ESO 2024 presents “DOWN TO EARTH”: Nature, Materials, Sustainability & AI | SAVE THE DATE MAY 22, 2024
ESO Conference for Architecture & Design returns in Athens Concert Hall on May 22, 2024 under the theme “DOWN TO EARTH: Nature, Materials, Sustainability & AI”. Welcome back, down to earth!
Book now your tickets, here!
This year’s ESO Conference theme, “Down to Earth”, initiates a dialogue on the climate crisis and political ecology, intersecting art and architecture.
This theme underscores the synergy between construction, fabrication, and design as catalysts for a healthier planet. This year, the journey back to earth is led by globally acclaimed speakers who are at the forefront of ecological design and architectural innovation, conjugating tradition with technology, and craftsmanship with digital precision.
Towards Carbon-Negative Architecture
The built environment contributes to nearly 40% of global carbon emissions. Traditionally, the focus has been on reducing operational energy and its carbon footprint. However, the concept of whole life carbon is now pivotal in the design, construction, and renovation of buildings.
The New Design Possibilities
While integrating nature into construction is not novel, “Down to Earth” challenges its sufficiency. This conference wonders around innovative organic-derived materials, high-profile wooden skyscrapers, bio-materials, zero-carbon blocks for CO2 emission reduction, circular economy principles, regenerative design, and structural efficiency.
A key question we pose: How can we mainstream the use of materials like algae bricks?
Redefining Craftsmanship in the Post-Digital Age
Is it possible for traditional building crafts to address the climate crisis? Craftsmanship is not only a legacy of encoded knowledge but also a dynamic process in creating high-quality objects with technical expertise. We also probe the concept of digital craft: How can we merge historical knowledge and craftsmanship with contemporary practices? What defines “traditional” in modern architecture and design? This segment explores how traditional knowledge, in sync with nature, can be a resource for future innovations.
The Critical Role of Data in Architecture
Technology, particularly AI and ML, plays an instrumental role in architecture, enhancing our ability to design and manage the built environment effectively. We will examine the potential and pitfalls of AI’s pervasive use in architecture. Can an over-reliance on AI compromise the spontaneity and unpredictability that often bring joy to architectural spaces?
The speakers
Erieta Attali has worked as an architectural photographer, fine art photographer, educator and author since 1998 and her work has been published widely. Through her poetic images of some of the world’s leading architectural projects, Erieta Attali explores the relationship between the manmade architecture and the landscape, interrogating how the context and surrounding terrain of a building form part of a two-way dialogue.
Her photography explores how extreme conditions and challenging terrains cause humanity to reorient and recenter itself through architectural responses.
Drawing on her background in archaeology and fine art photography, her unconventional method contributes to her distinctive photographic style, in revealing the aged beauty and narrative of structures making her photography not just a visual experience but an emotive exploration of space and time.
Attali has earned prestigious awards and scholarships and is the author of several photography books. In Mirror in the Mirror, the most recent collaborative book between Erieta Attali and architect Kengo Kuma, Attali’s photographs capture the interconnectedness of the built space with nature and enhance the sensorial experience of the featured spaces. Her work has been exhibited in significant museums worldwide.
Areti Markopoulou
A visionary Greek architect and urban technologist, Areti Markopoulou, is at the forefront of blending architecture with digital technologies. As the Academic Director at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, she steers the Advanced Architecture Group, focusing on eco-technological advancements in the architecture of the cities.
Her research and practice integrates design, biotechnologies, big data and digital fabrication, reflecting her commitment to new materials and innovative urban spaces for the future.
Markopoulou is also known for her leadership roles in major architecture symposiums and international exhibitions, showcasing her influence in the field of contemporary and responsive architecture. She is the project coordinator of a number of European Research funded Projects on topics including urban regeneration, circular design and construction and multidisciplinary educational models in the digital age. Areti has curated international exhibitions such as Future Arena and On Site Robotics (Building Barcelona Construmat 2017-19), Print Matter (In3dustry 2016), HyperCity (Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale, 2015) and MyVeryOwnCity (World Bank, BR Barcelona, 2011) and she was co-curator of the Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2022.
