Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Copenhagen Architecture Forum's Podcast

How do you live with water when there simply isn't enough of it? Why did an island that had spent centuries learning to do exactly that suddenly stop? And why does the answer to both of those questions matter far beyond one small island in the Atlantic?

In this episode, architect Pablo Castillo Luna reads his text "Arid Infrastructures: Water beyond techno-optimism in the island of Lanzarote."

Lanzarote is, in many ways, a preview of where a lot of the world is heading: a hot, dry territory with no natural freshwater, that for generations built entire cultures of care, maintenance, and shared responsibility around scarcity — and that then, almost overnight, handed that relationship over to a desalination plant and a control panel. That shift, from water as something you live with to water as a resource managed by technical experts, is happening quietly almost everywhere, and it rarely gets questioned. Pablo's text asks what gets lost when it does, and what we might still learn from the infrastructures it replaced.

The text builds on Pablo's project "A Permeable Atlas," shown in our exhibition "Slow Down" at the Copenhagen Architecture Biennial.

Treviranus has established the IDRC as a leading international centre for inclusive design in digital systems and leads the Inclusive Design Institute. Her work has pioneered personalised digital accessibility and contributed significantly to international accessibility standards and legislation.

In our new podcast series Inclusion Talks – A Universal Design Perspective we investigate and share stories of how we can collectively create truly inclusionary spaces - spaces that are successful in rethinking our shared spaces, inviting more people in – from physical spaces to AI and digital spaces.

In our first episode we go straight to a fundamental question: What does it truly take to ensure a sustainable future for us all?

The question lies at the heart of the Bevica Scholarship Programme, and to answer it we have invited two big capacities. Tune in and hear Camilla Ryhl, Director of Research and Head of the Universal Design Hub at the Bevica Foundation, in conversation with Daura van Vuuren, a former recipient of the scholarship. 

Moderator Moussa Mchangama asks Camilla Ryhl and Daura van Vuuren: How do we take the right steps towards a sustainable future - without leaving anyone behind?

On The Podcast You Will Meet:

Daura Van Duuren: Is a former winner of the Bevica Scholarship Programme. In her work, Daura links Denmark's political commitments to global climate action plans with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Denmark ratified in 2009. In 2024, Daura van Vuuren travelled the world to gather knowledge, and if there is one key insight she brought back, it is this: sustainable development does not happen in silos – it happens through collaboration and across disciplines.

Camilla Ryhl: Research Director at Bevica Foundation and Academic Lead of Universal Design Hub. She holds a Master's degree and a PhD in Architecture from the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen, and has specialised in universal design and the sensory qualities of architecture, as well as the interpretation and implementation of universal design as an interdisciplinary principle.

Moussa Mchangama: Moussa Mchangama is a leading strategic facilitator and change agent in the Nordic cultural conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Inclusion Talks is a podcast that has been developed in collaboration with the Bevica Foundation. Tune in the next two Tuesday for more engaging conversations on creating an inclusionary future.

Who gets access to housing when there is not enough to go around?

In the final episode of Unaffordables, we move beyond construction and economics to explore the political and ethical questions at the heart of housing affordability. Should access to housing be determined by the market alone, or are alternative models needed to ensure fair and incdlusive cities?

Moderated by Olaf Grawert (HouseEurope!), the discussion brings together Matthias Nordby (Urban Studio), Camilla van Deurs (Nordic Office of Architecture), Line Thorup Schultz (VELUX), and Bent Madsen (Danish Federation of Non-Profit Housing and former President of Housing Europe).

From the Danish non-profit housing model to the relationship between housing and democracy itself, this episode asks what it takes to create cities where people can not only arrive — but stay.

Unaffordables is a three-part podcast series commissioned by Living Places and VELUX.

Can we build our way out of the housing crisis without deepening the climate crisis?

In this episode of Unaffordables, we look at the physical realities of creating affordable homes in a world where seven of the nine planetary boundaries have already been breached. From adaptive reuse and bio-based materials to investment models and regulation, the discussion explores how housing can be delivered sustainably, affordably, and at scale.

Moderated by Sinus Lynge, co-founder of EFFEKT Architects, the conversation features Steffen Enersen Maagaard (Artelia), Wietse de Vries (Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma), Valérie Vermandel (Whitewood Developers), and Mads Rude (PATRIZIA).

Together, they ask: how do we provide housing that is affordable, healthy, and environmentally responsible — without compromising on quality?

Unaffordables is a three-part podcast series commissioned by Living Places and VELUX.

Why has housing become unaffordable in so many cities across Europe?

In the first episode of Unaffordables, we explore the forces driving the housing crisis and the growing pressures on urban housing markets. As more people are drawn to cities, demand is increasingly shaped not only by residents, but also by tourism, short-term rentals, and international investment.

