The aim of DESIRE is to start an architectural movement based on cohesion and equality.
We're
probably all familiar with the expression “getting dirt under your
nails” when used metaphorically. But what if we were to take this
literally and apply the principle in our daily lives? Would it, for
example, change our perception of life, so we start to see ourselves as
part of something bigger and connected to the challenges we face every
day, including climate change, loss of biodiversity and a consumption of
resources that puts pressure on the capacity of our planet? Would we be
able to achieve a sense that we, as individuals, hold a little of both
the past and future in our own hands, and could make a real difference
through the choices we make?
Dirt under your nails is both a
metaphorical and physical part of an innovative and inclusive design
process in the EU project DESIRE - Designing the Irresistible Circular
Society. Here is where our 24 partners from six European countries are
experimenting with new ways to work with a holistic approach to urban
development as we shape sustainable new urban areas and transform
existing ones. We develop principles that connect the city with nature,
create green transition through symbiotic communities, and include users
in the process of transformation.
For although the world has
started to implement the green transition, we have to admit that it’s
moving too slowly. The planet, nature and future generations need us to
do more today - and in a different way. That’s what we’re doing in
DESIRE. We incorporate art, architecture and design into the green
transition, and connect nature with people as we create circular
solutions based on cohesion and equality.
“Cities and nature are
not each other's opposites, as cities include nature, which also needs a
space. DESIRE is about creating a change in our perceptions so we
become aware of how biodiversity contributes positively to making cities
more sustainable and beautiful. When we see ourselves as people who
have a place in the city and are aligned with nature - not above or
below it - we give nature a voice, which makes it a stakeholder; we
listen, and this allows us to make more holistic decisions relating to
the green transition,” says DESIRE project manager and MSc in Systems
Thinking, Aase Højlund Nielsen from BLOXHUB.
Eight demonstration projects
DESIRE
is one of six lighthouses in the European Commission's new Joint
European identity formation initiative New European Bauhaus, which aims
to involve citizens in the green transition locally and in respect of
the original history and nature of the location.
DESIRE is
based on eight demonstration projects in five countries and represents
DESIRE's three social themes: inclusive housing, symbiotic communities,
and connecting the city with nature.
In Herlev,
Denmark, selected artists take turns as garden hosts, and conduct
research, set up exhibitions, arrange landscape walks, hold workshops
etc. in a new residential area, with the aim of connecting people with
the original nature of the site, which up until recently housed an
asphalt factory. In Milan, Italy, a major new
innovation district, MIND, will integrate companies into a symbiotic
circular community, so that, e.g. one person's waste or surplus heat
will become another person's raw material. In Riga,
socially vulnerable citizens are involved in the green renovation
planning of a social housing block, updating the housing to modern
living standards and making the area a safe and community-strengthening
setting with restored nature.
NXT facilitates the design process
at Herlev Asfalt Fabrik (Herlev asphalt factory)and has many years of
experience in involving art in new contexts such asthese, in which art
plays a key role in the approach to a green transition.
“Art can
open up a space for both corporeal and aesthetic reflection and
awareness. Something that is incredibly important for us to be able to
step out of the reproduced patternsthat have created the climate and
biodiversity crisis we find ourselves in,with both our bodies and our
minds, so that we can act on it," says Madeleine Kate McGowan, an artist
at NXT who developed the design concepttogether with the garden host.
In
Latvia, the DESIRE project provides Riga with the opportunity to try
out new processes of listening to unfamiliar groups, says landscape
architect Arnita Verza of Riga CityCouncil/Riga City Architect's
Service:
"The strength of DESIRE is that we will have the
opportunity to find a new approach to how, through the involvement of
different stakeholders in residential renovation, it can positively
affect living conditions and give a voice to groups such as the socially
vulnerable and the landscape itself, which, these days, often goes
unheard.”
Digitisation as a building material
Along
theway, DESIRE uses tools for digital user involvement in order to
engage more stakeholders and target audiences in the development of
urban areas.
“The new millennium has provided us with a new
building material, namely everything that is 'digital'. We need this in
order to create good and sustainable cities and neighbourhoods. But we
shouldn’t use it aimlessly. Just look at the problems that
digitalisation also brings to our daily lives, when it doesn't work or
becomes an obstacle instead of a help. DESIRE and New European Bauhaus
will help us understand how we can do it better in practice,” says
Martin Brynskov, Senior Researcher at DTU Compute and Founding Director
of the global citynetwork Open & Agile Smart Cities.