Konstantinos Pantazis – Point Supreme
The co-founder of the Athens-based architecture firm Point Supreme, is a visionary figure in the realm of architecture. Educated at the National Technical University of Athens and The Berlage Institute in Rotterdam, Pantazis has a rich background in architecture, having worked with notable firms like OMA and MVRDV.
Upon their return to Athens, they began to avidly translate the various nuances they experienced abroad and to reimagine the Greek landscape, the built environment and the urban fabric of Athens.
This led them to regularly publish self-initiated projects for the city of Athens where they are based. They have won 1st prize in various international competitions. They are teaching internationally at architecture schools including Columbia University in New York and EPFL in Lausanne.
Panos Dragonas – Dragonas Studio
A distinguished architect and Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Patras, Greece, has made significant contributions to the field of architecture. He studied at the National Technical University of Athens and at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University as a Fulbright Scholar. The work of Dragonas Studio stems from the challenges of the Greek cityscape and the qualities of the Mediterranean landscape. Design is enriched by research, teaching and curating notable exhibitions.
The studio’s identity oscillates between the urban and the natural, the local and the global, reality and cinema fiction.
DS’s portfolio includes a wide range of projects, from residential and exhibition design to the regeneration of public spaces. The work of the studio has been awarded in 10 architectural competitions and has been featured in international reviews such as L’architecture d’aujourd’hui, Archi, Blueprint, Stavba, Bauwelt, Spazio e Societa, Architecture in Greece, Design + Art in Greece, Domes and the web-sites Archdaily, Dezeen, Domusweb.
Dimitris Papanikolaou – Urban Synergetics Lab
Serving as an Assistant Professor at UNC Charlotte, Dimitris Papanikolaou boasts a remarkable academic background with a Doctor of Design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, an MSc in Media Arts and Sciences from the MIT Media Lab and a SMArchS in Design Computation from MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning. He is the founder and director of the Urban Synergetics Lab.
His research primarily delves into data, urban mobility, system dynamics, and the development of intelligent urban infrastructure, blending architecture and design with digital innovation.
Papanikolaou’s work, recognized for its pioneering approach, includes teaching roles at Harvard, NYU, and MIT, and contributions to significant projects at Microsoft Research and the MIT Media Lab.
Andreas Fries – Herzog & de Meuron
Andreas Fries has been Senior Partner at Herzog & de Meuron since 2011. He is responsible for several notable projects across the world, including Stadtcasino and Asklepios 8 in Basel, Vitra Schaudepot in Weil am Rhein, Germany, SongEun Art Space in Seoul and others. Andreas Fries is the partner in charge of Herzog & de Meuron’s projects in Greece. Fries has been teaching at the YAC Academy in Bologna, Italy, since 2021.
Ryan Neiheiser – Neiheiser Argyros
Co-founder and principal of Neiheiser Argyros, a London and Athens-based multidisciplinary architecture practice, Ryan Neiheiser is known for his innovative and research-driven approach to architecture. Together with Xristina Argyros, he established the practice in 2015, focusing on a diverse range of projects in Europe and the USA. NEIHEISER ARGYROS works at many scales including buildings, masterplans, interiors, landscapes, exhibitions, and furniture.
Their work is characterized by a commitment to creating environments and objects with cultural resonance, valuing intellectual curiosity and artistic rigor.
Neiheiser Argyros stands out for its flexible and open approach to architectural design, where each project is a unique conversation with its context and history.
Ryan Neiheiser has worked at a number of award winning firms in Europe and the United States, including the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) in Rotterdam and Diller Scofidio and Renfro in New York City. Neiheiser has taught master’s level thesis at Princeton University and has been teaching a design studio at the Architectural Association since 2014.
