MA Service Experience Design & Innovation UAL: London College of Communication
Regen+ Venice
Yasmeen Bazian
Connecting exhibitors to sustainable solutions to reduce and manage exhibition material waste
Regen+ Venice
Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere thanks to my tutor Hena Ali Naeem Khan and my teacher Cordula Findlander for supporting me on the journey to completing this project. Thank you for the British Council for giving me the opportunity to spend time in Venice where this project was born. Thanks to We Are Here Venice for encouraging me to pursue this project, special thanks to Carolyn Smith for providing valuable research material. As the inspiration for this project, I would like to extend my gratitude to Giulio Grillo and the Rebiennale family for the brilliant work they continue to do for the benefit of Venice, Venetians and the planet.
Disclaimer The views and thoughts expressed in this report are those of the author and do not reflect the position of any organisation or company. All sources used have been cited for acknowledgement. All human sketches used in this report were created by Alice Noir. All photography excluding the author’s own have been cited.
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Thank you to Touring Exhibitions Manager at the British Council, Rohan Stephens, for helping me understand his world and for his continuous feedback and support. Thanks to Boano Prismontas for believing in this project and their valuable feedback. Thanks to Chelsea from the V&A and to all the interviewees whose time and feedback is greatly appreciated. Last but not least thank you to my colleagues in the MASEDI class of 2018-19 who supported me and to my amazing family for their encouragement and support.
Table of Content 14 03
Existing Services
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Statement of Intent
Develop
15 04
Design Approach
Background and Context .04 Sustainability
and the Arts .05 Venice Art and Architecture Biennales Waste .07 UN Sustainable Development Goals Rebiennale .09 Derelict Spaces and the Housing Crisis in Venice
10 Stakeholders
.40 Design Space .41 Concept
Development .45 Co-designing .53 Prototyping .57 Testing and Feedback
98 Reflection & Conclusions
99 List of Figures
16 Discover .17 Secondary Research .19 Primary Research .26 Mapping
27 Define .28 .29 .35 .37 .38
65 Deliver .66 Iterations .67 Service Proposal .74 Testing and
Validation .89 Service Blueprint .91 Business Model .93 Value Proposition .95 SWOT
100 Bibliography
102 Appendices
Mapping Personas Key Insights Problem Statement How Might We
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Regen+ Venice
Statement of Intent This project develops a service system that supports the creative community in embedding sustainable practices into exhibition planning and management at the Venice Art and Architecture Biennales. The project targets three impact areas: 1) Waste reduction, 2) Waste management, and 3) Community partnerships. As sustainability is a core value for many art and cultural organisations, this service acts as a tool to support organisations in transforming their values into actions. Regen+ Venice supports artists, architects, designers, and curators in choosing sustainable materials to build their
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exhibition structures with the goal of reducing waste and minimising the negative impact on the environment. The service also provides eco-friendly waste management solutions for exhibition managers which would ultimately save money on waste disposal costs and have a positive impact on the local community through job creation and materials donation. Regen+ Venice is built around local community partnerships and its aim is to divert waste away from the landfill through repurposing reusable and recyclable exhibition materials towards urban regeneration projects in Venice.
Sustainability and the Arts Environmental sustainability has increasingly become an area of focus for many organisations in the arts and cultural sectors. The prevailing attitude has been largely focused on raising awareness about global climate change, however, without seriously considering the sustainability of their own practices and the carbon footprint generated by some of the activities they undertake such as productions, touring, conferences and biennales. “greening our own practice was just as (or even more) important as raising awareness about melting glaciers.” (Ostendorf, 2018)
Background and Context
The Lithuanian Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Art Biennale is just one of many exhibitions addressing the issue of climate change. “An opera performance on an artificial beach, in which swim suited performers break from sunbathing to sing warnings of ecological disaster, revealing our frivolous inertia in front of the climate change emergency.” (Musmeci, 2019)
Figure 1: Avezzù 2019, Lithuanian Pavilion Sun & Sea (Marina) at the Venice Art Biennale
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Regen+ Venice
Venice Art and Architecture Biennales The art and architecture biennales in Venice are two of the most prestigious events in the art and architecture scenes. The events take place biennially; the art exhibition on odd numbered years and the architecture exhibition on even numbered years. Both events attract a large number of exhibitors who flock to the city to exhibit their work for seven consecutive months.
615,000 Visitors
120 Participating Artists
86 National Exhibitions
23 Collateral Events
Figure 2: Art Biennale 2017 in numbers
275,000 Visitors
71 Participating Artists
63 National Exhibitions
12 Collateral Events
Figure 3: Architecture Biennale 2018 in numbers
Waste Such large scale events come with a big environmental footprint. There are no official figures on the amount of waste left behind from the Art and Architecture Biennales, but the 2016 architecture biennale offers some clues. The Chilean architect and main curator of the 2016 Architecture Biennale, Alejandro Aravena, built two installations comprised entirely of waste materials left over from the 2015 Venice Art Biennale.
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Figure 4: Hayes 2016 Opening halls of Biennale Architettura
By repurposing 90 tonnes of scrap metal and 10,000 meters of plasterboards, Aravera was hoping to raise awareness about the crisis created by waste generation. (Vaswani, no date) To put this amount of waste into perspective see figures 5 & 6.
Figure 5: 10,000 meters of plasterboard waste = 10 km 10 km covers the distance required to cross Venice from end to end in a zigzag
Figure 6: 90 tons of metal waste = the weight of 16 elephants
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Regen+ Venice
According to the European Commission Website:
“Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is one of the heaviest and most voluminous waste streams generated in the EU. It accounts for approximately 25% - 30% of all waste generated in the EU and consists of numerous materials, including concrete, bricks, gypsum, wood, glass, metals, plastic, solvents, asbestos and excavated soil, many of which can be recycled.� (European Commission, 2019) The waste generated from building and demolitioning exhibition structures consists of the same materials as (CDW), therefore, contributing to the waste problem.
UN Sustainable Development Goals In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly set 17 global sustainable development goals for the year 2030. The service system proposed in this project aligns with Goal 12 of the UN sustainable development goals. Figure 7: UN goal no 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals
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Below are some of the targets that are most aligned with the service:
“12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse” (The United Nations, no date) “12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle” (The United Nations, no date)
“12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature” (The United Nations, no date)
“12.B Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and product” (The United Nations, no date)
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Regen+ Venice
Rebiennale Rebiennale is a non-profit organisation founded in 2008 as a joint collective of volunteers including Venetian citizens, activists, artists, students and architects determined to fight back the depopulation of Venice. Through collaborations with architects, Rebiennale’s goal is to learn how to self-build with scrap materials left over from biennale installations in order to refurbish abandoned places and turn them into livable spaces for Venetians who are struggling to find affordable homes due to the gentrification of Venice. (Rebiennale, no date)
Housing Crisis and Derelict Places Mass tourism has resulted in a surge in rental prices in Venice making houses unaffordable for locals and causing a mass exodus of the Venetian population. According to statistics, there are 8,000 Airbnb rentals in Venice, a city of approximately 50,000 inhabitants. (Mangiapane, 2019) Another issue that has exacerbated the housing crisis is the high cost of renovations required to upkeep old buildings in Venice, forcing many home and business owners to abandon their properties. This has left local Venetians with very few options including illegally occupying abandoned places, refurbishing them and living in them.
