industrial design strategies to respond to the great challenges in our world, such as the climate crisis and social injustice, design is applied as a tool for social change. We aim to create alternatives for future sustainable lifestyles. We make ‘Design for the Real World’ (Victor Papanek, 1971).

We base design on transformative technologies and strategies. We have a systemic view. We love local production, open design, and high-tech. We promote circular design methods to help industries on their path toward a circular economy. We partner with pioneers and changemakers. We run a social business.

EOOS NEXT design studio focuses on translating technologies into products and visualizing them in full scale for test sites in Europe, Africa, and India, with support from local teams specializing in technology installation and maintenance, scientific research, and test site setup. We use state-of-theart software and rapid prototyping technologies, such as additive manufacturing, to visualize future-oriented products. The studio works on the basis of design contracts, research grants, and commissions.

Projects that have been self-initiated recently include mobility concepts (ZUV), and open design projects, such as the ODM, an open design mold for bottom of the pyramid sanitary applications. Given that more than 35% of the world’s population lacks access to safe sanitation, the vision of ODM is to empower local craftsmen around the world to integrate EOOS NEXTs ‘URINE TRAP’, a passive urine separation technology, into locally-produced squat toilets by supplying a simple mold.

With a grant from the bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under its ‘Reinvent the Toilet Challenge,” EOOS has developed a separation system that can be universally applied to all typologies of washdown toilet design: pedestal or squat pan, cistern flush or pour-flush, washers or wipers.

Urine diversion is key to improving basic sanitary

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expected to lead within the near future a growing demand for fertilizers, relying on nitrogen and phosphorus. While most nitrogen-based fertilizers are produced industrially, societies may be the solution for natural production of fertilizers: sanitation facilities could provide a reservoir for naturally produced fertilizers. based upon these insights, and on EOOS NEXT ongoing efforts in improving the world’s sanitary conditions, the team investigated circular design and business models around a novel, closed system for sanitation. The proposal aimed to develop a network of locally produced fertilizers, by diverting human feces from the sewage to storage and production units separately in each apartment building.

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IMAGES 1. ZUV. Credit: EOOS NEXT. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. ODM. Credit: EOOS NEXT. 8, 9, 10, 11. ZUV. Credit: EOOS NEXT. 12. CSM6 Panel proposal of ECOWEEK 2020 W6 Workshop by UDO TITZ and TEAM EOOS NEXT. Credit: ECOWEEK. 13. EOOS NEXT Team. Credit: EOOS NEXT.

ον τηε εDGE

Ulrike Schartner

15 Paths to Sustainability:

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from Innovation to Social Design

In the late 1980s, during my time as an architecture student at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, the real estate sky was blue, the developer’s coffers were bursting and builders were hurrying to leave a spectacular structural mark of their success. We were made to believe that it was an Eldorado for newly graduated architects.

In our design tasks, spatial and constructive themes as well as material interrelations were in the foreground. What one could ultimately do in these fantastic spatial structures was not precisely defined. Everyone would find their place, provided the qualities of the space were diverse enough.

Already, albeit quietly, the question of priorities was stirring. Wasn’t the purpose of architecture to meet our human needs? Even the most basic of needs like a roof over our head or a meeting point for exchanging thoughts, goods or knowledge? A place of production, a place of culture, a place of retreat?

Who should determine whose needs should be met? Is it a question for the democratic process, a question for the market, or a question of power? What role does an architect play in these deeply political and ethical questions? Are you a service provider, consultant, plan supplier?

To us at gaupenraub +/- (founded by Alexander hagner and myself in 1999) these questions may not always have been as prominent as they are today, but they have been with us nevertheless, since the beginning of our professional lives.

At first there were small voluntary/pro-bono projects in addition to the ordinary ones: the redesign of an abandoned pizzeria into an emergency shelter for

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we establish collaborations with educational institutions, we help to coordinate and accompany the work of the volunteers, we collect things that are further processed, repaired and reused, we acquire building material and hold information events in order to increase the acceptance and willingness of the population to donate.

We, our professional group, must take a stand with our work, not only on aesthetic, spatial-functional issues, but above all on social issues. With the tools we have, we can do much more than simply support the real estate developer machine. We must appeal to the responsibility of our builders to use their primacy and economic means sustainably – social inclusion for some means social peace for us all.