Is the problem simply a lack of housing supply — or is it a question of what we build, and who we build it for?

Moderated by Finn Williams, City Architect of Malmö, this conversation brings together Kath Scanlon (London School of Economics), Anne-Mette Boye (City Architect of Aarhus), Lars Jensen (City Architect of Copenhagen), and Olaf Grawert (HouseEurope!) to examine one of the defining challenges facing European cities today.

Unaffordables is a three-part podcast series commissioned by Living Places and VELUX.

Urban infrastructure does merely mean roads, pipes, and buildings. Soil, water flows, trees, and fungi are infrastructure too.

This episode moves away from the idea that gardens belong at the edges of development or appear afterward as cosmetic additions. Instead, it asks whether the city itself can be understood as a form of cultivation: something living, maintained, and ecologically embedded rather than engineered into independence. 

For what if the city is not separate from the landscape around it, but continuous with it, dependent on living systems that modern planning often treats as background or decoration? And how might we question the belief that sustainability will come mainly through smarter technologies and greater efficiency, rather than through practices of ecological reciprocity?

On the episode you will meet:

Anna Aslaug Lund: architect and landscape architect MAA, Ph.D. at Schønherr, and author of The City as a Garden.

Skye Jin: artist, educator, permaculture designer, and cultural sustainability advisor.

Studio Coquille: Marion de Lingua de St Blanquat and Frederik Mads Svendsen, the architects behind The Habitable Skin, together with TERROIR, in collaboration with Lasse Carlsen and MYCO.

As debates about rural life resurface across Denmark, including in Altinget's highly recommended podcast Aftryk, the countryside is once again being cast as a political battleground. The debate is not new, but it is encouraging to see it begin to move beyond a long-standing assumption: that the countryside mainly matters insofar as it serves the urban environement or the agricultural industry. 

It led us to revisit this episode from the archives with the Danish architecture studio Rural Agency, which enters that shift.

Are we operating within an underlying urban bias? And what would it mean to take the rural seriously as a place of life, ecology, and practice in its own right?

Many still assume that buildings must excite. They must capture attention, produce images, and offer experiences. Boredom is treated as failure. But this reveals a hidden intuition that human beings need constant stimulation to remain engaged. What if this intuition is wrong?

This episode explores that question. It suggests that architecture has become entangled in a psychological economy of attention, reflected in approaches such as hedonistic sustainability. Here, the "good" solution is often the one that is also pleasurable, fun, and instantly rewarding. But this carries a risk. What if what produces short-term value for the touristic gaze undercuts long-term trust for citizens? What if the constant appeal to excitement leaves less room for quieter qualities such as rest, awe, and integrity?

Over the past five years, several institutions have pointed to the emergence of a new paradigm in Danish architecture, described as a new subtlety or as an ecological turn. In this episode, Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss (a renowned Danish architecture critic, writer, and CEO of Danish Architectural Press) and Anne Beim (Head of Centre for Industrial Architecture at the Danish School of Architecture) reflect on how to understand this shift and what it leaves behind.

Modern life is built on a simple promise: the more comfortable, stable, and controlled our surroundings become, the better our lives will be. We insulate ourselves from weather, reduce friction in daily routines, and design spaces that are predictable and easy to navigate. Progress, in this view, means minimizing effort and exposure.

But this logic may carry an unintended cost.

This week, we return to our podcast archive. As the exhibition Tales of a Nomadic City at Halmtorvet 27 enters its final days, we revisit a conversation on nomadic life and forms of knowledge, asking what such ways of living might reveal about our own attachment to comfort. For If making life easier also reduces our engagement, then the pursuit of constant comfort risks becoming a trap; not because it feels bad, but because, over time, we begin to feel less at all.

On the episode you will meet:

Jeanette Lykkegård: A postdoctoral researcher in anthropology at Aarhus University. Her work explores how communities understand life, death, and transformation in Arctic and circumpolar contexts.

Pavels Hedström: An award-winning Swedish architect based in Copenhagen and Tokyo. With a background in architecture and extreme environments, he investigates how design can reconnect humans with non-human life and broader planetary systems.

Listen to the second podcast series Slow Down. A conversation between David Garcia and Kristoffer Weiss on the architecture of extreme environments. An important conversation on the future of architecture in a world of increasingly extreme conditions.

In this second and last episode of Slow Down we delve into the architecture of extreme environments with a true expert: David A. Garcia. Since 2013 he has been the director of the Master Program "Architecture and Extreme Environments" at the Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation.

And last year Garcia published the book Extreme Environments - Architectural Possibilities for a Challenged World. From the cold expanses of the Arctic to the desert regions of the Gobi and pollution-heavy industrial territories, the book investigates how architects can integrate site-specific presence, fieldwork and investigations, local knowledge and contemporary technological advancements to create resilient alternatives both at home and abroad.

