Nature and architecture must work together as interconnected systems – this would help combat climate change and other ecological challenges of today, according to researchers from the Faculty of Arts at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) Faculty of Arts, who are curating an international, interdisciplinary student symposium that invites participants to rethink ecological practices and architecture as a living system. This symposium is part of the Lithuanian pavilion at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, dedicated to sustainable and innovative architectural ideas from around the world.
The symposium, which takes place during this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, presents a total of eighty student works that in one way or another reflect the main theme of the Lithuanian pavilion – the relationship between trees and architecture.
Dr. Jūratė Tutlytė, curator of the Lithuanian pavilion at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale and associate professor at the Faculty of Arts at Vytautas Magnus University, notes that although the main idea behind the pavilion draws attention to the preservation of trees, especially in cities, sustainability issues are viewed in a much broader context.
“Trees evoke certain dualistic attitudes towards them. On the one hand, they are living organisms. It is important to protect them out of respect for life and the entire natural ecosystem. After all, Lithuanian and Baltic culture has had a special relationship with trees, especially forests, since ancient times. The gifts of nature were sacred to humans. On the other hand, we have always had a very practical relationship with trees: we built with them, worked with them, and used them for heating. Therefore, when considering carbon dioxide reduction in the construction industry (which is one of the most polluting industries), we cannot ignore the possibility of using wood as a sustainable material that sequesters carbon dioxide. However, we must do so responsibly, ensuring mechanisms for balancing consumption and restoration, and carrying out consistent monitoring and supervision,” notes Doc. Dr. J. Tutlytė.
As an example of such an approach, the commissioner of the Lithuanian pavilion highlights the international project Forest 4.0, initiated by Vytautas Magnus University, which has established a new competence center dedicated to forest environment monitoring and an innovative, forest-based bioeconomy in Lithuania.
Forest 4.0 participation in the Venice Architecture Biennale was organised by the VMU team Gintautas Mozgeris and Nerijus Kupstaitis. N. Kupstaitis also presented the Forest 4.0 poster in the Biennale, bringing the innovative and future oriented approach to the Lithuanian pavilion.
More about the event (in Lithuanian) here: LINK