SUSTAINABILITY
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Anna Moldenhauer: How did you come up with the topic “Architecture Connecting”? Was there a key moment?
Mette Marie Kallehauge: The idea is based on ourprevious exhibition series “The Architect's Studio”, in which we looked at the architecture of a studio that sets new standards with sustainable and socially conscious architecture and takes on the challenges of globalization. The exhibition on Forensic Architecture, an interdisciplinary research group, in particular, showed that there are fields that expand the supposed boundaries of what architecture is and can be. Forensic Architecture uses the tools of architecture, such as mapping and 3D reconstructions, to prove human rights violations. Their results help to understand complex processes and show how architects can respond to profound political issues. They work in an investigative way and make connections between many fields of knowledge. Their work underscores the need to transform architecture. Facing the of climate change and the decline in biodiversity, two important issues in the epoch of the Anthropocene, we need to work in a much more interdisciplinary way to master the future, which is why we use this new exhibition series to highlight the connection between architecture and the sciences. The first issue deals with “Living Structures”, in other words, how architecture is connected to biology and what a future collaboration between architects and sciences might look like.
The exhibition presents the work of ecoLogicStudio, Atelier LUMA and Jenny Sabin Studio. Why did you choose them?
Mette Marie Kallehauge: The work of all three studios is based on research, and they are not only focusing on traditional processes and materials. They are interested in reinventing the discipline from the ground up. These studios work collaboratively with people from architecture, with biologists, mathematicians, and data scientists. The laboratory is part of their methodology, and the exhibition aims to make these processes more visible. Their work with biology goes back to the essentials – like learning a new language, they start from scratch. What is surprising is the very small scale at which the three studios work. Jenny Sabin, for example, is conducting research at the cellular level to understand the feedback processes in nature that enable organisms to adapt to environmental changes. Knowledge about the design of nature can thus be implemented in new intelligent forms and materials. It is the beginning of a new way of thinking about architecture.
The studios have created their own works for the exhibition, such as the installation “Deep Forest” by ecoLogicStudio, the 3D-printed brick by Atelier LUMA, which consists largely of local paper and cardboard waste and is colored with vegetable dyes from the area around the museum. Jenny Sabin Studio will analyze the exhibition as a dynamic biological space. What kind of briefing did the creatives receive?
Mette Marie Kallehauge: The process is always collaborative and Louisiana provides the environment that the studios can use as a starting point. The aim is to unfold their practice and to show how they work with research. But the studios work out the concept themselves and then we develop it in collaboration ecoLogicStudio, for example, created a spatial installation that offers an immersive, personal experience. It is about understanding and experiencing biology and sustainable architecture at all levels, beyond our rational understanding. Atelier LUMA mainly works with materials and objects – one of their “Humlebaek bricks” is produced twice a day in the exhibition using a 3D printer and consists mainly of recycled waste such as paper from the museum. Research generally has a different temporal rhythm given the long time perspectives. The exhibition shows how diverse this research can be in favor of sustainable architecture. These findings are certainly also important for the new generation of architects.
Speaking of education, how would the role of architects and designers change if the interdisciplinary approach were already part of their training?
Mette Marie Kallehauge: You would think that this should already be the case, but in fact the traditional architecture studios and the construction industry are – and rightly so – very much focused on the realization of buildings. The work of the studios is therefore also a form of criticism of how the building industry works. The question is whether we are able to see nature in architecture not only as trees, parks and green areas, but to consider the synthesis between nature and people. The approaches are there, but we need more openness in the discussions between the humanities, such as anthropology, social sciences and natural sciences. In the exhibition we go into detail, look at the intelligence of organisms, without which we ourselves would not exist. The networks of these organisms can be transferred to the work of the studios presented, such as Atelier LUMA, who use materials that are available locally, but also incorporate networking into social structures in order to optimization. So, it's not just about imitation. We don't like to use the word “sustainability” because it has become a buzzword. We also take a critical view of “circularity” because materials like plastic cannot be reused forever. The question should not be how often you can recycle the environmentally harmful material, but how you can replace it with a better alternative. The interdisciplinary approach will hopefully give the architects the freedom to act with more sensibility and the tools for seeking the necessary knowledge which can only be contributed by other sciences.
Our contemporary world is characterized by many challenges such as conflicts over resources, a lack of affordable living space, and environmental disasters. To what extent can “Architecture Connecting” create new perspectives here?
Mette Marie Kallehauge: The projects shown are often prototypes or insights into developments, since a great deal of research is needed to create a new system for the production and the development of building materials. However, most of the projects made by the three studios aim at being able to, over time, produce the materials on an industrial scale. It is not just about returning to nature and to create unique pieces of design, but also to optimize digital tools, algorithms and processes to contribute to the built environment at large. The presentations of the three studios are hopefully only the first steps towards a more healthy building industry, also to be followed by other architects contributing with their expertise to these challenges as well.
Atelier LUMA, for example, has developed a prototype for bioplastics based on unused local resources. In addition, the team has developed a veneer made from the invasive wood Tree of Heaven in collaboration with Danish furniture manufacturer Fritz Hansen, which is more productive than conventional wood sources. While you were researching the curation, was there any insight that particularly stuck out for you?
Mette Marie Kallehauge: As regards the collaboration with Atelier LUMA, I think that the most important insight is to be able to change your view on aesthetics and design – we need to accept other paradigms for design. Why not produce the famous Danish chair of Arne Jacobsen in types of wood with another pattern and another finish, not only oak and beech? Our perception needs to change, as regards design and architecture, but also our perception of nature. Instead of wanting to understand things only on a rational level, we have to learn to open up and to understand our deep connection to nature.
“Living Structures” is the first of a total of six exhibitions in the new “Architecture Connecting” series – what is planned for the coming years?
Mette Marie Kallehauge: We want to keep the option open to flexibly adapt our program to changes in architecture in the coming years, so we have not yet decided the specific architects and themes. There will be one exhibition per year. As we move forward, we will probably address the question of how we should live in the future. But again, the themes and perspectives for the series is a process.
ARCHITECTURE CONNECTING – LIVING STRUCTURES
Until 23 March 2025
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Gl Strandvej 13
3050 Humlebæk, Denmark
