Interview with Ricardo Devesa, director of the Talks congress, "Logics of Innovation and Change"

"Expanded architecture works on new logics that innovate on space, uses, the exercise of the same profession, its social commitment and, last but not least, on the cultural construction that architecture brings to society."

"(...) the food production system can initiate the transformation towards a 3D economy, capable of generating value for communities, reducing inequalities and diminishing the effects of climate change and the deterioration of the environment."

"From my point of view, we should take advantage of opportunities to innovate and update architectural heritage, as it makes no sense to use obsolete construction techniques today when more optimal, advanced ones with less impact are available."

 

I am the director of the Talks congress that under the title of "Logics of Innovation and Change" proposes to debate and show practices around the concept of expanded architecture, which we coined three and a half years ago when we created the urbanNext digital platform, precisely to teach another way of exercising and building architecture.

To this end, I have invited a wide range of professionals from different backgrounds and with different approaches to the discipline to advocate and explain what it means to work towards an architecture with a more holistic approach, capable of facing global challenges such as climate change, migration, technological disruption and new cultural world views.

The responses to these global challenges have been grouped into five architectural logics. In other words, if by logics we mean a set of procedures and methods, expanded architecture works on new logics that innovate on space, uses, the exercise of the same profession, its social commitment and, last but not least, on the cultural construction that architecture brings to society.

The congress will be characterised by giving a voice to architects who have a maximum of 20 years of work experience in the area. Among them will be professionals such as Roger Tudó, co-founder architect of HARQUITECTES and Sandra Bestraten, architect and lecturer at the UPC, both of whom will present their ideas and projects on sustainability; Alejandro Haiek, Venezuelan architect of reference in collaborative architecture; Fabienne Hoelzel, urban planner, researcher and founder of FABULOUS URBAN, a planning agency specialising in disadvantaged regions; among many others.

In addition, there will be conferences featuring experts on the announced global challenges such as Mario Carpo, Italian historian and architecture critic on technological disruptions; Neil Leach, British architect and professor at Harvard University to talk about the digital revolution; or Ingrid Guardiola, professor, director, essayist and cultural producer who will present her research on the new cultural stories after the irruption of the mass media.

In addition to the Talks Congress, the proposal to teach and discuss innovations in the sector makes BBConstrumat 2019 an essential event for all professionals, companies and agents in the field of architecture and construction.

Among the new developments, one of the greatest opportunities is the Future House, organised by the IaaC Advanced Architecture Group, an experiential space of 1,000 m2 where the technological advances that will shape the house of the future will be presented. Among the confirmed projects that will be exhibited are Innochain FlectoFold, from the Itke and ICD institutes of the University of Stuttgart (Germany), Kubik and Digital Twin from Tecnalia, and the Phi from the Strelka Institute of Russia, among many other research projects on the subject.

I would also highlight the new Professional Spot initiative, the space that will bring architecture, engineering and interior design firms together to introduce, explain and offer their services and projects to potential developers. A unique initiative among the trade fair events in the sector.

And finally, the Sustainable Solutions area, where two residential buildings of 90 m2 will be built during the trade show days. With this initiative, visitors will be able to experience the benefits of passive construction.

I do not believe that they will be replaced, but that the traditional ones will be supplemented by the new ones. Now, I am convinced of the change from other advanced construction techniques applied to traditional materials, for example, using the man-robot combination and its implementation with the addition of other components that will improve them and make them more effective.

In some schools these issues have been seriously dealt with for a long time, from their updated academic programmes and from research. However, they still need to be addressed more globally as well as more critically, with more practical applications in day-to-day construction. Therefore, the relationship between schools and the industry should be more regular, as it benefits both players and, by extension, society.

The growing "sensorisation" of inhabited environments is a fact. Of course, monitoring homes is bringing improvements, as any information that is compiled can be incorporated into the design process, in the optimisation of its use and its subsequent maintenance. However, it is also true that the degree of intimacy and ownership that we will have over our homes, and therefore over our lives, is in question. In this sense, there is still a need for more regulations and to make the inhabitants themselves aware of the benefits and negative consequences.

It is a possible solution, but I think it has to go through the process of creating a local food production network, with a circular structure, capable of closing the cycle of the materials, as nature also produces and self-sustains. Therefore, I would encourage thinking and acting from diversity. I suggest reading the latest book by economist Gunter Pauli, "Let us be as intelligent as nature", published by Tusquets, where he presents twelve trends relating to the economic system, agriculture and the agro-food industry. As he explains very clearly in this book, the food production system can initiate the transformation towards a 3D economy, capable of generating value for communities, reducing inequalities and diminishing the effects of climate change and the deterioration of the environment.

From my point of view, we should take advantage of opportunities to innovate and update architectural heritage, as it makes no sense to use obsolete construction techniques today when more optimal, advanced ones with less impact are available. In the end, all architecture ends up being an expression of the system used for its design, construction and subsequent maintenance; I do not see why not to innovate in the reconstruction of old buildings.