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IMAGES 1. VinziRastmittendrin. Credit: Sebastian Schubert. 2. VinziRast am Land. Credit: gaupenraub +/-. 3. VinziRast am Land model. Credit: gaupenraub +/-. 4. VinziRast am Land. Credit: gaupenraub +/-. 5. VinziDorfWien. Credit: gaupenraub +/-. 6, 7. VinziRastmittendrin. Credit: Kurt Kuball. 8. VinziDorfWien. Credit: Kurt Kuball. 9. VinziDorfWien. Credit: Florian Albert. 10. VinziDorfWien. Credit: Kurt Kuball.

E. INNOVATION

15 Paths to Sustainability:

ECOwEEK INNOVATION wHEN NANOTECHNOLOGY INSPIRES DESIGN

Kostas Giannakopoulos and Nafsika Mouti

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The research projects and futuristic ideas of the National Center for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’ have inspired architects, designers, physicists and material scientists to develop new sustainable and functional construction materials as well as to explore new ways of exploiting advanced technologies with the ultimate goal of bringing research work closer to society and to its practical application. In this context, several researchers collaborated with the workshops of ECOWEEK. Projects involved solar cells, waste composting, self-cleaning and antiviral surfaces, the Internet of Things, as well as several other smart and advanced materials applications, the most characteristic of which are the following.

Design of a Futuristic Roof Tile The aim of the ECOWEEK workshop1 that took

1 The ECOWEEK 2015 W12 workshop titled ‘Nanotechnology inspires design’ was led by Ioannis Karatasios, Nikos Kechagias, Dimitris Raidis, Αlexandros Kouloukouris, and M. Manetsou, and included Sofia Anagnostopoulou, Grammatiki Dasopoulou, Sven Finke, Fofo Kalfa, Vasiliki Katsigianni, Sofia Angeliki Kouvela, Eleni Linaki, Kalypso Mavromati, Panagiota Panagiotakopoulou, Meike Pardey, Ekaterina Starukhina, and Iro Stefanaki. place in 2015, was to incorporate aspects of nanotechnology in traditional building materials such as ceramic roof tiles. Work on various aspects of the product design and performance of ceramic roof tiles led to a successful redesign of both the shape and microstructure of the product, in order to produce basic ideas for a new multifunctional construction material. Ceramic roof tiles are sustainable building materials with a long history and extended technological evolution over the ages. Ceramic roof tiles have proven their sustainable nature: they are made of soil and water (clay), they are (by default) low cost and have low environmental impact, given that the raw material requires minimum processing and (compared to conventional cement) they are fired at a lower temperature. Overall, not only are they sustainable, but these are also traditional durable materials, totally recyclable with non-toxic by-products.

Following a biomimetic approach and working with technological solutions provided by nanotechnology, this futuristic product could incorporate additional functionalities such as energy production (photovoltaic and thermoelectric), self-cleaning and air purification

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ihEPA4 filtering devices can be installed in almost any enclosed space. They were invented back in the 1940s when scientists were developing the atomic bomb, and they simply consist of a mat of randomly aligned fibers, made from either glass or synthetic materials. The synthetic material used in these air filters is similar to that used in quick-dry T-shirts. On the other hand, fiberglass air filters are made of glass – a material containing compounds such as silica, alumina, calcium oxide, boron oxide, magnesium oxide, sodium oxide. What is important about hEPA air filters is that they are incredibly effective at capturing almost any size of particle. They can capture viruses, bacteria, pollen, PM2.5, allergens, and more. hEPA air filters are the most important component of any modern air purifier.

Even in these hard times, science can offer fast, reliable and inexpensive applications that can save lives and provide a sustainable solution to the deadlocks of our civilization. The only thing we have to do is to use it!

IMAGES 1. ECOWEEK 2020 W5.1 ‘Materials for a sustainable future: Problem solving’ presentation drawings. 2, 3. ECOWEEK 2015 W12 ‘Nanotechnology inspires design’ workshop presentation drawings. 4, 5. ECOWEEK 2020 W5.1 ‘Materials for a sustainable future: Problem solving’ presentation drawings. 6. ECOWEEK 2015 in Thessaloniki, Greece: a premier performance by violinist Konstantinos Pavlakos of the first 3d printed violin created within the framework of the EU program STIMULATE in which the Demokritos team was a partner. 7. ECOWEEK 2020 W5.1 ‘Materials for a sustainable future: Problem solving’ presentation drawings.

4 high-Efficiency Particulate Air.

