Week with Architecture: RZUT in ZODIAK – Ecology
Is it possible to live in harmony with nature in a city? How can we design a city with nature at its doorstep?
Ecology, sustainable development and energy efficiency were the focus when the first seminar in the series ‘RZUT in Zodiak: Ecology’ was executed on May 26th. Among others, the Danish architectural firm Bjerg Arkitektur participated in the event with their pro-ecological architecture approach based on their many years of experience.
Bjerg Arkitektur is among the leading Danish specialists within sustainable and energy-optimized architecture as well as “passive housing buildings” which are houses that have very little heat consumption making it unnecessary to have a traditional heating system. Bjerg Arkitektur has offices in Denmark, Norway and Poland. The Polish office was established in 1995 and since then, it has had a strong focus on participation in architecture competitions about the development of sustainable Polish houses. In 2014, Bjerg Arkitektur in Poland won the competition for the expansion of an old Jewish synagogue that will be transformed into a new sustainable city hall in the Polish city Bialystok.
The seminar was opened by Dr. Krzysztof Herman from the Landscape Art Department at Warsaw University of Life Sciences who talked about ways of rationalizing the use of resources in relation to urban ecology. Afterwards, Bjerg Arkitektur’s Katarzyna Wojda, Mateusz Płoszaj-Mazurek and Søren Riis Dietz shared their take on a pro-ecological approach to design. The seminar ended with a debate led by architect Justyna Biernacka and urban activist Joanna Erbel evolving around the question; do we need the Warsaw Standard of Sustainable Housing?
The event was a joint collaboration between the Warsaw Branch of SARP, the Warsaw Zodiak Architecture Pavilion and RZUT. The Danish Cultural Institute was also a partner in the project.
The quarterly RZUT is a platform for dialogue within both technical and socio-cultural issues related to architecture, created by the younger generation of architects and urban planners.
The Warsaw Branch of SARP is part of the Association of Polish Architects promoting architecture and high standards of the architectural profession as well as initiating activities for the benefit of the surrounding space.
The Warsaw Architecture Pavilion ZODIAK will open in autumn 2018 at the ZODIAK Pavilion at Pasaż Wiecha It is being developed by architects from the Warsaw Branch of SARP, artists and specialists from various fields. It will present architecture in different contexts and guests will be able to view exhibitions, participate in discussions, buy books and have a cup of coffee in the heart of the vibrant city.