On the episode you will meet:

David A. Garcia: Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Art Academy School of Architecture and director of the Master program "Architecture and Extreme Environments" since 2013. His work focuses on exploring site-specific actions in extreme environments, merging arts and sciences and challenging standard approaches to architecture.

Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss: Director of Danish Architectural Press. He has a background in philosophy from the University of Copenhagen and the Paris-Sorbonne University, Paris IV.

We are back with a new podcast series! Listen to the first episode of Slow Down, a series investigating ways to slow down overheated sites, cities, and societies. In this episode, we follow a deep dive into the Køge Bay and explore the violent praxis of marine sand extraction.

As part of her PhD, Emma Rishøj Holm descends to the seabed to experience firsthand the hidden consequences of marine sand extraction — a practice that is accelerating as land-based resources disappear, yet remains largely invisible. Together with Tideland Studio and marine biologist Stiig Markager, the conversation unfolds across ecology, infrastructure, and architecture, tracing a slow violence that reshapes the seabed — and exploring how architecture might play a role in bringing attention to it.

In the episode you will meet:

Emma Rishøj Holm: PhD Fellow at Arkitektskolen Aarhus. Focusing on sand extraction in the Køge Bay and sand-related proposals for material solutions in the construction industry.

Tideland Studio: A research-based design studio merging architecture with artistic expression, technological innovation and holistic sustainability. Through a profound understanding of both our natural and built environments, we design solutions, stories and experiences that resonate, transform and enrich. 

Stiig Markager: Professor in marine ecology and biogeochemistry at the Department of Ecoscience at Aarhus University. A prominent voice in the Danish discussion about agriculture's impact on the marine environment.

Today we conclude Living With Other Species. A series exploring how to plan and live alongside other species in the cities of the future. 

The last episode is a talk on how microbes and human well-being is connected through soil ecologies, building materials, and urban planning—and how acknowledging processes of decay can inform healthier, more resilient cities. What happens when we begin to think of the city as a living microbial ecology?

On the podcast you will meet:

• Marie Sainabou Jeng: Is the founder and program director of Madland. A food policy hub and community by and for the micro-level. Together, they rethink and transform food systems with social responsibility

• Adam Bencard: Researcher and curator at the The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research and at the Medical Museion

• Lasse Antoni Carlsen: Is an urban farming expert and food system innovator, dedicated to advancing modular, sustainable farming that bring specialty ingredients like mushrooms closer to consumers - improving the accessibility to sustainable quality food.
 Founder of BYGAARD.

• Gerd Laura Juul Dahl is moderating the conversation.

This week we're taking a short break from the Living With Other Species podcast series to revisit our extensive archive. But we continue our focus on the lives and architectures of other species — and what we might learn from them.

What follows is a conversation in which biochemist Irina Iachina shares her groundbreaking work on biomimicry, focusing on spider silk as a model for sustainable innovation. The talk was held as part of architect Pavels Hedströms exhibition Strange Adaptions, which was on display at Halmtorvet 27 from late 2024 into 2025.

Next week, Living With Other Species returns — with a conversation on The Insect As Worker and Citizen.

From today you can listen to the first episode of Living With Other Species. A conversation on regional planning for all species, infrastructural imagination, and permaculture. Listen, as we dwell on a simple but far-reaching provocation: the city as a garden. What do we see when we conceive of the city as a garden? And how can we promote the garden-like qualities of the city?

On the podcast you'll meet:

• Anna Aslaug Lund: Landscape Architect at Schønherr and author of The City as a Garden

• Skye Jin: Artist, educator, permaculture designer, and cultural sustainability advisor

• Studio Coquille: The architects behind The Habitable Skin, along with TERROIR, in collaboration with Lasse Carlsen and MYCO.

We conclude the Everything is Transformation podcast series — a three-episode deep dive into the thoughts, ideas, and methods behind Djernes & Bell's work on the Hedeskov Center for Regenerative Practice. In the last episode, we go fully interdisciplinary with Marie Stender—anthropologist and senior researcher at BUILD, AAU—and Torben Valdbjørn Rasmussen—civil engineer and senior researcher at BUILD, AAU. In a conversation with Justine Bell, they explore how Hedeskov can be perceived as a kind of "basic research," and how anthropology, physics, and a range of other disciplines informed the building process—and helped measure and test the finished building.

Tune in for a conversation between Ben Bosence from Local Works Studio and Justine Bell, of Djernes & Bell. Bosence is a artist turned conservator and an expert in vernacular building structures. He is a major capacity when it comes to vernacular construction and repair—and of uncovering the materials available on site, and their relations and possibilities.