15 Paths to Sustainability:

PETMAT RECYCLED PET IN ARCHITECTURE

Katerina Nováková

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Research into the use of recycled materials in architecture began at FA CTU Prague, in 2009, with the founding of the experimental design studio Achten - Nováková focused on reuse of waste. The idea was to give waste material value by design. Since we wanted to deliver test results in 1:1 model within one semester, we focused on architectural interior design and architectural details or product designs. From among all the possible kinds of waste products, we focused on the problematics of plastic pollution.

This topic was further developed by studies at ETh Zurich, where our student seminars were focused on the topic of building a 20-meter tower from 150,000 PET bottles collected in the city of Zurich. This was a visualization of just one day’s worth of plastic bottle waste produced in just one single city in Switzerland, this brought us to the implementation of parametric design and practical research with the students into the best design methods for working with plastic waste. The research eventually led us to publication of a book about architectural structures built from PET bottles, with multiple examples of its use around the world.

We found that plastic waste is a much larger worldwide problem than we had imagined. We experimented with the use of regular plastic bottles during the years 2011 to 2014 in our experimental design studio at FA CTU, having publicly exhibited installations such as Relax Square or PETvilion, PETbar and finally PETree. During this research, we found that the biggest impact in the campaign to help combat the plastic catastrophe through architecture was by building large-scale exhibits to raise awareness. We concluded that public must be addressed through pavilions and architectural installations in order to take the concept of sustainable living seriously. We found that it makes

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was insufficient material found in Europe and we transported bPET from Argentina under a PETAngel project. A web platform was opened, where participants could log in and choose a single piece of a statue to print. There were around 150 pieces visualized in 3D live models to choose from. The participants were sent the filament, asked to 3Dprint the pieces on their own printers and send the ready ones back to us. Finally, we assembled the two-meter-high statue at a public event, and were able to celebrate our success.

After the first year, we discovered that 100% recycled filament is printable, with a few minor problems, and we decided to collaborate with the ECOMb recycling company to develop our own fiber in the Czech Republic. It took us two more years, and two more crowd printing projects, until we finally managed to create 100% Czech-made recycled filament: The Angels and Digital factory. With the last model, we finally brought 100% recycled Czech filament to the world market. And all this thanks to the volunteer researchers who participated in our crowd-printing projects. Thank you for your contribution to making our environment more sustainable! hopefully everyone will have the opportunity to participate in our new project: Plastenco!

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IMAGES 1. The Svetlacka prototype chair made of 150 pieces of 100% recycled PET. Credit: PETMAT. 2. PET bottle seating. Credit: PETMAT. 3. Digital Factory. Credit: PETMAT. 4. Front lobby desk made of recycled PET bottles. Credit: PETMAT. 5. PETAngel of recycled PET bottles. Credit: PETMAT. 6. Digital Factory. Credit: PETMAT. 7. Applications of recycled PET bottles. Credit: PETMAT. 8. Lamp shades made of recycled PET. Credit: Plastenco.

15 Paths to Sustainability:

CHALLENGING THE CONVENTIONAL

Anna Tsagkalou

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how can we transform our built environment so that it can be sustained over time? And how can we achieve affordable and healthy housing for all, in an era where housing rent and sales prices keep increasing while their quality is not guaranteed?

These are only some of the questions that brought us together in 2017, when as students at TU Delft we joined forces and formed MOR. Our multidisciplinary team competed in the Solar Decathlon Europe 2019, an international competition for sustainable housing. It was a 2-year design process with continuous research, experimentation, debate, innovation, and above all, passion to drive solutions and persist in the mission of convincing the world that there is, and must be, an alternative way to reshape our built environment.

The experience gained during these two years resulted in our team’s deeper awareness of the negative effect that the built environment may have on the planet. It also made us realize that our roles, responsibilities and impact as architects and engineers are more urgent than ever. At the same time, the substantial positive feedback and recognition we received made us eager to further explore the feasibility of the solutions we had investigated. As a result, we decided to take the next step and set up our own office, MOR Studio, with the aim of contributing to a more sustainable future in which peoples’ physical and social health and the continued viability of our natural environment are prioritized.

Utilizing the existing In vernacular architecture, resources have been carefully and consciously managed. Even though vernacular solutions cannot fully address the realities of today’s urban lifestyle (such as population density, increased energy demands and modern standards of comfort), they can still be a valuable source of knowledge and inspiration. Looking carefully at them can help reveal the irrationality of today’s construction sector, accounting for 36% of final energy use and approximately 40% of total carbon emissions, while 50% of construction waste ends up in landfills1. This

1 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction, International Energy Agency & UN Environment Program, 2019.