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The Planet Local Environmental Organisations Local Charities
Stakeholders
Binnale Organisation
Exhibitors Waste Management Companies
Local Residens
Service Provider Rebiennale
Service Users Exhibitors in Venice
Local Government
Rebiennale Employees
Social Housing Charities National Pavillions
Transport Companies
Local Cultural Organisations
Storage Rentals
Future Venetian Generations
Figure 8: Stakeholder Map
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Activist Groups
Regen+ Venice
Key Stakeholders The service is jointly dependent on two core stakeholder groups for its success: 1. Exhibitors in Venice: 1.a Exhibition Managers 1.b Artists, architects, designers and curators 2. Rebiennale Employees
1.b The service provides artists, architects, designers and curators with sustainable solutions for planning greener exhibition structures.
“There needs to be a cultural shift in the way exhibitions are planned. Planning is key in ensuring a more sustainable practice” Architect, Architecture Biennale Participant
1.a The service provides exhibition managers with sustainable and cost efficient solutions for managing leftover exhibition waste.
2. The service gives Rebiennale access to reusable and recyclable materials left behind from exhibition structures. The materials would then be used for various urban regeneration projects such as refurbishing abandoned spaces.
“It’s becoming expensive to be wasteful” Exhibition Manager, Venice Art Biennale 2019
“The biennale factory”
is
like
our
Co-founder, Rebiennale
“If international exhibitions are leaving waste behind, it becomes an Italian problem” Exhibition Manager, Venice Art Biennale 2019
“We can reuse waste materials from exhibitions to refurbish abandoned places in Venice” Co-founder, Rebiennale
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Secondary Stakeholders
The Biennale Organisation and permanent National Pavilions have been identified by both the service user and the service provider as important stakeholders for their influence and reach. The service outcomes have a direct social and economic impact on local residents whether through urban regeneration projects, employment opportunities, or community engagements.
External Stakeholders The external stakeholder groups identified are expected to affect or be affected by the service at some point in the long term. For example, social housing charities could benefit from leftover reusable materials from exhibitions for renovations or refurbishment work.
The Planet and Future Generations as Stakeholders In looking holistically at the service and its implications, it was necessary to include the planet and future generations as stakeholders. The service provider is driven towards helping secure a better outcome for future generations of Venetians and is propelled to do so through protecting the planet and its natural resources. Thus, the planet and future generations become important stakeholders. On the other hand, the service user (usually representing an organisation), has a corporate social and environmental responsibility towards protecting the planet and the livelihood of future generations. The service solution will act as a tool to help achieve organisational goals. Ian Edwards, a sustainability consultant, argued that both the planet and the future should be included in modern sustainability practice. “modern sustainability practice lacks the voices of these two critical audiences, and stakeholder theory‌. is broad enough, and creative enough to include them.â€? (Edwards, 2015)
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Regen+ Venice
Stakeholder Analysis : Who Needs Whats? Figure 9: Stakeholder Analysis
Low
Interest
High
Keep Completely Informed Local Residents Social Housing Charities Local Environmental Organisations
Regular Minimal Contact
Exhibition Managers Rabiennale Employees Curators, Architects, Artists, Designers
Anticipate and meet needs
Local Cultual Organisations Activist Groups Storage Rentals Local Charities
Low
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Manage Most Thoroughly
Biennale Organisation National Pavillions Local Government Transport Companies Waste Management Companies
Influence
High
There are many companies in Venice that offer waste management services. Every national pavilion or participating exhibition is responsible for hiring local services to manage their exhibition waste. The process is logistics heavy due to the complexity of transport in Venice. There are no companies that offer similar services to Regen+ Venice which makes the service offering unique in that the focus is on reducing and salvaging exhibition waste materials for reuse rather than waste disposal.
Existing Services
This diagram represents a typical end-of life journey for biennale waste. Note: the licensed waste transport companies included in the diagram do not represent all available services.
Transport Service
Bamo SRL Local Dismantling Services Exhibition Installation
Building Material Waste
Licensed Waste Transport Companies
Citton
Licensed Waste Disposal Companies
Scalo Fluviale
Venice: Historic Centre
Mainland : San Giuliano or Troncherri
Mainland : Marghera or Treviso
Figure 10: Journey of exhibition waste from Venice
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Regen+ Venice
Design Approach The service design approach used for this project was based on the double diamond process divided into four stages: discover, define, develop and deliver. A variety of research and design methodologies and tools were utilised in each phase.
General Problem Statement
Ethnographic Research
Empathy Mapping
Expert Interviews Stakeholder Mapping
Problem Definition
Early Prototyping HMW
Stakeholder Interviews
Discover
Story Boarding
Key Insights
Secondary Research
Define
Figure 11: Double Diamond design process
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Develop
Service Proposal
Business Model Creation
Affinity Mapping
Concept Testing
Solution
Prototyping
Personas
Mind Mapping
Secondary Research
Iterate Co-design Workshop
Feedback & Validation Value Proposition
Blueprint
Deliver
Discover This was the information and insight gathering phase. It started with secondary research carried out in London. All other research activities were carried out in Venice (the context in which the service is based).
Secondary Research Desk Research
Primary Research Field Research Interviews
Mapping Mind Map
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Regen+ Venice
Secondary Research The main focus of the early stages of the secondary research was to gather information about the Venice Biennale organisation, its place within Venice and its relationship with the local population. The following research tools and methodologies provided valuable insight.
Desk Research Following are some of the insights collected from desk research:
The Biennale and Venice Below are a few excerpts from “How Was It For You?”, a report published by We Are Here Venice, a non-profit association that addresses Venice’s challenges as a living city.
“Exhibitors clearly benefit from the extraordinary backdrop and visitors never tire of the pleasures of spending time in Venice, but the serious threats to both its historic urban fabric and future as a living city tend to remain in the shadows” (Smith and Da Mosto, 2018)
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“The most self-evident problem with hosting such large temporary events is the vast amount of material consumption” (Smith and Da Mosto, 2018)
Figure 12: Mario Botta’s The Practice of Teaching installation
Figure 13: Norman Foster’s Crosses Morphed into a Tensegrity Structure
Waste at the Biennale There were attempts to create awareness about the waste generated from Biennale exhibitions, however, there is a lack of action on behalf of the organisation and the local government to address the issue.
““The opening halls of Biennale Architettura 2016 were built with 100 tons of waste material generated by the previous Biennale,” said a statement from Aravena.” (Mairs, 2016)
““Jane Da Mosto says, “It’s crazy that, between them, the Biennale and the local administration can’t [do more] to address and limit wastage and promote reuse.”” (Sharpe, 2019)
Figure 14: Aljoša Dekleva’s and Tina Gregorič’s Home at Arsenale installation
Mass Tourism and the Housing Crisis in Venice Quotes from local Venetians interviewed by Julia Buckley for The Independent:
“The problem is not to limit entrance to tourists; the problem is to give more houses, more apartments to the Venetians and the people who want to live here” (Buckley, 2018)
"For me, the most important thing for Venice would be to treat it like a real city and defend it from the selling off of public heritage, and from her daily rape by cruise ships and mass tourism. We need to prioritise housing policies and incentivise economic growth." (Buckley, 2018)
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Regen+ Venice
Primary Research Field Research - Observation Climate Change, mass extinction, global warming and pollution were dominant themes at the 2019 Art Biennale.
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Nordic Pavilion
Nordic Pavilion
Weather Report: Forecasting Future
Weather Report: Forecasting Future
Nordic Pavilion
French Pavilion
Weather Report: Forecasting Future
Deep See Blue Surrounding You
Field Research Attendance
-
Conference
Attending a conference was a good way to understand the kinds of conversations happening about art and the Biennale from the most influential people working at the organisation.