Stella Pieri – Pieris Architects
Stella Pieri is a partner at Pieris Architects, an award-winning architectural firm based in Athens. She combines her engineering background with architectural expertise to work on a variety of projects, from complex buildings to intricate interior designs.
Pieris Architects’ work encapsulates a solid sustainable ethos with a commitment to green and eco-emotional architecture.
Stella has a strong academic background, having taught at the National Technical University of Athens and holding a PhD specializing in carbon-zero and energy-zero developments. Since joining Pieris Architects in 2004, she has played a key role in expanding the firm’s international reach and innovative projects.
The renowned French designer, is celebrated for his innovative approach, blending simplicity with complexity in a style he terms “simplexity.”
He achieved early acclaim by creating the world’s first virtual brand and 3d virtual products for iconic brands such as Louis Vuitton, Apple and Bic. He has since become a star of the international design scene with an impressive portfolio of clients such as Adidas, L’Oréal, and Toyota. His multidisciplinary studio covers areas from product design to architecture, exemplified by his creation of MAMO, an art center in Marseille. Honored as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2011, ïto continues to influence modern design aesthetics through his unique fusion of technology and creativity.
Olaf de Nooyer – Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW)
Associate, Architect at Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW). Studied architecture in the Netherlands at the TU (Technical University) in Delft. After having worked with the City of Rotterdam on its harbour front development, he came to the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in 1989. He started on the Columbus International Exposition in Genoa (1992) where he followed the iconic “Grande Bigo”, was responsible for the National Science Centre in Amsterdam (completed in 1997) and became an Associate in 1997. He worked on the realisation of the Aurora Place office tower and residential building in Sydney (2000).
He was Project Lead Architect for the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco which opened in 2008 and for the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art in Oslo, Norway (2012). He played a similar role for the JNBY project in Hangzhou and the Whittle School in Shenzhen, both in China. Now he works in Greece for the SNF Health Initiative, the template for future hospitals in particular the General Hospital in Sparti.
Olga Tourlomousi – On-site representative of RPBW in Athens
OR Architecture, Founder. Olga is the visionary founder of OR Architecture, a new architectural office based in Athens, specializing in comfortable and environmentally intelligent buildings. She is also the on-site representative of Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) in Greece. She joined RPBW office in Genoa in 2019 and became a member of the design team for the three, new state-of-the-art hospitals in Greece, part of the SNF Health Initiative. While at RPWB, she worked closely with Olaf de Nooyer on the design of the General Hospital of Sparti.
After four years, she moved back to Greece where she continues collaborating with RPBW as the on-site representative, monitoring the construction of the hospitals. Earlier, she had worked for three years as a Site Architect on the construction of Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens (SNFCC) which was designed by RPBW and completed in 2016. Olga holds a degree of Architecture from the National Technical University of Athens (2010) and Master’s degree in Building Technology from TU in Delft (2018) focusing on the design of sustainable building envelopes.
Growing up multilingual with Norwegian, German and Danish, Jette Cathrin Hopp studied Architecture in the Masterclass of Prof. Peter Cook and Prof. Enric Miralles at the Städelschule, State Academy of Fine Arts. Jette is Snøhetta`s director for acquisition and new projects in Europe & UK and part of the executive management of Snøhetta Oslo.
She has extensive experience in complex both Norwegian and international projects, leading major international project developments and competitions. She regularly lectures at architectural symposia, conferences , international institutions and universities, sharing Snøhetta´s philosophy and design ideas. She is also a jury chair for several architecture competitions and prizes. Jette Hopp is a member of the board of trustees of the Schelling Architecture Foundation and appointed president of the jury for the Italian Architecture Prize in 2021. As a critic, Jette Cathrin Hopp is regularly invited to architecture universities worldwide, and she holds a teaching position at the University of Technology and Design, Wismar. Jette is appointed Member of the Oslo City Architecture Council, Oslo Kommune, Norway and Chair of the Advisory Council on Urban Planning of Kiel municipality, Germany.