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to be considered successful and ultimately applicable and innovative, it can neither be one that satisfies only one aspect to the maximum, nor one that tries to tick all the boxes yet loses its purpose in the process. Instead, we are convinced that a successful sustainable project is the product of an inclusive and intentional process in which all the parties involved research, converse and evolve. Aiming to make a real impact, we not only develop sustainable solutions that are feasible in the current socio-economic and building context, but also push for integration of innovations that, although not yet widely adopted, have the power to intrigue people, raise their awareness, and ultimately influence the built and human context around them.

Lastly, with every design decision we make and every building we transform or build, we always ask ourselves:

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What kind of society do we want to reflect and shape through our built environments? And what kind of legacy do we wish to leave for future generations?

IMAGES 1. From abandoned data center to student housing in Utrecht. Credit: MOR Studio. 2. The MOR team TU Delft in front of the MOR prototype in Delft. Credit: MOR Team TU Delft. 3. MOR Studio team. Credit: MOR Studio. 4. Interior of the MOR prototype. Credit: MOR Team. 5. The buffer zone of the MOR prototype. Credit: MOR Team. 6. Parties involved in built environment sustainability. Credit: MOR Studio. 7. The concrete structure of the vacant data center in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Credit: MOR Studio. 8. Exterior view render of the data center transformed into student housing. Credit: MOR Studio. 9. Five net positives: MOR guiding strategies for creating buildings that give back to the environment more than what they take away from it. Credit: MOR Studio. 10. Exterior view of the MOR prototype: colored solar panels integrated on the façade and solar chimney used for energy production and domestic water heating. Credit: MOR Studio.

15 Paths to Sustainabiliity:

Elias Messinas ECOAMA/ECOWEEK

Dr. Elias Messinas is an architect, urban planner, and a consultant in sustainability and public participation. he is a graduate of the yale School of Architecture and the Environmental Design Department of bezalel Academy. he also holds an M.Sc. in Environment and Development from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) as well as a Ph.D. from the same institution. Elias has led public participation processes in urban planning at the Ginot ha’ir community council of Jerusalem, Israel since 2017. he is the creator of ECOWEEK and the coordinator of its international activity in 17 countries, organizing ECOWEEK workshops in sustainable and participatory design and placemaking since 2005 in cities around the world. Elias teaches sustainable design at the holon Institute of Technology, and at Patras University. Elias is the co-editor of the ECOWEEK Book#1: 50 Voices for Sustainability, and is the author of books and articles, and the editor and senior writer for numerous collected works. he continues to write and lecture extensively and has curated a number of exhibitions on sustainable design, historic preservation, and architectural travel sketching. (https://ecoama.com and https:// ecoweek.org). Despoina Kouinoglou ECOWEEK

Despoina Kouinoglou is a landscape architect with work experience in the UK. her projects focus on various scales, including rural, urban and residential schemes, primarily in LVIAs, design codes, public art strategy and detailed landscape design. Despoina has also worked on a rural architecture program in capacity building and development in Mt. Elgon, Kenya as part of her doctoral dissertation research under Michiel Smits (TU Delft, Avans University of Applied Sciences). Despoina completed her Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (2017) where her interest focused on the social aspects of landscape architecture within communities. her dissertation focused on the redesign and integration of refugee camps with local communities through design. Despoina has been an associate of ECOWEEK (2015-2021) where she has developed new programs and activities and been involved in multiple in-situ and online international conferences, sustainable design workshops and other smaller events in Greece and abroad.

from Innovation to Social Design

Stefanie Leontiadis

Stefanie Leontiadis is an independent researcher, architect and artist, with a Ph.D. and European Doctorate in the syntactic expression of public open urban spaces, which evolved from her interest in finding new illustrative and theoretical methodologies of urban space perception and representation. Stefanie teaches, among other courses, Advanced Representation at the Metropolitan College of Athens, Greece, and she is also active in publishing papers for academic journals, participating in international conferences and workshops, and exhibiting her art.