Meetings on Art 2019 Venice Art Biennale
Meetings on Art 2019 Venice Art Biennale
“Meetings on Art”, was a talk hosted by the curator of the 2019 Art Biennale, Ralph Rugoff, where he invited participating artists to further explore some of the main themes of the Biennale. The conference addressed art’s relationship with environmental issues. One of the themes discussed by participating artist, Tomás Saraceno, was the environmental impact of large scale exhibitions such as the Art and Architecture Biennales. Saraceno drew the crowd’s attention to the issue of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere to fly thousands of art professionals and ship tons of materials to Venice. He then went on to explore future alternatives. (La Biennale Di Venezia, 2019)
Field Research: Research
Ethnographic
To gain an empathetic understanding of the social and geographic context, an open exploration of Venice and its local population was necessary. This was done through photo ethnography and informal conversations with locals.
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Regen+ Venice
Photo Ethnography Waste in Venice is collected every day except Sundays and public holidays. Like everything else in Venice trash has to be collected by boat and by foot which is labor intensive and expensive. “The cost of garbage collection is three times the price in Venice as it is on the mainland.” (Knight, 2014) There’s substantial emphasis on recycling in Venice and the promotion of the circular economy. According to the mayor of the city and of the metropolitan city of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro,
“Venice, the foremost Italian metropolitan area in recycling, is proving today that it has all the right credentials to be a virtuous example of cooperation for the development of the circular economy: nothing is thrown away and recycling produces wealth. What today is a cost and a problem, tomorrow becomes an advantage” (Eni, 2018)
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For more photos (See Appendix A)
Restoration and renovation work on Venetian buildings and monuments is continuous and can be noticed in every corner of the city.
There are many abandoned properties that are left derelict in Venice due to the high costs of maintenance. Labratorio Morion is an example of an abandoned space occupied by Venetians, refurbished and turned into a social centre.
Activism and protests are commonplace in Venice due to the multitude of environmental, social and economic challenges looming over the city. This image was taken protest on the Venetian where the Venice Film place. The protest’s “Occupy the red carpet�
at a climate island of Lido Festival takes slogan was
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Regen+ Venice
Conversations With Locals About Living In Venice
“I don’t like living in Venice…I pay €500 for a small room...it’s too expensive...people like Venice because they don’t live here” Waiter, local resident
“I used to live here but I moved to Mestre and I commute everyday to Venice. I like it in Mestre, it’s affordable and there are not too many tourists” Gelato Shop Employee, Venetian
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Interviews After gaining a baseline understanding of the context (Venice and the Biennale) and the challenges facing Venice and its local population, the next step was to obtain a deeper-level understanding around some of the themes that arose from the open exploration research phase. In-depth interviews were carried out with people from different experiences and disciplines.
Architect and researcher based in Venice
“Italy scores very high in recycling among European countries...there’s an infrastructure that supports this including policy, technology and business of course, but a lot of it is actually social attitudes. There’s a culture here about waste and recycling that’s quite interesting. Maybe the Biennale has something to learn from it, maybe National Pavilions have something to learn from it”
Member of Rebiennale organisation
“The short life-span of the Biennale exhibitions, makes them unsustainable” “We started as volunteers collecting waste, but we felt used by exhibitions to save money on waste disposal and we quickly ran out of storage space. Now we only collect reusable materials” “It’s impossible to tell how much waste is left behind from the exhibitions, many exhibitions try to hide their trash by using greenwashing strategies” “It is very difficult to get information about materials from the exhibitions”
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Regen+ Venice
Exhibition Support Services Director in Venice
“When I suggest to my clients (pavilions) to work in more sustainable ways, I don’t get any pushback. It’s about providing people with other options if they’re available”
National Pavilion Exhibitions Manager
“The waste at the end of the biennale is extraordinary” “It’s almost unfathomable how Venice became the epicentre of the world’s biggest biennale, it’s such an inaccessible place to do it, everything has to come by boat and that comes with its own sustainability issues”
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Mapping Mind mapping was used to help visually organise the information collected during the discovery phase of the project. This tool helped organise the challenges Venice is facing and the existing solutions and responses to these challenges. The map also helped in making connections to the Biennale organisation and explore its role within the ecosystem.
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Regen+ Venice
Define This stage was focused on interpreting research findings, sense-making, identifying themes, articulating the problem, and finally setting the design challenge.
Mapping
Affinity Mapping Empathy Mapping
Personas
Key Insights HMW Problem Statement
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Affinity Mapping Affinity mapping was used to synthesise and make sense of the information gathered during the discovery phase. The information was clustered into themes based on their relationship. The most important themes/ideas were marked by a sticker to ensure they don’t get lost as the design process moves along it.
Empathy Mapping Empathy mapping was a useful tool for understanding the needs of the service users and helped in the persona development process. (See Appendix B) for a sample empathy map done for a Venetian resident and a member of the Rebiennale organisation.
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Regen+ Venice
Personas Three different personas were created to represent the three different user groups of the service. Marco represents members of Rebiennale. Ryan represents exhibition managers at the Biennale and Helen represents architects participating at the Biennale.
Marco
What Marco is Saying: “I'm a squatter myself because of the sad gentrification of Venice” “I want to see Rebiennale grow as a professional team”
Age: 40s Location: Venice Character: Activist Profession: Carpenter Bio I am a Venetian social and environmental activist. I’m dedicated to helping Venetian residents who have been evicted from their homes to find a new home. I’m part of a collective called Rebiennale focused on reusing the enormous amounts of waste materials produced by the Art and Architecture Biennale exhibitions to refurbish abandoned places and for urban regeneration projects. Self-driven, entrepreneurial, DIYer
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“Fighting back the depopulation of Venice is my life-long mission” “We’ve reused waste materials from exhibitions to support squatters in Venice and refugees in Marghera” “We asked permission from the biennale organisation to go in and study materials but we were not allowed” “Many exhibitions try to hide their trash” “We started as volunteers collecting waste, but we felt used by exhibitions to save money on waste disposal. Now we only collect reusable materials”
Needs:
Motivations:
Access to information about reusable waste material from art and architecture exhibitions Grow as a professional team to meet new demands from the Venice Biennale Organisation
Social
Environmental
Growth
Visibility among biennale exhibitors Collaborations with curators, architects, designers and artists to exchange knowledge about life cycle assessment to promote a culture of sustainability
Snaps Of My Life:
Frustrations: Reusable material from the Biennale is sometimes trashed and ends up in landfills Reusable material compromised during process
is the
sometimes dismantling
We can never know how much waste is generated from the exhibitions The biennale uses greenwashing strategies to get rid of the waste It’s difficult to obtain information about materials from exhibitors as they don’t like to reveal the use of unsustainable materials
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Regen+ Venice
Ryan What Ryan is Saying:
Age: 30s Location: London Character: Planner Profession: Touring Exhibitions Manager Bio I’m a touring exhibition manager. I’m responsible for handling logistics for our exhibition at the Venice art and architecture biennales including waste management. I’m always looking for strategies to reduce and manage waste effectively, especially that it’s becoming expensive to be wasteful and I also want to make sure that things are done sustainably. I need to make sure I have plenty of time for planning to discuss with the artists and architects how we can make our exhibitions more sustainable and less wasteful. Organised, meticulous, eco-conscious
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“I do mediation with artists/architects to make sure they’re working within the right framework. And that's not killing their dream, it's more to say, this is the limitations of Venice, the limitations of the Pavilion, the limitations of the budget, you have to sort of work within that. And that also involves our responsibility as an organization to not destroy the environment” “there's a lot of planning that goes into making sure things are not done ad hoc. I think when things aren't planned properly, that's when you start to blow out your carbon footprint and blow out your budget. Logistics are a big thing in Venice. One plane means one truck means one boat.” “The waste from the architecture biennale is easier to repurporse because it’s building materials as opposed to the art waste”
Needs:
Motivations:
Eco-friendly strategies for waste reduction and management.
