Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop Madrid, Rolex Institute Event News Spain

Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop 2021

post updated 24 November 2021

15 October 2021

Madrid, 14 October 2021 – The first edition of the Norman Foster Foundation’s Sustainability Workshop will take place from 18–22 October 2021 with the support of the Rolex Institute.

Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop 2021 in Madrid

‘Most scientists agree that the drastically accelerated pace of climate change demands that we not only design carbon-neutral environments, but carbon-negative environments,’ states the Workshop’s Mentor, Vishaan Chakrabarti. As he puts it, ‘It is increasingly clear that far more aggressive measures will be required to keep the planet’s average temperature from rising less than two degrees centigrade—the point beyond which all of the planet’s species will be subject to extreme risk’.

‘This workshop will attempt to address these daunting challenges using the methodology conceived by two designers well ahead of their time, Charles and Ray Eames, who taught us to think in the ‘Powers of 10’. By assembling leading experts from around the world in water, energy, material science, robotics, the arts, architecture and urbanism, we intend to cross-pollinate this scalar exploration with disciplinary expertise to seek answers around carbon negative settlements’.

The Norman Foster Foundation’s 2021 Sustainability Workshop will include seminars, lectures, one-to-one tutoring and architectural tours. The workshop will consist of a five-day event led by Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder and creative director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU).

The Workshop’s Academic Body spans a wide range of practitioners that work in different fields related to sustainability. This year’s Academic Body includes: Jan Boelen, Artistic Director, Atelier LUMA, Arles, France; Frédérick Bordry, Former Director and Accelerators and Technology, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Meyrin, Switzerland; Marcos Cruz, Programme Director, MArch/MSc in Bio-Integrated Design (Bio-ID), The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; Jacqueline Glass, Vice Dean of Research, The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; Guillaume Habert, Chair of Sustainable Construction, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zürich), Zürich, Switzerland; Kieren Jones, Director, MA Material Futures, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (UAL), London, United Kingdom; Christoph Lindner, Dean, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Gil Penalosa, Founder and Chair, 8 80 Cities, Toronto, Canada.

After reviewing applications submitted by hundreds of candidates from around the world, the selection committee awarded ten scholarships to students from the following universities and institutions: University of Innsbruck, Austria, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture (ENSA), France, University of Ferrara, Italy, Harvard University, United States, Politecnico di Torino, Italy, University of Kassel, Germany, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the Netherlands, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States.

Public Debate

Date and time: 19th October 2021 12:30 p.m. – 2.20 p.m.

Venue: Fundación Francisco Giner de los Ríos, Paseo del General Martínez Campos 14, Madrid, Spain

With the participation of Vishaan Chakrabarti, Christoph Lindner, Henk Ovink, Frédérick Brodry, Jacqueline Glass, Guillaume Habert and Gil Penalosa, as well as Tim Stonor as Chair of the Debates.

RNorman Foster Foundation, Madrid

The Norman Foster Foundation promotes interdisciplinary thinking and research to help new generations anticipate the future.

The first mission of the Norman Foster Foundation is to make visible the centrality of architecture, infrastructure and urbanism for the betterment of society. To this end, the second mission is to encourage new thinking and research across traditional boundaries in order to help younger generations anticipate the challenges of future change. In particular, the foundation speaks to those professionals who are concerned with the environment— architects, engineers, designers, urbanists, civic leaders, planners and artists. This is at the heart of the foundation’s holistic approach to design and is ever more relevant as populations shift to cities. With the implications of climate change, robotics and artificial intelligence, sustainable design is not about fashion but about survival.

The Foundation holds the Norman Foster Archive and Library, which provide a window into the larger narrative and history of our built environment through the work of Norman Foster. This is complemented and supported by drawings and models from other significant architects such as Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Charles and Ray Eames, Buckminster Fuller, Richard Rogers, Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando. Through its research initiatives and programmes, the Norman Foster Foundation encourages the transfer of advanced knowledge in a wide range of design fields.

The Foundation’s educational initiatives are structured around research, workshops, fellowships and forums, built around the Foundation’s core objectives.

The Norman Foster Foundation is based in Madrid and operates globally.

Rolex Institute

Rolex has an ethos that encompasses the vision and values of its founder, Hans Wilsdorf. This is manifested in the timelessness of our watches and our determination to break boundaries and build a better world. The Rolex Institute embodies this philosophy of supporting visionary men and women who make a meaningful contribution to society. It comprises the educational initiatives and philanthropic programmes of Rolex S.A.. These include the Rolex Awards for Enterprise that recognise individuals for groundbreaking initiatives in applied science, technology, exploration and the environment and the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, which brings together promising young talents and world-renowned masters in architecture, dance, film, literature, music, theatre and the visual arts for a period of one-to-one collaboration.

Rolex has a long-held interest in great architecture based on its synergies with fine watchmaking. Both share a profound respect for the legacy of knowledge built up over centuries as well as a culture of design excellence and technical innovation at the highest level. To assist in the transmission of architectural ideas to new generations of architects, Rolex supports the International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia. Renowned architects who have mentored talented young architects through the Rolex Arts Initiative include Álvaro Siza, Kazuyo Sejima, Peter Zumthor, Sir David Chipperfield and Sir David Adjaye. Lord Foster served on the Advisory Board of the Initiative in 2015.

Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop 2021 image / information received 141021

Previously on e-architect:

24 November 2021

The Norman Foster Foundation Presents The ‘Future Of Cities’ Conversations Series

In the face of crises like climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, effective and positive change in cities is an imperative condition to optimising public health, social equity and environmental sustainability for urban centres and the rest of the world:

Norman Foster Foundation Future Of Cities Conversations

29 July 2021

Norman Foster Foundation ‘On Archives’ Masterclass Series

Madrid, 29th of July 2021 – The Norman Foster Foundation (NFF) presents the ‘On Archives’ Masterclass Series, a series which explores the fundamental aspects related to architectural archives and libraries around the world.

In addition to an introductory masterclass given by Norman Foster (President, Norman Foster Foundation, Madrid, Spain / London, UK / New York, USA), in which he considers the important role that archives play in anticipating the future, contributing speakers include the following experts:

Norman Foster Foundation Madrid

On Archives Masterclass Series on Youtube

Norman Foster Foundation Digital X Workshop 2019

Image from the first edition of the Norman Foster Foundation Digital X Workshop (2018)

photo © Norman Foster Foundation