Since 2009 the independent non-governmental organization (NGO) ECOWEEK has been organizing weeklong events for students and young professionals within the construction sector with a focus on sustainability. These events are one week bootcamps combining workshops with lectures from some of the most prominent architects, engineers, urban planners etc. in the field.
KEA as ECOWEEK host
From 13 – 19 May 2013, approximately 300 young architects, architectural technologists, engineers, landscape architects, industrial designers, energy technologists, etc. from around the world, will come to Copenhagen to work with some of the big climate, energy and environmental challenges that cities like Copenhagen are facing. This will be the first time a Nordic educational institution will host ECOWEEK.
The theme for ECOWEEK Copenhagen is ‘New Nordic Living’. The New Nordic theme – found and celebrated in very different areas of work and life, such as gastronomy, architecture, design, etc. – is highly inspired by the principle of proximity which encourages us to source local materials to create practical solutions.
Real life cases
During ECOWEEK – New Nordic Living, the students participating in the workshops will be encouraged to create sustainable solutions, using primarily local materials and resources, for real life cases and problems facing the city. Moreover, they will be encouraged to work in cooperation with the residents living in the areas where the cases are found.
ECOWEEK – New Nordic Living has developed a partnership with the municipality of Copenhagen who has agreed to make part of the city available as a test ground for these solutions. From 2012 until 2016, the North West of Copenhagen – more specifically an area called “Bispebjerg” –will be getting a makeover. The municipality of Copenhagen will provide approximately 30 cases for ECOWEEK’s participants to delve into and hopefully produce qualified solutions that the city can work with once ECOWEEK – New Nordic Living is over.
Aim
- To create sustainable solutions to some of the big climate, energy and environmental challenges that cities like Copenhagen are facing
- For local municipal stakeholders, companies and educational institutions to take part in the transformation of Copenhagen towards carbon neutrality
- To create solutions to real life cases involving sustainability and climate adaptation
- For Copenhagen to aquire bold new ideas on how to achieve the goal of becoming the world’s first carbon neutral city
