Again & Again & Again

Hearing Architecture presents a podcast mini-series Again&Again&Again hosted by Hilary Duff and made possible with the support of Alistair Swayn Foundation. Each interview by Hilary seeks to understand, harness and deploy the expertise and knowledge of professionals in the design community working on circularity with the building industry

"In this episode, we hear from Andri Snær Magnason. He is not our usual podcast guest as he is not a formally trained architect, yet he has worked alongside them, written for and about them, and comes from a lineage of family involved in the environment, whether built or natural."

"In this episode, we speak with Lasse Lind of GXN, an independent, design-driven research studio that pioneers strategic sustainability within the construction industry. In our discussion Lasse and I explore how these important research consultancies tackle the role in asking questions that there is often not time or space to ask within the architectural process. Lasse explains GXN’s aim to provide insights into the preconditions that inform circularity on the construction site."

"In this episode, we listen to a thought-provoking discussion with Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, a visionary architect and explorer of new narratives in the built environment. Arnhildur's quest began at a point of despair over climate change, coupled with a deep fascination for science, technology, and geological exploration. Her studio's research is driven by a desire to connect disparate industries and technologies, seeking innovative solutions to pressing global challenges. Among other things, our conversation queries the fundamental materials of modern construction—concrete, steel, and wood—and confront the stark reality of their carbon footprint. Here Arnhildur prompts us to consider a radical shift: What if our buildings could emerge from geological layers, fashioned from locally-sourced materials in harmony with the natural environment?"

"In this interview, I meet with Ana and Jan of Studio Ludika, an emerging Icelandic based architectural and research practice. Ana is a born and bred Icelander, who teamed with the Polish born, Cario raised Jan, to establish Studio Ludika when living in the UK. In our conversation, Ana and Jan lament that Icelanders we have forgotten how to build self sufficiently, living on an island completely reliant on carbon intensive material imports. Among other things, Ana and Jan comment on how Icelanders used to know how to build with what they had around them. In a country of very little trees for timber, they built within the landscapes. Grassy turf houses that raised and fell back into the earth. They note that at the time, it wasn’t a glorious, but it worked. It kept it’s inhabitants warmed, and safe through icy winters."

"In this episode, we speak with Architects and academics, Jon Foote & Ula Kozminska from Aarhus University in Denmark. Our conversation centres around a fascinating paradigm shift in construction—what they term as 'The New Stone Age.' where architects are again considering the ancient benefits of stone, fuelled by a contemporary sustainability agenda. Jonathan and Ula share recent projects exploring the reintroduction of load-bearing stone, questioning the possibility of creating modern stone buildings without steel, structure, and cladding, hearkening back to traditional methods."

"In this episode, I meet with Andy Coward, a Danish and UK-based structural engineer with 17 years of experience designing buildings and bridges, burning man installations, Apple stores, football stadiums, and architectural offices. His search for a fresh approach to making, designing, and using concrete led to the founding of his current practice Net Zero projects and one of his first offerings:  the low-carbon structural system Minimass."

"In this episode we speak with Kirsten Lynge of Søuld. Kirsten is head of sustainability and co-founder of Søuld, a Danish material manufacturer committed to providing forward-thinking designers, builders, and end-users with eco-friendly, recyclable and CO₂-storing building materials made from eelgrass."

"In this episode, I meet with Sandy Bell of Stance Studio, an Australian-trained and registered architect, who has spent the last half-decade living and working in Denmark. At the time of the interview, Sandy was operating a fascinating hybrid practice, Stance Studios, that spanned the roles of the ‘design architect and construction architect often seen separated in Denmark. Similarly Stance’s output ranges in scale, from handcrafted furniture, single residential, and through to commercial and educational projects. Often working with local practice Einrum Arkitekter, the studio has spent the last number of years expanding into, and advancing, the niche of mass timber design and construction."

"Peter leads the Circular Cities Services the Arup Copenhagen office. As part of the Nordic leadership team, he provides deep expertise in the areas of circular systems, decarbonisation, resilience, and climate change."

"Today Lene and I discuss the Circle Bank project and it’s important goals in creating a digital platform that integrates new knowledge through the process of scanning, demolition, material handling and architectural design. We dive into the detail of the tool and platform explore the grand ambition of the organisation: that By 2030, circular construction has outcompeted linear construction."

"Going from a linear to a circular mindset requires a huge transformation in the built environment and can only be successful with an innovative approach and through partnerships for change. In this episode I meet with an individual who offers both and operates at the periphery of the built industry.

Siddharth Hande a Data Scientist and Social Entrepreneur and is founder and CEO of Kabadiwalla Connect. His organisation is working to transform the informal waste supply-chain in cities in the Global South, including his own hometown of Chennai, India."

"In today’s episode I speak with Floris Schiferli of SuperUse Studios, Rotterdam. Superuse Studios is an international architecture collective for circular and sustainable design. In their office, a design is not considered as the beginning of a linear process, but rather: A phase in a continuous cycle of creation and recreation, use and reuse."

"In this episode, I speak with Victor Meesters, a Paris-based architect working with the Belgian collective Rotor. Since 2005, Rotor has operated as a multidisciplinary group of architects, designers, and other professionals interested in the processes that shape a building. Specifically, they are interested in the flow and transit of materials in the industrial and construction sector and the industry’s relationship to resources, waste, use and reuse."

"Nicholas is an architect and co-founder of hybrid practice, designing and undertaking "acts of building" towards systemic change in the construction sector. BC stands for Brussels Cooperation and points to how BC grew - embedded within place and people. They operate through 3 legal entities registered in Belgium; BC architects (a design studio), BC studies (a non-profit education laboratory), and BC materials (a material production cooperative).

BC strive for bioregional, low-tech, circular, beautiful, and inclusive design. They work with their minds and hands, undertaking activities such as community organisation, material production, contracting, teaching, and prototyping."

"In this episode I meet with Daniel Bell of Atelier Luma, based in the Camargue region in the South of France. Daniel graduated as an architect from the Glasgow Mackintosh School of Architecture and has since practiced as an Architect in France, Ireland, and the UK.

Since 2018 he has worked at Atelier LUMA; a design and research lab located in Arles. His role here is a slight deviation to the traditional role of an architect, yet he is often working with built space and materials. At Atelier Luma he has joined a team of designers, engineers, scientists, and experts from the fields of culture, craftsmanship, humanities, and social sciences and innovation, to explore the potential of non-extractivist, and often discredited, local materials. Their research subjects vary across areas including invasive plants, agricultural coproducts, algae, and industrial waste. Each project has a hyper local focus."

"In this episode I speak with Maarten Gielen. Martin is an award-winning, Brussels based designer, researcher, professor, and leading practitioner changing the way materials are used in architecture, construction, and engineering. His curated exhibitions, including the 2010 Belgian pavilion of the Venice biennale, the groundbreaking 'Progress' with Rem Koolhaus (2011) and 'Behind the Green Door' for the Oslo Architecture Triennale (2013), underscore his ability to provoke critical dialogue and inspire change within the industry.

Maarten, along with Tristan Boniver and Lionel Devlieger, co-founded Rotor in 2006—a collaborative design practice with a specific focus on material flows. Originally conceived as a private yet 'activist' studio aimed at influencing policy and driving change in Brussels' material economy, Rotor has since expanded its impact through various publications, exhibitions, and lectures, contributing significantly to the broader industry."