Success
Ensure the organisation has a reputation for responsible environmental and social practices
Environmental
Save money on waste disposal
Financial
Reputation Frustrations: Negotiations with artists and architects around feasibility of ideas could be challenging
Snaps Of My Life:
Waste disposal costs a lot of money Not aware of alternative solutions for waste reduction and management Lead time to plan for sustainable waste management strategies is challenging
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Regen+ Venice
Helen
Age: 30s Location: London Character: Intentive Profession: Architect What Helen is Saying: Bio I’m a London based architect who has exhibited in Venice at a satellite exhibition that took place during the architecture biennale. I’m always looking for innovative ways to express myself as an architect and designer. I try to embed sustainable practices in my work as much as possible. I have reused materials in my installations over and over again. I’m interested in the concept of regenerative design and I try to adopt it in all my projects. I think this approach pushes the designer to explore new depths of creativity and it is not restrictive like some people believe. Nature is a huge inspiration for me, that’s why I approach it with the utmost respect. Creative, Principled, Environmentally Responsible
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“I try to be sustainable in the way I work, so it’s a natural step for me to apply the same approach when I’m exhibiting in Venice” “There needs to be a cultural shift in the way exhibitions are planned. Planning is key in ensuring a more sustainable practice” The Biennale organisation needs to push for a greener exhibiting practice” “Having an incentive for architects and designers to go green would help” There is so much waste generated from the biennale exhibitions, I always wonder what happens to all this trash”
Needs:
Motivations:
Support from the biennale organisation to encourage greener practices
Environmental
Community support
Innovation
Access to resources to help in planning a “green” exhibition
Reputation
Enough time and resources to plan for a sustainable exhibition
Frustrations: Lack of incentive for designers to go green
Snaps Of My Life: architects
and
No support system for architects who want to work in a more sustainable way Not sure where the up.Transparency is lacking
waste
ends
Big organisations are not talking about waste generated from massive exhibitions. There’s no accountability
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Regen+ Venice
Key Insights
Planning for the reuse of materials has to happen in the very early stages of exhibition planning
The process of dismantling exhibition structures is very important in determining the reusability of materials. Proper dismantling of structures could preserve the integrity of materials and prevent the waste from ending up in a landfill or going to the inicinater; it increases the chances for reuse
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There is a willingness to adopt more sustainable practices on behalf of some exhibition organisers and architects participating at the Venice Biennale, however there’s a lack of action due to low awareness levels about solutions and the absence of practical tools to aid in the transition to greener practices.
Exhibition participants are under a lot of pressure to deliver, therefore, sustainability becomes an afterthought. Adopting sustainable practices requires early and meticulous planning.
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Regen+ Venice
Problem Statement
The Venice Art and Architecture Biennales continue to attract hundreds of exhibitors from all over the world to showcase their work for seven months of the year. However, due to a lack of sustainable practices to reduce their exhibitions' environmental footprint, hundreds of exhibitions leave behind enormous amounts of waste material that ends up being trashed; waste that could have been reused for much needed urban regeneration projects in Venice. 37
How Might We
Connect participating exhibitors at the Venice Art and Architecture Biennales to solutions that will help them adopt sustainable practices to reducing and managing exhibition waste 38
Regen+ Venice
Develop This phase marked the beginning of the service concept development. Several ideation meetings were carried out including a co-design workshop with participants from multi-disciplinary backgrounds. Regen+ Venice was developed as a service solution and the process of testing and iterating with service users began.
Design Space Concept Development Early Concept Testing
Co-Designing Design Brief Workshop Key themes
Prototyping Testing and Feedback
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Design Space The design criteria were created using key insights and respond to the HMW question. The Design Criteria Canvas tool was used to determine the core elements of the service. This helped to prioritize the non-negotiable elements and to identify important elements and other items that might be useful but aren’t mandatory for the service. (Design A Better Business, no date)
Must
Should
Could
Won’t
Include local community partnerships
Offer an incentive to use
Create a competition for most sustainable exhibition
Solve all customers’ sustainability issues
Provide solutions for waste reduction Provide solutions for sustainable waste management
Encourage long term collaboration Help achieve zero-waste to landfill process
Collaborate with other organisations /services aligned with the same goals
Provide free services for collecting leftover exhibition materials
Support culture of sustainability through knowledge exchange
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Regen+ Venice
Concept Development Storyboard Storyboarding was a useful tool as a first step to exploring the concept based on the defined problem.
.01 Sustainability
Exhibition Manager introduces the architect to the organisation's new sustainability goals
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.02 Database of Reusable Materials
Exhibition Manager introduces the architect to the service
.03 Collaboration
Architect discovers ways of embedding sustainability into practice through the service
.05 Building
Exhibition manager suggests hiring local talent to help in building exhibition structure
.04 Sustainable Materials
Architect chooses reusable materials to work with
.06 Dismantling
Artist discovers more service offering
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Regen+ Venice
Early Concept Testing The concept was tested with an exhibitions manager working for one of the national pavilions at the Venice Biennale. Feedback was solicited very early on in the concept development process using the storyboard as a visual tool to explain the concept. Early testing was helpful in ensuring the service idea is viable.
Feedback: Key takeaways from feedback: Early planning is very important for the success of the service. The way artists, architects, designers and curators use the service must be well articulated as the exhibitions manager’s influence is limited when it comes to materials selection.
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“The service needs to be clear on how materials are collected...what the process is. Communication and transparency are essential”
“I’m on board with the concept. It really all comes down to planning materials and the dismantling or deinstall of the exhibition”
“This is a long commitment and would require a 12 month lead time”
“Conversations and planning about materials need to happen at a top level...with artists and architects, even before I come in”
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Regen+ Venice
Co-Design Design Brief The design brief incorporated feedback collected during concept testing.
HMW make information sharing about materials seamless and timely for both service user and service provider? (When and how) HMW design a customer service platform that is easy to use? HMW encourage and motivate customers to use the service?
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Part of the brief was to communicate potential service interventions to workshop participants (see figures 15 and 16). The below diagram shows the journey of the upcoming British Architecture Exhibition
Dec ‘18
Feb ‘19
Apr ‘19
May ‘19
May ‘20
Nov’20
Call Goes Out To Architects
12 Shortlisted Teams
Selection Made
Work Begins
Exhibition Opens
Exhibition Closes
Exhibition Concept Development And Materials Planning
Exhibition Planning And Set-up
Dismantling And Waste Disposal
Figure 15: Journey of 2020 British Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennalle- Service Interventions
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Regen+ Venice
The life cycle assessment tool (LCA) was used to further articulate the service interventions mostly from the service provider’s perspective. “Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method which is increasingly used to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of products and
services and their resource consumption. LCA is also used in the building and construction sector, where it is a crucial part of the assessment of a building’s environmental sustainability.” (Birgisdóttir and Rasmussen and Danish Building Research Institute, 2016)
Raw Materials
Urban regeneration Projects, donation, reuse for future art/architecture projects
Production
Recyling Reutilisation
Use
Collecting materials for reuse and recycling
Technical Dismantling
Final Waste Processing
Demolition Dismantling
Figure 16: Life Cycle Assessment - Service Interventions
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Planning + material selection + material declaration + building
Workshop The purpose of the co-design workshop was to gather ideas and come up with potential solutions through answering the design brief. A thorough briefing session was given to the participants to ensure they had sufficient background information. Supporting material such as personas, a journey through the service storyboard, and service intervention diagrams were provided.