Benjamin Gill bioregional

benjamin Gill is the One Planet Communities International Technical Manager at bioregional (UK). he is a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) with the IEMA, graduating in Earth Science from Cambridge University and completing an M.Sc. in Environmental Technology at Imperial College. ben has led the development of bioregional’s One Planet Living framework as a flexible tool that can be used to drive systemic change in organizations and industry, while working with key partners including Les Villages Nature Paris on the outskirts of Paris and Singita’s conservation and sustainable tourism projects in east and southern Africa. ben also works at OnePlanet Digital, heading up the Customer Success team and has contributed to the development of their innovative digital platform from its inception.

Theodora Kyriafini & Fotini Lymperiadou euZen Architecture

euZen Architecture is an international awardwinning architecture firm focused on providing solutions that represent harmonious integration of architecture with nature, the landscape, climate, and human needs in a sustainable way. The core of the team consists of Theodora Kyriafini, Dipl.-Ing. Technische Univesität Darmstadt, Germany, Fotini Lymperiadou, DipArch University College London, UK, Androniki Lymperiadou, DipArch Kingston University, UK, Konstantinos Despotidis, Dipl. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, M.Sc. in Environmental Design of Cities and buildings, hellenic Open University, Antonia Efthimiadou, Dipl. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The company holds a Class D professional license degree for public buildings in categories 6, building Architectural Design and 7, Special Architectural Design.

euZen Architecture aims through bioclimatic,

15 Paths to Sustainabiliity:

ecological, holistic and innovative design to create spaces that act positively on the user’s psychology, offer wellness, enhance health and joy. The company’s philosophy is to build with nature on a human scale that embraces each user, following principles of green and low energy design, with low maintenance.

Radu Negulescu

Radu Negulescu is an architect based in bucharest, Romania. Radu is an associate architect at DOA based in Romania.

Ana Munteanu

Ana Munteanu is an architect based in bucharest, Romania. She graduated in architecture from Univeritatea Spiru haret Faculty of Architecture and Colegiul Noational Roman Voda in Romania. Ana is a senior architect at hTO Architecture & Engineering in Romania.

Margarita Kyanidou

Margarita studied Architectural Engineering at the Democritus University of Thrace. She holds a Master’s degree in building Technology from TU Delft and she is a researcher on the Circular Economy in Construction and Design for Disassembly. As a student, she attended numerous workshops and seminars on sustainable development in architecture (ECOWEEK, Sudesco, Promoriver, etc). her research thesis on sustainable educational buildings, was presented at the ACOUSTICS 2016 Conference in Athens. As an architectural engineer, she worked with Superuse Studios in Rotterdam and was involved with the upcycling reused train parts in the construction sector as new building components. In cooperation with MVRDV and Superuse Studios, her Master’s thesis was presented and exhibited in GEVEL 2020 in Rotterdam, promoting the idea of reusing train windows as a complete facade system on different scales. She returned to Greece in March 2020 to continue her research on enhancing principles of sustainability as architectural composition tools, in academia. Since December 2020 she has worked as an architect with the firm of Aristides Dallas Architects in Athens, Greece.

Maria Carmela Frate

Maria Carmela Frate is an architect, holder of a Master’s Degree from the University Federico II in Napoli, and a Master’s in Management and Communication from Willingen, Germany. She holds a PhD in Architecture from the University Federico II. Maria Carmela has planned, coordinated and directed post-graduate courses

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for architects and engineers on bioclimatic and energy issues in restoration, and has led courses on restoration and recovery of existing buildings. Maria Carmela’s work is chiefly focused on planning and managing architectural heritage with historical value, and restoration. She teaches history of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Perugia. She has participated in many conferences and is the author of numerous publications, books, reviews and conference proceedings papers. She has published several books on sustainability in architecture based on her research at the Federico II University of Naples. She is a currently member of the board of Centro Studi Mastrodicasa, engaged in restoration of historic buildings.

Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki The New Raw

Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki are the architects behind the award-winning firm The New Raw based in Rotterdam (Netherlands), founded in 2015 with the ambition to give new life to discarded materials through design, robots and craftsmanship. The New Raw work advocates for a sustainable use of plastic to spring a positive environmental and societal impact. New Raw projects range from experimentation with hyperlocal fabrication and decentralized production to participatory design methodologies on circular economy systems and exploratory research on city, and marine plastic pollution with the development of customizable furniture and adjustable by users, to engage them in the recycling of plastics. The New Raw has been featured in international books, including “Wasted: When Trash becomes Treasure” by Katie Treggiden and has received media coverage by Dezeen, Domus, Wired, Financial Times, Design Milk, Fortune, Mashable, Fast Company, ELLE Decoration, Architectural Digest, and De Morgen. The New Raw projects have been exhibited in exhibitions and venues, among others at the Design Museum in Moscow (RU), Caixa Forum in barcelona (ES), Museum De Domijnen (NL), Salone Del Mobile (IT), Aikaterini Laskaridi Foundation (GR), Amsterdam Gemeente (NL), Foundation Telefonica, Madrid (ES), Onassis Cultural Center, Athens (GR), Framelab Amsterdam (NL), Gdynia Design Days (PL).