The conversation centers on Bosence's and Djernes & Bell's collaboration on the Hedeskov Center and investigates techniques and technologies of mapping and sourcing materials - as well questions regarding seasonality architecture and the topic of collective maintenance rituals. 

The series podcast centers around one of the most remarkable architectural transformation projects and experiments with material localism in recent Danish architectural history: Hedeskov Center for Regenerative Practice, by Djernes & Bell. Across three episodes, relying on three conversations that took place at Copenhagen Architecture Forum in March 2025 in the exhibition of the same name, we investigate the knowledges, techniques, ideologies, and social relations shaping the project. 

In the first episode, we sit down with architect Justine Bell from the studio behind the project, and Sofie Aagaard, co-founder and co-owner of Hedeskov Center for Regenerative Practice. The conversation traces the origin story of the project, with a particular focus on the architectural ideas driving it, and on the client–architect relationship that made it possible. Central to the discussion is the question: What does regenerative actually mean in the context of architecture?

In this third episode on the policy proposal ADAPTATION <> REWILDING, drafted by landscape architect and founder of SCAPE, Kate Orff, we sit down with Kate alongside Copenhagen's City Architect Lars Jensen and legal adviser in the business association of Pensions and Insurances in Denmark, Thomas Brenøe to discuss Kate's proposal for the strategic rewilding of our landscapes as a tool for successful climate adaptation. 

Read the law proposal at this link.

This podcast was produced by KoozArch in collaboration with Copenhagen Architecture Biennial.

In this second episode on the policy proposal XO Policy – Extraction Zero Policy, drafted by architect and Dark Matter Labs co-founder, Indy Johar together with & Ivana Stancic, we sit down with Indy alongside architect and both Innovation Director and director and initiator of The Planetary Project at Sweco Karl-Martin Buch Frederiksen as well as director of the Regenerative Built Environment Network at BLOXHUB Jacob Rask to discuss Dark Matter Lab's policy which  bans construction processes that are extractive to the point of endangering human and ecological systems. 

Read the law proposal at this link.

Instead of demolishing and rebuilding, HouseEurope! calls for sustainable renovation and adaptive reuse, pushing for new EU laws that protect and prioritize existing spaces. Using the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), they are mobilizing people across Europe to demand policies that favor preservation over demolition, with the goal of collecting one million signatures from at least seven countries.

This live conversation features leading voices from architecture, urbanism, and activism:

• Søren Pihlmann (Founder, Pihlmann Architects / Danish Architecture Pavilion - Venice Biennale 2025)

• Lars Autrup (CEO, Arkitektforeningen)

• Jacob Blak Henriksen (Head of Sustainability Architect, Cobe)

• Tamara Kalantajevska (Head of Urbanism, Schmidt Hammer Lassen / KADK)

• Kasper Benjamin Reimer Bjørkskov (Founder, No Objectives)

• Erik Valdemar Eriksen (Activist, Den Grønne Studenterbevægelses Klimaaktivistisk Tegnestue)

• Dominique Hauderowicz (Founder, Studio Dominique Serena / Danish Architecture Pavilion – Venice Biennale 2027)

• Esben Thorlacius (Partner, Over Byen Arkitekter)

The discussion is moderated by Enlai Hooi, Head of Innovation at Schmidt Hammer Lassen.

Tune in to hear how architects, urbanists, and activists are coming together to rethink the future of Europe's cities — one renovation at a time.

Pil Thielst - arkitekt partner i Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter - foreslår en lov, der kræver 30% af Danmarks areal som beskyttet natur. Fri natur skal fremover indgå som grundelement i byplanlægning – på lige fod med energiforsyning, drikkevand og infrastruktur. Kommissionens medlemmer er Rasmus Vincentz, CEO i Habitats og grundlægger af Vild med Vilje, og Holger Bisgaard, byplanlægger og tidligere planchef i Københavns Kommune. CAFx's Søren Nørkjær Bang modererer samtalen.

Sinus Lynge - arkitekt og partner ved Effekt - foreslår en lov, der pålægger byggeprojekter at reducere CO₂-udledning i overensstemmelse med fastsatte grænseværdier eller kompensere 1:1 for overskridende udledning gennem skovrejsning og naturbaserede løsninger. En lov, der skal dække alle nye byggerier og renoveringer. Kommissionmedlemmerne er Camilla van Deurs, Head of Urban Development i Nordic Office of Architecture og tidligere Stadsarkitekt i Københavns Kommune, og Annemarie Munk Riis, CEO for Rådet for Bæredygtigt Byggeri.

Justine Bell - arkitekt ved Djernes & Bell - præsenter et lovforslag om bevaringspligt, der skal sikre, at der prioriteres eksisterende strukturer og materialer i byggebranchen i Danmark. Bell foreslår et krav om bevaring frem for nedrivning. Komissionspanelet består af Camilla Van Deurs, partner i Nordic Office of Architecture og forhenværende stadsarkitekt i københavn, og Annemarie Munk Riis, Adm. direktør for Rådet for Bæredygtigt Byggeri. CAFx's Søren Nørkjær Bang modererer samtalen. 