Examples of her experience are her role as team leader for the museum project at the King Abdul Aziz Center for Knowledge and Culture in Dharhan, Saudi Arabia, for the Norwegian State Opera and State Ballet in Oslo, Project Director for the Elbtower in Hamburg; Operntower Düsseldorf, Centre Monnaie “OXY” in Brussels, the Roshen Concert Hall in Kiev, as well as piloting sustainability projects in Norway such as Powerhouse One in Trondheim and the concept phase of Powerhouse Kjørbo in Sandvika, the world’s first refurbished positive energy building.
Archisearch Lifetime Achievement Awards
During ESO 2024, the sixth Archisearch Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremony will honour and highlight the life and work of architect Tasos Biris (Emeritus Professor, School of Architecture, NTUA), architect Manolis Korres (Dr. Architect-Eng, Dr.Ph.H.C. FU Berlin, Emeritus Professor NTU Athens, Member of the Academy of Athens) and ceramicist Eleni Vernadaki.
The awards are presented by Panayiotis Pangalos (Architect, Associate Professor in the University of West Attica) and Andreas Kourkoulas (Architect, Emeritus Professor NTUA, Founding partner Kokkinou-Kourkoulas Architects & Associates)
Creative Lighting, in an exciting collaboration with Design Ambassador and Archisearch, is thrilled to announce its participation as a Community Partner at the ESO Conference. Understanding the important role of education and skill improvement in empowering the architecture and design community, we offer training opportunities not only to the participants of ESO but also to its dedicated volunteers, creating an environment of growth, knowledge, and innovation in the heart of Greeces vibrant creative scene.
- AI in Architecture and Design - Exclusively for ESO participants, this course is designed to explore the fascinating world of artificial intelligence and its applications in your design and creative process. Attendees will learn how to use AI tools like Midjourney for research, creating moodboards, and generating prompts that help visualize concepts and ideas quickly.
- Masterclass in Lighting & Storytelling - Following the huge success of last years masterclass, we are delighted to offer a specially curated course for ESO volunteers once again. In the masterclass, we will explore fundamentals in lighting, composition, visual storytelling, and more. This educational experience offers insights into innovative tools and processes to deepen your mastery of architectural visualization.
Both training sessions draw inspiration from Creative Lightings philosophy of blending artistic vision with technical expertise, as showcased in our online masterclasses and workshops. These opportunities are about gaining new skills and joining a vibrant community of forward-thinkers dedicated to shaping the future of design.
Join us at the ESO Conference to be inspired by leading speakers in the field, connect with fellow visionaries in the architecture and design industry, and explore these unique educational offerings.
Facts & Credits
Project title ESO 2024 – DOWN TO EARTH
Typology Conference, Architecture, Design
Location Alexandra Trianti Hall, Megaron Athens Concert Hall
Date Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024
Sponsors
PLATINUM SPONSOR GLM OUTDOOR SOLUTIONS
GOLD SPONSOR ORAMA MINIMAL FRAMES
SILVER SPONSOR EUROPA
BRONZE SPONSOR ELVIAL
DISTINCTIVE SPONSOR LAFARGE
GRAND SPONSORS ELTOP, ΚΕΒΕ, TEXTURES AND TILES, SIFAKIS GLASS CONSTRUCTIONS, ΚΥΠΡΙΩΤΗΣ, KIMISOO, FRANKE, STO INTERNATIONAL, BRATTI, VERNOLIN DEFTEREOS, ARCHITEXTURE, BENJAMIN MOORE, NEOKEM, FURNITURE GALLERY, GRUPPO CUCINE, ISOMAT, MARMOURIS, SATO, STORMY SA, NAFPLIOTIS GLASS, URBI ET ORBI, MOLESKINE, ETHIMO, KLEEMANN, KALOTARANIS, AVE
Content creation & Media Partnership by Archisearch.gr
Produced & curated by theDesign Ambassador
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