The New Raw The New Raw is a Research & Design studio based in Rotterdam (NL), founded in 2015 by the architects Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki. The studio uses robotic 3D printing with recycled plastic to develop and implement circular design concepts of high aesthetic value and societal impact. The bigger vision behind each of our projects or products is to contribute to a closed material cycle for plastic, to raise public awareness, and to stimulate local production. Through the integration of design thinking, robotic production, and material research, The New Raw provides complete design and additive manufacturing solutions for a more sustainable future.

15 Paths to Sustainabiliity:

Maria Anastasiadou and Ellie Petridi Little architecture

Little Architecture is a team of architects headed by Maria Anastasiadou and Ellie Petridi based in Greece. We are interested in (re-)activating public space with small-scale site-specific interventions and we strongly believe in participation as a tool for social engagement.

Lorin Niculae

Lorin Niculae has been a lecturer at the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism (U.A.U.I.M.), bucharest, since 1998. he acquired a Ph.D. from the same institution in 2013 for his doctoral thesis ‘Arhipera: The Social Participatory Architecture’. he has worked in the area of social architecture since 2007, introducing the participatory design method for beneficiaries of community housing projects in communities living in extreme poverty. Currently, he is the president of the Arhipera Association, founded in 2011. he is the owner of the Archos 2002 design studio and has worked as an architect since 1994. he is Associate Professor at UAUIM since 2019. he is a founding member of the Romanian Order of Architects (ROA) and currently a member of the National Council of the ROA, as well as being a founding shareholder of the humanitas Library. Lorin is also working group leader of the COST Action ‘Writing Urban Places. New Narratives of the European City’.

Luis Rossi, Nicolas Le Roux and Paula Lemos COTA760

COTA760 is an architecture and urban design firm based in São Paulo. COTA760 is coordinated by urban planners Luis Rossi, Nicolas Le Roux and Paula Lemos. Graduates from the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at USP with a period of study at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura in Madrid and at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture in Lyon, they began to develop projects together and in collaboration with other firms. They received awards in the 2015 and 2016 CbCA/ALACERO Contest for architecture students for steel structures. They collaborated with the República - h+F consortium on the SESC Limeira project in 2017, and were awarded third place in a national competition. Also in 2017, as architects they won the National Contest of Ideas for Parque do Cocó, in Fortaleza, in association with the firm base Urbana. Since then, the team has been developing new projects of their own and in partnership with other firms on various scales, with its own unique investigative and creative outlook which it continues to update in light of current developments.

from Innovation to Social Design

Lena Beigel and Georg Sampl EOOS NEXT

EOOS NEXT was founded in 2020 by EOOS as a social business to advance its social and sustainable design initiatives. Milestones include: work in global health and sanitation for the bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which started as a collaboration with EAWAG for the ‘Reinvent The Toilet Challenge’ (2011to date); the invitation to exhibit the ‘blue Diversion Toilet’ at the Venice Architecture biennale 2014 ‘Elements of Architecture’, curated by Rem Koolhaas; ‘Social Furniture’ (2015) – a furniture design manual for a refugee camp in Vienna, commissioned by Elke Delugan-Meissl for the Austrian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture biennale 2016 ‘Reporting from the Front’; the MAK exhibition ‘CLIMATE ChANGE! From Mass Consumption to a Sustainable Quality Society’ (2019), curated by Christoph Thunhohenstein; and the Austrian Pavilion at the Triennale di Milano 2019, curated by Marlies Wirth (MAK) and awarded the ‘black bee Award’ and the Wallpaper Design Award 2020 ‘Life-Enhancer of the year’ for the LAUFEN Save! toilet. Ulrike Schartner gaupenraub +/-