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In keeping with the service’s sustainability values, the planet centric design canvas was used as a tool to ensure the design outcomes 1. Aim towards solving the selected planetary problem (UN Goal no. 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals: Responsible Consumption and Production) 2. Benefit the planetary users selected (Humans, Minerals and Metals)
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The planet centric design canvas is a tool that helps businesses in solving their problems while respecting the planet and its inhabitants. The tool was developed by Impossible, an agency focused on building products and designing businesses for the future using Planet Centric Design. (Impossible, 2019) The goal of the workshop was to empathise with the target users of the service, identify their problems and ideate around solutions.
Planetary Problem
Planetary Solution
Planetary Users
Responsible comsumption and production
Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
Humans Minerals and Metals
User Problems
Solution Details
People (Target Users)
Workshop participants were from multidisciplinary backgrounds including designers, artists and people with exhibition management experience. Participants were asked to spend time studying personas, identifying their pain points and identifying design opportunities based on their needs. Participants were divided into two groups. Group 1 was asked to generate ideas from the perspective of the service user and Group 2 was asked to design from the perspective of the service provider. This ensured that the perspectives of both the service user and the service provider were represented. Ideas were then shared and discussed in detail among the groups.
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The next step was to organise and group the ideas into themes based on their relationships. The final step was to prioritise ideas using the dot-voting method.
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Key Themes Key themes that came out of the co-design session
Pre-planning Design ideas were focused on how to support service users in choosing to work with sustainable and reusable materials in the early stages of exhibition planning. This is about waste reduction.
Exchange Design ideas were focused around collaborating with the local community through knowledge exchange about sustainable materials and practices, and donating leftover exhibition materials.
Afterlife of Materials Design ideas were focused on providing options for reuse and recycling materials. This is about sustainable waste management and extending the service life of exhibitions through reuse and recycling.
Incentive To Use The Service Design ideas were focused on how to encourage users to use the service.
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Prototyping A digital prototype of the service was developed as an outcome of the ideas and discussions from the co-design workshop and expansive desk research. The main service features include:
Introduction to the Service
(See Appendix C) 53
Waste Reduction
Materials Wishlist Feature: a planning tool to help service users in reducing exhibition waste through planning the use of sustainable materials from the beginning Declare Feature: a tool that helps exhibitors in sharing information about the availability of reusable materials from their exhibition. The aim ultimately is to salvage materials from getting disposed in unsustainable ways (incinerator or landfill) Services Feature: access to services to help in the building, dismantling and waste disposal of exhibitions. Collaboration Feature: providing partnership opportunities with the local community through knowledge exchange workshops about sustainable exhibition practices and urban regeneration projects. Donate Feature: reducing the disposal of reusable or recyclable exhibition materials through donating them to a good cause Green Lion Feature: recognising exhibitors for their sustainable exhibiting practices through meeting certain criteria
Waste Management
Community Partnerships
Recognition for sustainable exhibiting practices
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Service Name Regen+ Venice Regen is short for regenerate and is an invitation for service users to approach their exhibition design in a regenerative way.
For the service provider it’s about regeneration and reconstruction, in this case, of Venice.
Regenerate: - to make (a substance) usable again, as by restoring it to its original chemical composition - to give new life or energy to; revitalise - to become formed or constructed again Regeneration: forming again; reconstituting
renewing
and
(The Free Dictionary, 2019)
+
stands for creating a positive impact and inclusion
The name allows for scalability as Regen+ could be applied to any other context in which an art or cultural exhibition takes place.
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Regen+ Venice targets three impact areas: Waste reduction through the selection of sustainable materials Waste management through the use of sustainable methods Community Partnerships through job creation, project collaborations and skills sharing and knowledge exchange about sustainable building design and construction practices
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Testing and Feedback The prototype was tested with: Two London based architects who have exhibited during the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018 A group of UX and service designers
Testing: Feedback on Materials Wishlist Feature
“One difficulty you might have is forcing people to plan and have a different mindset, so you definitely need back up from the organisers, it should be a strict rule, at least for one year just to try out or there should be a good incentive� Architect no. 1
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Testing: Feedback on Declare Feature
“I think what’s important is declaring the quantities as well as the status of materials and how damaged they are...because if I’m coming to pick up a board and it has too many holes in it.. it’s no use for me” Architect no.2
“If you can take a photo on your phone and upload it...whatever is easiest because time is usually a barrier” Architect no. 2
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Testing: Feedback on Potential of Using the Service
“If you want us to help you in depth with this, we could be consultants or partners for your project, if you need someone to try it for the first time, we can participate, we would be happy to...it’s a good cause” Architect no. 1
We were actually talking about how much waste there is at the biennale and how we should do something” Architect no. 2
“We will sign up!” Architect no. 2
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Testing: Feedback on Launching the Service and Publicity
It would be good to launch a service with an event that explains what you want to do in a broader vision, we could partner with you to create something, a symbol, out of biennale trash, you get it published, you start talking about it… you need to do it from a marketing point of view...you have to create something so that people see it and start talking about it. It’s an eyecatcher you get some news out of it published in magazines. People usually want to see it done to understand and say...I like it...it’s very difficult to convince people and bring them to the point of behaviour change you want...so if you start showing the problem in a very tactical real way then people understand it or feel it” Architect no. 1
“Social Media especially Instagram would be great for this service” Architect no. 1
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Testing: Feedback on Services Feature
“The way people build and dismantle structures actually has an impact on the afterlife of the materials and whether or not it can be reused, so it makes sense to offer these services” Architect no.1
Testing: Feedback on Donate Feature
“Most of these installations are built through using cheap labour of students, so if they are part of the process, I think it’s only fair to donate the materials to students” Architect no.1
“So many of the social housing buildings in Venice are in need of refurbishing” Architect no.1 61
“Usually universities have storage capacity, IUAV is a huge university, so they might find a room to store materials.” Architect no.1
Testing: Feedback on the Service Concept
“This service is definitely something that is happening at the right time...someone needs to do something about the waste problem” Architect no. 1
“...I think the region (Veneto) as a government body, would like to promote this sort of service because they’re already doing amazing work in recycling...so you might have some back up from the political side...I don’t know about biennale...it’s not easy...I mean you haven’t chosen an easy exhibition, because in Italy it’s difficult to innovate sometimes...they are very creative, but innovation goes through politics more than other places” Architect no. 1
“That’s a really good thing you’re doing, I think it’s going to be very successful” Architect no. 2 62
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Testing: Feedback on Green Lion Feature
“ I think this is a good incentive to give people the opportunity to sign up for this more ecological way of exhibiting and create another club of these architects/designers who are part of this new system and by taking part...they get recognition, maybe a green badge, and people can see that they are different.� Architect no.2
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Testing: Feedback on Service Concept
“I think since there are so many ways a user can get involved in the service, and the experience is not linear, you need to make that clear at the very beginning...on the homepage” Service Designer
“Simplify the names of features to make them easier to understand e.g Materials Wishlist, make it more straightforward” UX Designer
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Deliver This was the final phase of the design process.The focus was to perform final iterations to the service, final testing and validation, and to deliver the service blueprint.