Niklas Nolsøe - arkitekt og Business Development Director ved Lendager - præsenterer et nyt forslag om materialeejerskab, der pålægger producenter ansvar for hele livscyklussen af byggematerialer. Nolsøe spørger, hvordan kan dette initiativ fremme bæredygtighed og cirkulær økonomi i byggebranchen? Komissionspanelet består af Lars Autrup, direktør i Arkitektforeningen, og Lau Raffnsøe, teknisk chef for DGNB hos Rådet for Bæredygtigt Byggeri. CAFx's Søren Nørkjær Bang modererer samtalen.

Søren Nielsen - ekstern konsulent hos Vandkunsten og professor på Arkitektskolen Aarhus - præsenterer et lovforslag om midlertidigt at nedlægge et nationalt forbud mod nyopførelse af byggeri og infrastruktur, samt et generelt forbud mod enhver nedrivning af eksisterende bygninger og infrastruktur. I denne podcast er Nielsen i samtale om forslaget med Lars Autrup, direktør i Arkitektforeningen, Annemarie Munk Riis, Adm. direktør for Rådet for Bæredygtigt Byggeri og Linda Nielsen, Juraprofessor og tidligere rektor for Københavns Universitet. CAFx's Søren Nørkjær Bang modererer samtalen.

How do we move beyond human dominance and toward true collaboration with other species? As part of the exhibition Strange Adaptations at Halmtorvet 27, bioethicist Mickey Gjerris, architect Pavels Hedström, and curator Søren Nørkjær Bang engage in a conversation about the evolving relationships between humans, nature, and technology. 

At the heart of the discussion is the idea of symbiosis—what does it truly mean to create mutualistic relationships across species? In an era defined by ecological crisis, the speakers confront the ethical dilemmas that arise when personal desires clash with collective responsibility. Gjerris reflects on the role of love and respect in interspecies interactions, questioning whether a radical shift in perspective—away from control and exploitation—might open the door to more meaningful coexistence.

But how do we emotionally navigate the scale of the environmental challenges we face? The conversation explores the role of hope and fear in the age of ecological degradation, asking what emotional attitude we should cultivate to respond proportionately to the problems at hand. Should we embrace optimism, or does acknowledging fear drive us to act more decisively? What attutudes might help us move beyond despair and paralysis toward meaningful action?

What can nomadic cultures teach us about architecture, design, and our connection to the environment? In this episode, anthropologist Jeanette Lykkegård, architect Pavels Hedström, and Søren Nørkjær Bang, curator at the Copenhagen Architecture Forum, explore the relationship between nomadism, space and habitation. The conversation examines how nomadism fosters a deep connection to the environment through movement and exposure, contrasting this with the Western focus on controlled, comfort-driven environments that often distance us from the natural world.

The discussion reevaluates the concept of control, questioning whether modern architecture has led us into a "comfort trap" that diminishes our sense of vitality and connection. Lykkegård, Hedström, and Bang reflect on how nomadism offers new perspectives for thinking about design and habitation—focusing on adaptability, responsiveness, and a more meaningful relationship with the world around us.

This podcast is part of the event series 'Strange Adaptions' with architect Pavels Hedström.

Biochemist Irina Iachina shares her groundbreaking work on biomimicry, focusing on spider silk as a model for sustainable innovation. From her studies at the University of Southern Denmark to her research at MIT, Iachina has investigated how spiders create silk using only salt water and proteins. This natural process provides a blueprint for developing recyclable and eco-friendly materials that could replace synthetic, wasteful alternatives. Her research underscores the power of looking to nature for solutions to modern challenges.

In conversation with architect Pavels Hedström and curator Søren Nørkjær Bang, Iachina discusses the broader implications of biomimicry as part of the exhibition Strange Adaptations at Halmtorvet 27. The podcast explores not only the scientific aspects of her work but also the emotional and ethical dimensions of engaging with nature. Iachina emphasizes the importance of shifting from exploiting nature to learning from it, recognizing the intelligence and unique qualities of even the smallest creatures. The dialogue touches on how these principles can inform architecture, urban design, and sustainable development, underscoring the vital role of curiosity and playfulness in driving innovation.

Waste: Is it just the inevitable detritus of human life, or a glaring sign of systemic inefficiency? Could waste be more than something to discard—perhaps even the spark for innovation and regeneration?

Under the guidance of the non-profit association Tusca7, we unravel the tangled narrative of waste and its transformative potential. Co-founder Jeppe Kalnæs challenges the status quo, urging us to question our deeply ingrained assumptions about waste. For what if waste holds the blueprint for reimagining regeneration, design, and community? And what would happen if we stopped forcing the world into the narrow confines of our human-centered expectations and began to see waste through the eyes of other species?