Ulrike Schartner is an architect, graduate of the University of Applied Arts, in Vienna. Founding partner of gaupenraub +/- in Vienna, with architect Alexander hagner, and founding partner omniplan Ab, providing architecture, project management, and general planning services in Stockholm, Sweden with Staffan Schartner and Pelle Norberg. Ulrike teaches architecture at TU Vienna, KTh Stockholm, TU Graz, NDU St. Pölten, and elsewhere. The architecture office gaupenraub +/- was founded in 1999 by Alexander hagner and Ulrike Schartner in Vienna, was selected to exhibit for the first season of young Viennese Architects (yoVA1). The firm works in different areas and scales, its broad field of work ranges from construction in existing contexts to urban planning to furniture and product design. Gaupenraub +/- became known from its involvement in projects for disadvantaged people such as the VinziDorf Wien, a residential project for men with severe alcoholism, and currently VinziRast am Land, helping rehabilitation of the formerly homeless through agriculture. Recipient of the 2020 City of Vienna Award for Architecture.

15 Paths to Sustainabiliity:

Konstantinos Giannakopoulos Demokritos Center

Dr. Konstantinos P. Giannakopoulos CPhys is a researcher at the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; he is a Physicist graduating from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1995 and he also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Liverpool, graduating in 1998. he has worked in ST Microelectronics (Advanced R&D, Crolles, France) and worked or collaborated with several European Universities. Since 2002, he has worked at NCSR Demokritos on the growth and structural characterization (especially using electron microscopy) of a large variety of nanomaterials and nanostructures, including oxides, semiconductors, metallic nanoparticles for applications in nanoelectronics (for advanced nonvolatile memories, sensors, magnetic recording media etc.). Recently he sub-coordinated an EU project aimed at providing information on advanced materials for sustainability to the European public (www.materialsfuture.eu). he has co-organized 15 National and International Conferences, and he is the co-author of 97 peer-reviewed scientific publications. he is currently the coordinator for an EU-mediated project on self-cleaning mirrors for solar energy collection. Nafsica Mouti Demokritos Center

Nafsica Mouti is a physicist, graduating from the University of Ioannina in 2019. She is currently pursuing an M.Sc. course in Microsystems & Nanostructures at the National Technical University of Athens. She also collaborates with the National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”. Nafsica has already gained lab experience working as part of an interdisciplinary team. She has huge enthusiasm for learning new things and she is now enjoying breaking new ground and discovering new perspectives for an eco-friendly and sustainable future. Nafsica joined the ECOWEEK team of volunteers in 2020.

The National Center for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’ “Demokritos” (NCSR), is the largest research center in Greece, founded in 1961. Today it has over 1000 employees and works closely with industry. It hosts a Technology Park with 25 high-tech companies (including Tesla). Demokritos consists of 5 Institutes that cover a very wide field of basic and applied scientific research: Informatics & Telecommunications; biosciences and Applications; Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety; Nuclear and Particle Physics; and Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, which is one of the largest

from Innovation to Social Design

research institutes in Greece, with over 300 staff, specializing in a wide range of advanced materials, processes and devices.

Kateřina Nováková PETMAT

Ing. Kateřina Novakova, Ph.D. is a researcher and lecturer at FA CTU Prague, and director of the PETMAT NGO. Katerina started her career as a teacher, and founded the Experimental Design Studio together with Prof. henri Achten in 2010. The aim was to manufacture student projects and exhibit them in public spaces. The focus from the start was sustainability, using plastic waste, specifically PET plastic bottles. Many awareness raising public installations were designed and constructed until she patented PET(b)ric: specially designed for construction. After that, longer lasting installations were realized, such as PETOTEM, RUN CZECh, and bOOKWORLD, among others. In 2015 she founded PETMAT NGO with Šimon Prokop and they switched to producing Czech-made 100% recycled filament for 3d printers. PETangel, Digital factory and many other projects were realized through the crowd printing method, until they were able to bring the fully functional filament to the market. The group has recently switched to using robots for 3d printing recycled polyethylene terephthalate in order to research the possibility of manufacturing bigger objects.

Anna Tsagkalou MOR Studio

Anna Tsagkalou is an architect, sustainability engineer and cofounder of MOR Studio. She graduated from National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and continued her studies at TU Delft where she obtained an MSc in building Technology. her focus lies on developing an integrated design approach, where climate and energy performancedriven design are used as integral tools for creating sustainable architecture.

IMAGE ECOWEEK 2011 closing photograph at the Chiostri dell’ Universita Statale in Milano, Italy.