Clare O'Loughlin
Europe Press Office, Ireland
This year marks the tenth season of the New Now Next architecture and design talks series, curated by the Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF) and proudly supported by Arup.
Kicking off on 25 May, this year’s series will see three leading design experts explore the themes of circular economy, spatial equity and sustainable urban development.
In the first event of the series, Maarten Gielen, winner of the Maaskant Prize for Young Architects and co-founder of Brussels-based Rotor and Rotor Deconstruction will be joined by moderator Janet Lynch, Arup’s Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Lead in Ireland.
On 01 June, Jos Boys, co-founder of the influential 1980s feminist architecture practice and research group Matrix Design Co-operative and Belfast-based Design Council UK Expert and Interim Chair for Action Deaf Youth, Richard Dougherty, will discuss the work of The DisOrdinary Architecture Project, a German festival design project drawing from the sensory and performative space of deaf culture and sign language.
Emmanuel Pratt, who was awarded a distinguished MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant in 2019, will round off the series in November. He will discuss his visionary work through the Sweet Water Foundation, a non-profit organisation working to transform abandoned buildings, lots and urban areas into sites of sustainable urban agriculture practices, vitality and growth by creatively reusing salvaged materials. This talk is hosted in partnership with Create and Creative Places Tuam.
Announcing the 2022 line-up, Nathalie Weadick, Director of the IAF, said: “The IAF recognises the need for us in Ireland to fundamentally evolve the processes, components and systems of how we design and construct our built environment, to ensure our cities and towns respond to the urgent needs of all of society and the environment. To facilitate this pressing moment and to mark 10 years with Arup, we have invited three influential speakers who have been recognised as the pioneers of change within their own cities and communities. Their experience and expertise is totally relevant to our own situation, and I am looking forward to being inspired and emboldened.
Returning to in-person events, this year’s series will take place at The Complex in Dublin city centre with livestreaming to reach an international audience.