Tune in as he explore:

• The social construct of waste—and how to dismantle it.
• Revolutionary ways to redefine and repurpose what we discard.
• A metabolic dream of a waste-free world

This episode is part of 10 Dogmas, a podcast series by Copenhagen Architecture Festival (CAFx), produced in collaboration with VELUX's Build for Life initiative. Each installment highlights emerging architectural studios questioning the norms and shaping the future of the built environment.

What if we are entrapped in an urban bias? What can we do to see things more nuanced? And what would happen if we stopped seeing the rural as merely a backdrop to urban ambition and instead recognized it as a space of life and living?

In this episode of 10 Dogmas, we challenge the conventional lens of architectural thought and explore how reimagining the rural could reshape our approach to design, ecology, and community. Rural Agency, a pioneering research-based studio, leads this conversation. Founders Anna Sofie Hvid (MA Research Architecture, BA Philosophy) and Josephine Nørtoft Saaby (Architect MAA) share their inspiring work in bridging architecture and ecology, pushing for a deeper integration of rural spaces into architectural discourse.

Tune in as we discuss:

• Breaking free from the urban/rural dichotomy.
• Fresh approaches to observing, planning, and valuing rural landscapes.
• The ecological and political potential of re-centering the rural in architectural thinking.

This episode is part of 10 Dogmas, a podcast series by Copenhagen Architecture Festival (CAFx), produced in collaboration with VELUX's Build for Life initiative. Each installment highlights emerging architectural studios questioning the norms and shaping the future of the built environment.

In his thought-provoking book Taking the Country's Side, philosopher Sébastien Marot argues that the separation between agriculture and architecture represents the original schism in human habitation. This divide, he suggests, has led to a profound alienation from the natural world and a radical instrumentalization of nature—one of the root causes of today's climate and biodiversity crises. But what would happen if this separation were healed? What could architecture learn from permaculture practices and principles?

These are the questions we explore in our latest podcast episode featuring permaculture designer Skye Jin. Tune in to discover:

• The key differences between shallow ecologies and deep ecology.
• How architects can draw inspiration and learn from permaculturalists.
• Ways in which permaculture can offer a holistic approach, introducing a stronger social dimensions into regenerative design.

This episode is part of 10 Dogmas, a 10-part podcast series that rethinks the core assumptions of architectural theory and practice. Produced by CAFx in collaboration with VELUX's Build for Life initiative, the series features ten leading architectural studios critically examining ten fundamental dogmas shaping the future of architecture.

For years, human-centered design has been regarded as the ideal approach to problem-solving within design and architecture. But in a world facing complex environmental and social challenges, is it time to consider a new paradigm? Could a multi-centered or biocentric perspective better address the needs of our shared environment?

Join Pavels Hedström from the studio Insxects as he explores the limitations of human-centered design and the potential of a biocentric approach in architecture. In this thought-provoking episode, we delve into:

• The value of adopting a biocentric mindset in design.
• The tension between interspecies living and domestication.
• Strategies for creating architecture that responds to the landscapes of the Anthropocene/Capitalocene.

This episode is part of "10 Dogmas," a 10-part podcast series that challenges the status quo of architectural thought. Produced by CAFx in collaboration with VELUX's Build for Life initiative, the series invites ten leading architectural studios to critically examine ten core dogmas currently shaping architectural practice.

The battle for the future of the building sector is often framed as a conflict over standards: between those who defend existing standards and those who demand new, green, and sustainable ones. But what if we challenged this premise? What if the logic of standardization is actually at the root of the problem? This is the starting point for the second episode of our new podcast series.

Tune in to hear Elspeth Lee and Donn Holohan from the studio Superposition delve into the challenges of standardization and explore potential solutions beyond conventional standards. This podcast episode covers:

• The value of pre-standardized architecture
• The myth of the connection between democratization and standardization
• The barriers to flexibility, spontaneity, and creativity imposed by standardization

This is the second episode of "10 Dogmas," a 10-part podcast series designed to push the boundaries of architectural thinking. In this series, we invite ten leading architectural studios to critically examine and challenge ten core dogmas that currently dominate architectural practice and consensus.

10 Dogmas is produced by CAFx and presented in collaboration with VELUX and their Build for Life initiative, which reconnects people and the planet through healthier, more sustainable buildings.

Over the past five years, several institutions have highlighted the rise of a new paradigm in Danish architecture. The Utzon Center has coined it "Super Danish," while Dagbladet Information refers to it as "a new subtlety in architecture." At CAFx, we have proposed the concept of an ecological turn—a shift towards holism, relational thinking, integration, and frugality. But how should we place this paradigm within the broader historical context, and what challenges lie ahead?