Iterations Service Proposal Testing and Validation Service Journey Maps Service Blueprint Value Proposition The Sustainable Business Model SWOT
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Iterations A digital platform for the service was developed that includes both a website and an app. Three main feedback points were addressed in the final round of iterations.
Communicate the service features upfront and in a succinct way
Simplify the naming of the service features
In the final iteration, the service offering is communicated on the homepage with two calls-to-action that sum up the main service offering: “Waste reduction” and “Waste Management”
“Declare” was changed to “Tell us what materials you have”. And the feature now lives under the “Manage Waste” service offering. “Materials Wish list” is now a “database of sustainable materials” and now lives under the “Reduce Waste” service offering.
Simplify the technology for declaring materials Taking into consideration the feedback around the technology for declaring exhibition materials, an app for this specific service feature was proposed to make sharing information about exhibition materials quick and easy for exhibitors.
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Service Proposal
(See Appendix D)
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Waste Management Scenario 1
Confirms interest in material
Uploads exhibition materials information on app
Provides quote for exhibition dismantling
Disassembles exhibition structure
Accepts quote
Takes reusable materials for urban regeneration projects
Disposes any leftover trash using a sustainable local waste disposal partner
Pays for waste disposal
Value Exchange: Regen+ Venice = Acquires reusable materials for future urban regeneration projects. Job opportunities for local residents Exhibition manager= Saves on waste disposal costs. Maximises positive eco-social impact
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Waste Management Scenario 2
Makes a site visit to assess materials health
Uses a third party service for dismantling exhibition structure
Declares availability of leftover materials on app after exhibition dismantling
Wants to donate material to Regen+
Value Exchange: Regen+ Venice = Acquires reusable materials for future urban regeneration projects Exhibition eco-social
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manager=
Maximises
positive impact
Collects only reusable / recyclable materials for urban regeneration projects
Waste Reduction Scenario 1
Offers exhibition building and dismantling services
Chooses Submits an sustainable online materials form to for Regen+ to upcoming confirm exhibition materials
Joins exhibition building team
Ensures exhibition is built in a sustainable way
Dismantles exhibition to ensure materials are preserved for reuse
Accepts building and dismantling offer
Value Exchange: Regen+ Venice = Acquires reusable materials for future urban regeneration projects + job opportunities for local residents Architect = Reduces exhibition waste + creates positive social impact through collaboration with local community
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Waste Reduction Scenario 2 Registers materials as available for collection after exhibition
Offers exhibition building and dismantling services
Chooses Submits sustainable an online materials form to for Regen+ upcoming to confirm exhibition materials
Rejects services but agrees to work with sustainable materials
Value Exchange: Regen+ Venice = Acquires reusable materials for future urban regeneration projects Architect = Reduces exhibition waste
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Assesses reusability of materials after exhibition is dismantled
Collects reusable and recyclable materials
Testing and Validation The service was tested with a curator and artist from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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Feedback On Service Concept
“I feel like artists and curators, we’re all thinking about sustainability now. So I think a service like this is of great help for us to think about the materials we use and the afterlife of these materials...It is very important to ask ourselves why do I need to use this specific material when I can use this other more sustainable material that will have a positive impact in the future. It’s a good way of working in a more conscientious way”
“Planning at the very beginning is a very good point because curators and contractors work together from the very start, so it’s great that the service offers what contractors offer...to be on the team with the curator and artist to build the exhibition.”
“This could be transformative”
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Feedback On Waste Reduction Feature Concept
“Curators are the ones who are planning and contractors are the ones executing. Curators don’t have much say about what materials contractors are using as long as the end product meets their concept requirement...so it’s good to work with a sustainable contractor who can help you choose sustainable materials and build your exhibition...like this service is offering”
“...restrictions sometimes pushes your creativity...the ideas are more important than the material itself”
“I think it’s challenging the artist in a good way ...by looking at materials from a different perspective...from a sustainability perspective and considering other options right from the start of the creative process”
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Feedback On Waste Management
“It’s so expensive to get rid of things, waste disposal and landfill taxes rates are so high”
“So much materials are used to produce exhibitions and unfortunately most of it is trashed. Institutions need to rethink how they manage their waste…I think it’s so important and currently no one is thinking about it”
Feedback On Services Feature
“Being there during the building of exhibition is very useful in ensuring sustainability of materials...looking at small details like the type of paint example can be determined by contractor”
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the the the for the
“Yeah why not help them build the exhibition and you then take down the structure that you built...as you know how you built it and you know how to take it down in a sustainable way”
Feedback on Green Lion Certificate
“I feel like the period we’re at now, it’s very important to have a good reputation for being sustainable, it’s not enough to be sustainable in your personal life, but also at work….it’s difficult at the beginning, it’s a long commitment...it’s a continuous process, so it’s encouraging to be recognised”
“That’s amazing, I mean as a consumer, if you see a product with a specific label like Fair Trade or Vegan, you trust it, acknowledge it and actually support what the organisation is doing, because you know they’re doing the right thing...it’s great publicity as well and it becomes easy to notice...and artists like that kind of publicity”
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Feedback On Launch Of Service And Publicity
“Social media is the new exhibition space, everyone is on there, it’s a good way to reach connect with independent artists”
Feedback On Service Support From The Biennale
“For example, the theme of London Design Week was sustainability so the artisans and designers had to use sustainable materials.”
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Feedback On Challenges And Opportunities Of Using The Service
One of the problems is the budget...every exhibition has a budget...some organisations have their inhouse contractors...or have long-term partnerships with third party contractors and get discounts...but if they have sustainability goals, and they need to commit to them, even if it means they have to change they way they do things to achieve their goals.
“I think actually in the long term it’s cheaper to be sustainable, because you’re not discarding materials...you’re preserving them to be reused”
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Service Journey Map Journey Through The Service - Architect
.1
.2
Helen sees an instagram post about the launch event for Regen+ Venice, which included a feature collaboration project with two London based architects
She likes that the feature project at the event was built with 100% sustainable materials and those materials are going to be reused for urban regeneration projects in Venice
.7
Helen signs an agreement with Regen+ Venice that includes the three-step waste reduction process: Sustainable materials selection, building and dismantling the exhibition
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.3
Regen+ Venice
She clicks through to Regen+ Venice’s website and starts browsing through their services
.6
.4
Reduce Waste
Helen is very excited that the website provides solutions for reducing exhibition waste
.5 Submit
Marco from Regen+ Venice gets in touch with Helen to provide more information about the materials selected and how they can collaborate on Helen’s upcoming exhibition in Venice
She selects materials that she would like to work with for her upcoming exhibition in Venice and submits her interest through an online form
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.8
.9
Helen starts working with Marco and his team on her project using the sustainable materials she has chosen
After the exhibition is over Helen calls on the Regen+ Venice team to dismantle the exhibition structure and take the leftover reusable materials
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.10
Regen+ Venice reuses the exhibition materials to refurbish an abandoned building and turn it into a social centre
.11
Helen is awarded the Green Lion certificate as a recognition for her sustainable exhibiting practices
.12
Helen becomes part of the Regen+ Venice community of sustainable art and design practitioners
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Service Journey Map Journey through the service - Exhibitions Manager
.1
.2
Ryan finds out about Regen+ Venice while researching eco-friendly waste disposal companies that he can hire to get rid of his exhibition waste
Ryan visits the Regen+ Venice website and browses the service offering
Regen+ Venice
.7
Ryan accepts Marco’s offer and signs an exhibition dismantling service with Regen+ Venice
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.3
Manage Waste
He’s interested in the “Manage Waste� service feature
.4
Tell us what materials you have...