DTU
Compute, together with the Danish Architecture Centre and the
Confederation of Danish Industry, leads the work of bringing its
experienceinto a larger context in the green-digital transition both in
Denmark and in the EU, e.g. in the form of so-called data spaces and
digital twins.
DESIRE specifically contributes to the EU’s
mission of 'Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities'. The partners will share
the experience gained from DESIRE via an electronic learning platform so
that others can draw inspiration from it. Learn more on
https://www.irresistiblecircul...
Contact:
Aase HøjlundNielsen, Project Manager, BLOXHUB, M: +45 3161 6709, E: aho@bloxhub.org
Hanne Kokkegård, Communications Officer, DTU Compute, M: +45 9351 1304, E: hanko@dtu.dk
EU funding:
- DESIRE is supported by the European Commission (granting authority CINEA), Horizon Europe
- Total budget: €4,754,000 - 100% from the EU
- Project period: Two years, 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2024
- The three Danish DESIRE cases have also received DKK3 million from the Ministry of Culture
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24 partners: Confederation of Danish Industry, BLOXHUB, Design Society Fund - DDC, Danish Architecture Centre, Aalborg University, DTU, Politecnico Di Milano, Knowledge Hub Zealand, Domea.dk, Danish Association of Architectural Firms, CER Partnerstvo (CER Sustainable Business Network), GXN AS, Riga City Council, NXT Aps, Fonden Chart, Kairos Consorzio Di Cooperative Sociali - Societa Cooperativa Sociale O.N.L.U.S, Comune Di Torino, Plusvalue Italy Srl Societa Benefit, Stichting Samenwonen-Samenleven, Stichting The Beach, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation, BTC d.d., The Really Regenerative Centre CiC, Dark Matter Laboratories Limited.
Eight DESIRE project cases divided into three themes
Nature closer to people
BTC City in Ljubljana, Slovenia:
BTC City Centre - a hybrid shopping centre - will be transformed to
become a regionally leading green, climate-resilient and attractive
symbiotic business city with a shared value for different stakeholders
(users, businesses, city, local communities) by integrating nature and
biodiversity more directly into strategies for future investments.
“DESIRE
is firmly rooted in the New European Bauhaus initiative. It is also
multidisciplinary, engages different stakeholders, and its principles
and knowledge can be applied worldwide," says Andrej Janko, Head of
Sustainable Development at BTC. Contact: Andrej.Janko@btc.si
Herlev Asfalt Fabrik (Herlev Asphalt Factory),Denmark: The
work in Herlev will contribute to DESIRE witha heightened sensitivity
to the multi-species perspective through artistic practices in a new
residential area. Studies are being carried out into what happens if you
listen to a place before you develop it. NXT will activate the
knowledge of the historical topsoil and nature’s variability by
populating thesite for one year. A droplet, designed by architect
Kristoffer Tejlgaard at theconstruction site, creates a space from which
selected artists in the role of'garden host' can carry out research,
set up exhibitions, conduct landscapewalks and hold workshops etc. The
physical presence at the site means that onecan listen to hidden voices
that are otherwise ignored.
“The strength of the DESIRE
project is that it opens up thepossibility for the arts to play a key
role in the so-called green transition.Art can open up a space for both
corporeal and aesthetic reflection andawareness. Something that is
incredibly important for us to be able to step outof the reproduced
patterns that have created the climate and biodiversitycrisis we find
ourselves in, with both our bodies and our minds, so that we canact on
it," says Madeleine Kate McGowan, an artist at NXT who developedthe
design concept together with the garden host. Contact:
madeleinekate@otherstory.dk
Cascina Falchera in Turin, Italy: Cascina
Falchera on the outskirts of Turin is home to an older type of urban
farming with educational activities. The site is part of an innovative
urban renewal initiative to support the local community and strengthen
the relationship between people (especially young people) and
nature/sitebiodiversity. Residents and visitors will also able to learn
about historical and environmental values.
“The Municipality
of Turin is very interested in participating in the DESIRE project in
order to improve knowledge of the New European Bauhaus. It is a huge
opportunity for us to promote and create new policies for the future of
our city and our neighbourhoods based on the experience we will gain
through our demo case, Cascina Falchera. The best way to achieve these
goals is to take advantage of the valuable exchange of knowledge within
the DESIRE consortium, where one of the strengths is the diversity of
the partners involved,” says Fabrizio Barbiero, Public Manager for the
Innovation European Funds Department at the Municipality of Turin.