In this podcast episode, we explore these questions with Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss, a renowned Danish architecture critic, writer, and CEO of Danish Architectural Press, and Anne Beim, Head of CINARK (Centre for Industrial Architecture) at the Danish School of Architecture.

Through this conversation, we ask: What are we leaving behind, and where is Danish architecture headed? We discuss key topics such as:

• The risks posed by boredom and the will to be interesting

• The fate of the resurgence of craftsmanship in modern architecture

• Whether generational differences influence reactions to shared architectural challenges

This episode serves as the introduction to a 10-part podcast series. Throughout the series, we will invite 10 architectural studios to challenge 10 core dogmas of the current architectural consensus in Denmark.

10 Dogmas is produced by Copenhagen Architecture Festival and presented in collaboration with VELUX and their Build for Life initiative, which reconnects people and the planet through healthier, more sustainable buildings.

Further Reading

 The discussion references two essential books for understanding recent shifts in Danish architecture:

• Økologi og Arkitektonisk Kvalitet by Anne Beim
• Den Ny Bølge i Dansk Arkitektur by Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss

Both works provide invaluable insight into the tectonic movements shaping contemporary Danish architectural history. These books are highly recommended and can be accessed through the library system at bibliotek.dk

In recent years, Copenhagen has seen an intensification in the debate over urban expansion, with controversial projects such as Fælledby and Lynetteholmen at the forefront. Amid these discussions, there has been a growing focus on the potential and methods for increasing density within the existing cityscape.

In 2017, a coalition of developers, construction companies, architects, and ecologists urged the City of Copenhagen to systematically utilize the vast untapped spaces within the city. According to Dagbladet Politiken, an open letter from Dansk Byggeri, Bygherreforeningen, Akademisk Arkitektforening, Det Økologiske Råd, and Drost Fonden highlighted the potential to create 22,000 new homes by utilizing these overlooked spaces under Copenhagen's rooftops.

This podcast serves as a significant intervention in this public conversation. Listen to Alberto Ronchelli, Architect & Circular Design Specialist at GXN, as he challenges conventional views on urban "leftovers"—the unused and underused spaces within the city. Ronchelli presents his project, "The Grafted City," which maps 25,000 m² of leftover space in the Nordvest neighborhood. This discussion covers:

• The reasons behind the existence of these spaces

• Strategies for utilizing these spaces

• The concept of viewing these spaces not as isolated entities, but as part of a broader ecosystem or network of unused areas

This is the first episode of "10 Dogmas," a 10-part podcast series designed to push the boundaries of architectural thinking. In this series, we invite ten leading architectural studios to critically examine and challenge ten core dogmas that currently dominate architectural practice and consensus. In this inaugural episode, we explore the concept of "urban leftovers" and explore innovative possibilities that extend beyond this prevailing dogma. 

10 Dogmas is produced by Copenhagen Architecture Festival and presented in collaboration with VELUX and their Build for Life initiative, which reconnects people and the planet through healthier, more sustainable buildings.

Further Reading:

• Der kan findes 22.000 boliger under københavns tage by Mathias Lilholt
• Following Fellows: Progressive Cityscapes by Koozarch, featuring an interview with Ronchelli
• KAB: Hvis der skal være plads til københavnerne, skal fortætning være en reel mulighed by Rasmus Jessing

Hvordan sikrer man, at de mange projekter giver noget tilbage til byen? Hvad betyder æstetikken for vores liv i byen og hvordan sikres æstetiske kvaliteter når mange hensyn skal tages i udviklingen af projekter og byområder i forhold til bæredygtighed, økonomi, pladsmangel og andre begrænsninger. 

Siden 1903 har Københavns Kommune præmieret bygninger, der i særlig grad har formået at fremme kvaliteten af byens fysiske rammer. Hensigten er at rette opmærksomheden imod særligt vellykkede byggerier og byrum for at anerkende indsatsen fra arkitekter og bygherrer, der bidrager til at skabe en god by.

Paneldebat v. Mia Nyegaard, Kultur- og Fritidsborgmester, Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen, medstifter og partner Spacon&x, Ole Schrøder, medstifter og partner Tredje Natur og Holger Dahl, arkitekturredaktør og moderator

FOOD. It shapes our daily lives, molds the structure of our cities, and connects to over 25% of global CO2 emissions. Transforming the world's food systems means transforming the ways of inhabiting the world.

This podcast explores a conversation about the intricate connections that link food production, consumption, and human habitation. The panel includes Lasse Antoni Carlsen, director of Bygaard; Christer Bredgaard, owner of Il Buco; Kristine Fisker, a design specialist in sustainable changes in the food industry and a design advisor at INVI. The moderator is Mia Maja Hansson, director and teacher at Kitchen Collective.

