The “Reconstructing the Future for People and Planet” Conference, hosted by Bauhaus Earth and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS), has begun at the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican Gardens. The conference opened with a speech from Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. The extensive program brings together renowned scientists, architects, spatial planners, and policymakers to discuss the transformation of the built environment from a driver of climatic and societal crises into a force for regeneration.
The first day of the conference included a conversation between Francis Kéré, this year’s Pritzker Prize Laureate, and Ursula von der Leyen at the MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century Art in Rome. Among the invited speakers are Lesley Lokko, architect and curator of next year’s Venice Architecture Biennale; Shigeru Ban, 2014 Pritzker Prize Laureate; Bjarke Ingels, and Wael Al Awar, recipient of the 2021 Venice Biennial Golden Lion. The speeches are structured around a set of themes, all connected to principles of sustainable development: Construction Challenges and Solutions Across the Globe; Meeting the Bauhaus Earth Challenges - Sustainable, Inclusive, Beautiful; From Mining to Gardening; Natural and Digital Resources; and Settling the Unsettled.
The conference will address a key challenge of our time: averting climate collapse by the deep and rapid transformation of the global built environment. The construction sector can go from climate villain to climate hero, especially by switching to bio-based materials such as timber and bamboo. This transformation will require unprecedented collaboration between the Global South and the Global North, the integration of advanced technology and vernacular knowledge, and the re-entanglement of nature and civilization in urban space. This is why we convene a superb diversity of experts from around the world and across all relevant disciplines. - Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Founder of Bauhaus Earth
The conference follows the launch of “Towards Re-Entanglement: A Charter for the City and the Earth”, a Bauhaus Earth initiative put in motion at the MAXXI Museum. Authored by eighteen scientists, architects, and policymakers, the charter demands the transformation of the construction industry from a driver of the climate crisis into a regenerative force. In recognition of the dire threat of climate collapse and global mass extinction, the charter signatories commit to the systemic transformation of our buildings and cities.
Founded in 2019, Bauhaus Earth is a nonprofit organization based in Potsdam and Berlin. Its activity is centered on transformations of the construction sector that encourage environmental preservation and systemic regeneration. Through deep research, demonstration projects, and political advocacy, Bauhaus Earth aims to help create a built environment that better serves our planet and its inhabitants. The Laudes Foundation is a financial supporter and partner of Bauhaus Earth.