Contact: fabrizio.barbiero@comune.torino.it
Inclusion
Ziepju (Riga), Latvia: In
Riga,the council is involving socially vulnerable citizens in the green
renovation plan of a social housing block so that the housing is
updated to modern living standards and the area is made into a safe and
community-strengthening setting with restored nature.
“Through
the involvement of different stakeholders in residential renovation,
DESIRE provides us with the opportunity to find a new approach to how
positively to influence living conditions and give a voice to groups
like the socially vulnerable and the landscape itself, which are often
ignored these days,” says landscape architect Arnita Verza from Riga
City Council/Riga City Architect's Service. Contact:
arnita.verza@riga.lv
Gadehavegaard in Høje-Taastrup, Denmark: Gadehavegaard
is a large social housing area from the 1970s with 986 apartments.
Towards 2030, the housing area will undergo a major transformation,
during which homes will be demolished, renovated and new ones built. The
aim is to open it up to the outside world by situating institutions on
the site, so that people from outside will use it. The surrounding
landscape will be transformed through experimental public participation
in order to bring nature closer to residents, and work is being done on
circular principles with regard to the reuse and recycling ofmaterials.
“Being
part of the DESIRE project and an EU movement towards a more
sustainable Europe provides us with the opportunity to involve and
listen to the residents and try out ideas, so we can conclude by
implementing a large green biodiverse outdoor area for the satisfaction
and benefit of both the social housing residents and the new private
residents, as well as the future teachers and students of the area,”
says Mette Mogensen, Urban and Housing Development Manager at Domea.
Contact: mem@domea.dk
Wildemanbuurt in Amsterdam, Holland: A
social housing area with approx. 5,000 inhabitants in Amsterdam will
undergo an urban renewal scheme. The area is characterised by great
cultural diversity and a high proportion of young and older people. The
transformation of the area will be carried out together with the
residents, so that the changes represent the residents’ wishes for a
good habitat with green areas and vegetable gardens - while respecting
the cultural heritage of the area.
“The DESIRE project will
provide the residents at the Wildemanbuurt site with the space to create
their own city. By co-creating with residents from all walks of life,
we can create visions for an equitable and sustainable future; one that
is not just for the few, but includes everyone,” says Hans Krikke,
Director of STICHTINGSAMENWONEN-SAMENLEVEN. Contact: h.krikke@sw-sl.nl
Symbiotic community
Kalundborg Circular Campus, Denmark: The
project is working on the establishment of a campus for a new
architectural education in Kalundborg, Denmark. Five locations are in
the pipeline and, where possible, DESIRE will test the sites by setting
up temporary classes in empty rooms and allowing students to work here
as part of their education. In the process, they will examine which
solutions are most sustainable based on parameters such as study
environment, urban development, economy, resources, accessibility and
energy consumption. The Royal Danish Academy and Knowledge Hub Zealand
hope to contribute with knowledge on how and why it pays off to allow
time for research and experimentation with different stakeholders before
major decisions are made.
“DESIRE has added a processing
time in which it is permitted to make errors, while at the same time
there are resources to experiment with new forms of collaboration and
untested possibilities. There is room to go beyond what you would
'normally' do," says Project Manager Pernille Bech, Knowledge Hub
Zealand. Contact: pebe@kalundborg.dk
MIND in Milan, Italy: Companies
in a new innovation district, MIND in Milan, will cooperate on a
symbiotic circular community; so that one person’s waste or surplus heat
is will become another person’s resources/raw material. The 1 million
m2 site, which is located 15 minutes from the centre of Milan, will also
be transformed into a green publicspace in partnership with local
communities and stakeholders.
“The DESIRE project will
provide the opportunity to explore and develop design solutions for good
habitats in the large area of MIND (Milan Innovation District), while
rethinking more inclusive and sustainable urban spaces from the initial
stages of the building process. The MIND area is thus a unique
opportunity to test innovative methods and practices on a large scale
and in a complex context with many stakeholders,” says Valeria Soliano,
Project and Communication Officer at PlusValue.
Contact:valeria.soliano@plusvalue.org