Ryan is happy to find out that instead of trashing leftover exhibition waste, he can declare what materials he has and Regen+ Venice can collect them to be reused for urban regeneration projects
.6
.5
Marco expresses interest in the materials Ryan uploaded on the app and recommends that his team at Regen+ Venice does the exhibition dismantling to ensure the materials are preserved for reuse
Ryan downloads the app so he can take pictures of the exhibition and declare the kind and quantity of materials on his phone and upload them instantly
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.8
.9
Marco and his team from Regen+ Venice dismantle the exhibition carefully to preserve the integrity of the materials
All reusable materials are collected and temporarily stored for future urban regeneration projects.
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.10
Regen+ Venice uses a sustainable waste disposal company to get rid of any non-reusable and non-recyclable leftover materials
.11
Ryan is so happy Regen+ Venice helped him manage his exhibition waste in a sustainable way, save money on waste disposal and achieve his organisation’s environmental goals.
.12
Ryan is interested in establishing a long-term collaboration with Regen+ Venice and work with them towards managing as well as reducing waste for future exhibitions
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Service Blueprint
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Pre-Service
In-Service
Launch event, social media, magazines, WOM, online search
Website
Online Form
Contract
Exhibition Structure
Customer journey for waste reduction
Becomes Aware of the service
Visits service platform
Selects sustainable material for exhibition
Signs cotract for exhibition building and dismantling
Builds exhibition with Regen+
Customer journey for waste Management
Becomes Aware of the service
Visits service platform
Physical Evidence
Pre-exhibition planning
Exhibition
App
Post Exhibition
Email/Phone Call
Exhibition Structure
Leftover Exhibition Material
Receives expression of interest from Regen+ Venice
Agreement
Continue
Email/Phone Call
Signs agreement for upcoming exhibition
Plans for following year’s exhibition
Confirms site visit with Regen+
Signs agreement for upcoming exhibition
Plans for following year’s exhibition
Picks up reusable materials from exhibition
Sends agreement
Manage project
Confirms site visit with Regen+
Uploads photos of exhibition materials
Post Service
Line of Interaction Frontstage Employee Actions
Sends Contract
Sends expression of interest in materials
Builds Exhibition with customer
Technology
Dismanties exhibition
Updates database with information
Generates a customer order
Line of Visibility Backstage Contact Actions
Project manager processes order
Project manager prepares contract
Database and order management system
Legal and Compliance
Resourcing and talent planning
Project manager analyzes information
Project manager confirms interest in materials
Resourcing and talent planning
Project Manager prepares agreement
Line of Internal Interaction Support Processes
Marketing campaign planning
Tech platform integration
Legal and Compliance
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The Sustainable Business Model
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Key Partners Venice Biennale Organisation Environmental Organisations Waste Management Companies Exhibitions at the Biennale
Key Activities Building and dismantling exhibition structures Communicate material needs for urban regeneration projects Connecting exhibitors with local professionals for project collaborations Reuse exhibition materials for urban regeneration projects
Key Resources
Value Proposition One platform that helps you reduce and manage your exhibition waste in a sustainable and cost-efficient way.
Customer Relationships Information exchange Co-planning Project collaborations “Green� Certification
Salaries Tech Platform Costs Tools and machinery Storage Costs Transportation Costs
Eco-Social Costs Transportation of Materials
Exhibition Managers Artists, curators, architects, designers
Reduce your environmental footprint while creating eco-social benefits
Channels Website APP Project Manger Online Form
Builders, carpenters Tech Platform Storage Brand
Cost Structure
Customer Segments
Revenue Streams Building and dismantling services $/hr Waste disposal services $/weight
Eco-Social Benefits Reducing waste to landfills Reusing waste for urban regeneration projects Refurbishing derelict spaces Refurbishing spaces for social housing Creating jobs for local community
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Value Proposition
“Put your waste to good use”
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- Planning for the use of sustainable materials - Finds opportunities for reusing and recycling waste - Dismantling and building services with local experts to ensure best chances of material reusability - Data sharing about material availability
Pain Relievers
Service
- One platform that provides solutions for reducing and managing exhibition waste in a sustainable way
- Certification for sustainable practices - Recognition for Green for green practices - Preserves natural resources - Knowledge exchange about materials sustainability through community collaborations
- Save money on waste disposal
- Not familiar with existing sustainable solutions
- Lower environmental impact - Recognition for sustainable practices
- Doesn’t have the tools to reduce and manage waste sustainably
Pains
Gain Creators
- Savings on waste disposal costs
- Waste disposal is expensive
Gains
- Planning an exhibition successfully at the Art or Architecture Biennale while minimizing environmental footprint - Achieve sustainability goals - Manage waste effectively
Jobs
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SWOT Analysis
S
trengths
The service is unique. No other service offers a holistic approach to sustainable waste reduction and management of exhibitions with a focus on eco-social impact The timeliness of the service due to the fact that climate change and global warming are dominating world news There already exists a strong culture and infrastructure for recycling and the circular economy in the Metropolitan City of Venice Built on community collaborations
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W
eaknesses
The service needs the backing and influence of the Biennale Organisation. Lack of organisational transformation plan for service provider
O
pportunities
Expansion to other art and architecture exhibitions. Model could be replicated in other contexts. Creating a movement around sustainability and building a community A few exhibitors have already expressed their interest in the service
T
hreats
Absence of endorsement from Biennale organisation. Access restrictions to the main exhibition areas (Giardini and Arsenale) Many art and cultural institutions have existing contractors and not willing to shift to other (more sustainable) services Exhibitors continually change. Long-term relationships may be hard to achieve
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Action Plan Through this project, a connection has already been established between the service provider and an exhibition manager for one of the participating national pavilions at the Venice Biennale. Future Biennale exhibitors have also expressed their interest in being early adopters of the service. In order to achieve the goals for this service, the following actions are needed.
Test MVP with first customer
Business Proposal
Service Funding & Partnerships
Service Infrastructure
Service Launch & Marketing Activities
- Get exhibitors who have already expressed their interest onboard to test the service
- Write up a detailed business plan
- Seek funding and partnerships (Biennale organisation, environmental organisations, municipality, waste management companies)
- Develop service platform including website, app and technology integrations
- Plan a service launch event
- Make adjustments to all service features based on feedback
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- Implement new organisational structure
- Create communications channels (social media) - Advertising campaign (print ads, social media ads, online ads)
Reflection & Conclusions It is very important to ask ourselves as designers, artists, architects and anyone in the creative field about our contribution to the fight for a healthier planet. What can we do, to not only minimise the damage to the environment, but to create a positive impact through our work. This project gave me the opportunity to explore what happens behind the scenes of large scale exhibitions and question the sustainability of our practices as producers and creators. As many organisations, businesses and institutions move towards more sustainable practices, I believe the arts and cultural sector needs to lead the way. One of the challenges faced throughout the project was getting exhibitors to speak openly about their current practices. In order for change to happen, it is important for organisations to be honest about where they are today and set goals for the future. This service provides a step in the right direction for organisations that are willing to take the sustainable route to exhibiting and align themselves with sustainability goals. It is important to mention that this service is built on partnerships, and without meaningful collaborations, it will not succeed.
