Join architects, designers, builders, and non-profits to dive into material inquiries that are radically shaping a healthier, affordable future.
This Spring we are looking closely at aspects of material health—from affordability to building techniques—with building professionals who are implementing new pathways for design and construction. Lively discussions between experts from across disciplines will delve into the problem-solving and innovation at the heart of healthier building.
At a roundtable in February, we will investigate healthy affordable housing in an urban context with developers, architects, and material health experts. In April, we will speak with an Indigenous architect to elaborate methods of Indigenous place-keeping, culturally sensitive design, urbanism, and climate resilience. Then, we will connect with straw bale building experts, farmers, and architects to explore how to accelerate the adoption of plant-based buildings for urban development.
All events are open to the public. We hope you join us!
February 28th at 5:30pm ET: Building Healthier Homes: Affordable Housing Roundtable
Panelists from Habitat For Humanity NYC/Westchester, Bernheimer Architecture, Hines, and RiseBoro Community Partnership will come together to discuss opportunities for prioritizing healthy materials in affordable housing. How has the approach to material specification changed over the past five years? What are the possibilities for including more bio-based building materials? Can we detail the path to making affordable buildings active contributors to public health?
In Indigenous perspectives, a profound connection exists between humanity and the natural world in both the past and present. We will speak to Wanda Dalla Costa, a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation and a practicing architect and educator, on her design methodologies incorporating Indigenous generational knowledge. With every project, she asks: How can we localize design for the immediate ecology? Can design be a collaborative community action? Co-designing with North American indigenous groups for nearly twenty years, Dalla Costa will speak on indigenous place-keeping, culturally sensitive design, sustainable housing, and climate resilience–a necessary conversation as we work towards making our built environment safe, non-toxic and regenerative for future generations.
April 29th at 6:30pm ET: From Field to Form: Straw with The Architectural League of New York
Together with a farmer, a builder, and an architect, we will explore how to accelerate the adoption of straw to make future cityscapes. Can the need for new buildings support the agricultural industry in the US? Can buildings biodegrade? Are carbon-sequestering cities possible if we build with materials made of plants instead of fossil fuels? What do a straw bale and a building have in common? From the macro to the micro, we will dive into the life cycle and architectural implications of straw. Moderated by HML, this event is in partnership with The Architectural League of New York and their series, From Field to Form.
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