JORD. Hjemsted for mere end en fjerdedel af den biologiske mangfoldighed på jorden, planetens største vandfilter og et af de vigtigste naturlige systemer for kulstoflagring. Sund jord betyder sunde økosystemer og et godt grundlag for frugtbare fødevaresystemer. Regenerativt landbrug er blevet beskrevet som en landbrugsrevolution, der har løftet om en storslået vending af tendensen til jordudtømning og en væsentlig stigning i kulstofbinding. Flyt din opmærksomhed et par centimeter under dine fødder!

Paneldeltagere: 

• Anna Sofie Hvid,  Rural Agency 
• Nanna Thomsen, Andelsgaarde
• Søren Ejlersen, Stifter af blandt andet Fælleshaven & Aarstiderne

Moderator: Marie Sainabou Jeng, Stifter og programdirektør af Madland

In this podcast, we are exploring two key texts related to the movement: 'Another City for Another Life' (1958) by Constant and 'Formulary for a New Urbanism' (1953) by Ivan Chtcheglov. Your guide through the texts is David Pinder, a professor in Urban Geography at RUC and author of the book "Visions of the City: Utopianism, Power, and Politics in Twentieth-Century Urbanism" (2005).

The podcast is a part of the documentation of a longer series of reading club events linked to our past exhibition, 'Architecture and the Art of Agitation,' which marked the culmination of a year-long exploration of the significance of manifestos, including two exhibitions, as well as an analogue and a digital publication.Follow the link below and listen to the conversation on your favourite platform. Read more about 'Architecture and the Art of Agitation' exhibition in KoozArch's article 'The manifesto as a dream machine'.

Read the digital publication 'Manifesto Relay 2023' here.

In April 2023, the exhibition 'Architecture and the Art of Agitation' opened in the exhibition-space of Copenhagen Architecture Festival. Over a period of two months, a diverse group of experts, professionals, and architecture enthusiasts gathered for a sequence of reading club events, offering moments for rereading and reevaluating some of the most influential architectural manifestos of the 21st century.

This podcast represents one of two recordings documenting these events, capturing a lecture on Le Corbusier's Towards an Architecture (1923) and Rem Koolhaas' Junkspace (2001). Kristoffer Weiss, philosopher, director of the Danish Architectural Press, and ex-partner in EFFEKT, was our guide, and you will hear his voice in the following recording. 

In May 2023, the Danish Pavilion opened at the 13th Venice Biennale, featuring the exhibition "Coastal Imaginaries". Inside the pavilion, a diverse group of collaborators, professionals and architecture enthusiasts gathered for a focused discussion series on nature-based solutions and the coastscapes of the future. This podcast represents one of four recordings capturing these dialogues.

This podcast captures a conversation on co-habitation, waterscapes and nature-based solutions; mindsets and practices for the future. The discussion is facilitated by Katrina Wiberg, who serves as an associate professor at the School of Architecture in Aarhus. The panel comprises the following experts:

Rikke Juul Gram, a landscape architect and a partner and CCO at Schønherr, a Danish studio specializing in landscape architecture.

Gertrud Jørgensen, an architect, Ph.D., and professor with expertise in urban planning within the Department of Landscape Architecture and Planning.

Amina Chouari, a landscape architect and Ph.D. researcher at Università Iuav di Venezia. 

Francesco Musco, an architect and a full professor specializing in Urban Planning at the Department of Architecture and Arts – Università Iuav di Venezia.

For other episodes, please visit https://coastal-imaginaries.dac.dk/. 

In May 2023, the Danish Pavilion opened at the 13th Venice Biennale, featuring the exhibition "Coastal Imaginaries". Inside the pavilion, a diverse group of collaborators, professionals and architecture enthusiasts gathered for a focused discussion series on nature-based solutions and the coastscapes of the future. This podcast represents one of four recordings capturing these dialogues. 

This episode delves into a conversation regarding the future of architectural education in the context of the green transition and the potential environmental risks that lie ahead. Ellen Braae, a professor specializing in landscape architecture theory and methodology, moderates the discussion. The participants include:

Pippo Ciorra, who is not only an architect but also a critic and educator. Since 2009, he has held the role of senior curator at Rome's MAXXI, the National Museum of 21st-Century Arts. 

Anne Tietjen, an architect with a Ph.D., and a Professor specializing in Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, and Transformation. As of 2022, she serves as the Head of Studies for the MSc Landscape Architecture.  

Enrico Formato, an architect with a Ph.D., who is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Naples Federico II.

Alberto Innocenti, an architect with a Ph.D., who works as an Assistant Professor specializing in Urban Resilience at the University of Southern Denmark. 

For other episodes, please visit https://coastal-imaginaries.dac.dk/.