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Figure 1 Avezzù, A. (2019) Lithuanian Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale 2019 Available at: https://worldarchitecture.org/article-links/ecepp/lithuanian-pavilion-creates-artificial-beach-addressing-themost-pressing-ecological-issues-in-venice.html (Accessed: 12 November 2019).
Figure 7 The United Nations (no date) Goal 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/ (Accessed: 13 November 2019).
Figure 2 La Biennale di Venezia (2017) Biennale Arte 2017 | Biennale Arte 2017, over 615,000 visitors Available at: https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/biennale-arte-2017-over-615000-visitors (Accessed 12 November 2019).
Figure 9 Author’s Own
Figure 3 La Biennale di Venezia (2018). Biennale Architettura 2018 | Biennale Architettura 2018 closes on Sunday 25th Available at: https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/biennale-architettura-2018-closes-sunday-25th (Accessed: 12 November 2019). Figure 4 Hayes, L. (2018) Opening halls of Biennale Architettura 2018 Available at: https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/cempv/alejandro_aravena_uses_100_tons_of_waste_material_at_t he_venice_biennale_s_introductory_rooms.html (Accessed: 12 November 2019). Figure 5 Author’s Own Figure 6 Author’s Own
Figure 8 Author’s Own
Figure 10 Author’s Own Figure 11 Avezzu, A. (2018) Mario Botta’s The Practice of Teaching installation Available at: https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13493-venice-architecture-biennale-highlights-local-work (Accessed: 13 November 2019). Figure 12 Halbe, R. (2018) Norman Foster’s Crosses Morphed into a Tensegrity Structure Available at: https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13493-venice-architecture-biennale-highlights-local-work (Accessed: 13 November 2019). Figure 13 Aljoša Dekleva’s and Tina Gregorič’s Home at Arsenale installation (2016) Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/05/24/home-at-arsenale-slovenian-pavilion-library-dekleva-gregoric-architects-venic e-architecture-biennale-2016/ (Accessed: 13 November 2019) Figure 14 Design Council (no date) Design Methods for Developing Services Available at: https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/Design%20methods%20for%20developing%2 0services.pdf (Accessed: 13 November 2019). Figure 15 Author’s Own Figure 16 Author’s Own
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Ostendorf, Y. (2018) The Top 10 Most Pioneering Art/Sustainability Initiatives in the UK Available at: https://artistsandclimatechange.com/2018/03/08/the-top-10-most-pioneeri ng-art-sustainability-initiatives-in-the-uk/ (Accessed:12 November 2019). MUSMECI, C. (2019) Venice Biennale 2019 The Future is Female Available at: http://www.leparadox.com/art/venice-biennale-2019-the-future-is-female/ (Accessed: 13 November 2019). Vaswani, K. (no date) From Trash To Treasure – Repurposed Waste In Contemporary Art Available at: https://www.mashindia.com/trash-to-treasure.php (Accessed: 12 November 2019). European Commission (2019) Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/construction_demolition.htm (Accessed: 12 November 2019). The United Nations (no date) Goal 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/ (Accessed: 13 November 2019). https://rebiennale.org/it/ (no date) 2019 (Accessed: 18 November 2019). Mangiapane, G. (2019) Squatters occupy Venice homes in housing protest as tourism surges Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-venice-squatters/squatters-occupy-venice-homes-in-housing-protes t-as-tourism-surges-idUSKCN1RO19M?fbclid=IwAR0 g7jJbPHvL8G0wtXY7cveiaqCEAOg-hc-Zomc8zeA6nzA 3zPqUtTa_no0 (Accessed: 18 November 2019).
Edwards, I (2015) Sustainability’s Missing Stakeholders: Nature and the Future Available at: https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2015/sustainabilitys-missing-stakeholders-nature-and-future/35081(Accessed: 13 November 2019). Smith, C. and Da Mosto, J. (2019) How was it for you? Available at: https://weareherevenice.org/how-was-it-for-you/ (Accessed: 13 November 2019). Mairs, J. (2016) 90 tonnes of waste form entrance to Venice Biennale Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/06/02/venice-architecture-biennale-2016-recycled-waste-exhibition-entrances-alejan dro-aravena/ (Accessed: 13 Nov. 2019). Sharp, E. (2019) How the art world is going green Available at: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/feature/the-art-world-goes-green Buckley, J. (2018) Venetians have torn down the new turnstiles separating locals from tourists Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/venice-segregation-tourists-locals-turnstiles-torn-down-pr otest-latest-brugnaro-a8328101.html (Accessed: 13 November 2019). La Biennale di Venezia (2019) Meetings on Art at the Biennale Arte 2019 Available at: https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/meetings-art-biennale-arte-2019 (Accessed: 14 November 2019). Knight, E. (2018) How Venice Stays Afloat Available at https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-07-28/living-in-venice-italy (Accessed: 14 November 2019). Eni (2018) Eni and Veritas are working together to promote the circular economy by transforming Venice’s waste materials into energy resources. Available at: https://www.eni.com/en_IT/media/2018/10/eni-and-veritas-are-working-together-to-promote-the-circular-eco nomy-by-transforming-venices-waste-materials-into-e nergy-resources# (Accessed: 14 November 2019).
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Design A Better Business (no date) Design Criteria Canvas Available at: https://www.designabetterbusiness.tools/tools/design-criteria-canvas (Accessed: 15 November 2019). Birgisdรณttir, H. and Rasmussen, F. and Danish Building Research Institute (2016) Introduction to LCA of Buildings Available at: https://www.trafikstyrelsen.dk/~/media/Dokumenter/09%20Byggeri/Baredygtigt%20byggeri/TBST-2016-02-Introduction_ LCA_english.pdf (Accessed: 15 November 2019). Impossible (2019) Planet Centric Design Toolkit Available at: http://impossible.earth/pages/intro/ (Accessed: 15 November 2019).
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Appendix A: Photo Ethnography Venice has a complex and sophisticated transport system Children playing in a residential area in Venice away from the masses of tourists.
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Appendix B: Empathy Map
Shock About The Unsustainable Practices Of Some Exhibitors
1. WHO are we empathizing with?
7. What do they THINK and FEEL?t
2. What do they need to DO?
Marco is a Venetian social and environmental activist and a member of Rebiennale, a collective of Venetian activists fighting back the depopulation of Venice.
There is so much potential in salvaging exhibition materials
Grow as a professional team to meet the demands of the Biennale.
Frustration for not being able to access information about exhibition materials
3. What do they need to DO? Many local residents leaving Venice or getting evicted from their homes because homeowners want to put up their homes on Airbnb.
6. What do they HEAR? In 2015 there was over 90 Tonnes of waste material generated from the Venice Art Biennale
Tons of reusable material from biennale exhibitions being trashed
5. What do they DO? Collect materials to refurbish homes. “We reuse leftover materials from exhibitions for urban regeneration projects in Venice .” Collaborate with students and architects/artists to create literacy around sustainability.
PAINS
GAINS
4. What do they SAY?
There are a lot of greenwashing strategies at the biennale. Not enough storage space. Some waste material collected is not reusable
Collaborations with high profile artists and architects. Reducing waste by reusing exhibition materials for refurbishing abandoned spaces
“the Rebiennale project was born from the squatters of Venice. Actually, I'm still a squatter because of the sad gentrification of Venice”
We are not formally endorsed by the biennale. It’s difficult to access and connect with exhibitions/pavilions
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it was a process we did in a condition of unconsciousness...so we were not, fully conscious about what we were doing, because the main purpose was the right of living or right of residency, so we started collecting materials to refurbish homes”
Appendix C: Early Prototype
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Appendix D: Projects Tab
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