International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) and Embassy of Water join forces in organizing a special water event on Friday 24 March, as an accredited parallel event of the UN Water Conference in New York, this year organized by Tajikistan and The Netherlands.

During the event, entitled ‘Water Works, ecologies of entanglement’, urban planners, (landscape) architects, designers, water professionals and representative of housing corporations are invited to join the conversation on how to evolve towards a new design attitude regarding water.

In The Netherlands we’re faced with a large number of water issues, which are often contradictory: sea level rise, lack of drinking water, floods or drought. The current reflex is to approach these challenges with technocratic, rational design solutions as we have done for centuries.

The transformations we need to combat the consequence of climate change are fundamental and systemic. They impact socio-cultural, economic and political dynamics, and have all kinds of spatial implications. On the long run control is impossible; after all, it is about ecologies of entanglement especially when it comes to our interdependency with and of water. Dutch national programs such as ‘Mooi Nederland’ [Beautiful Netherlands] and the ‘water and soil-driven’ design principles herald a new era in special planning. An era that calls for changing our (design)attitude, as its time that calls for more integral and regenerative design solutions.

It is who we become that changes the world, and not just what we do.

The power of design, imagination and research by design are indispensable in constructively contributing to new design solutions. During this event examples of an integral approach to area development that witness a more life-centered design attitude will be showcased. How do we restore the relationship with our natural environment? Could we give water a voice and ensure that our designs have a net positive effect on water ecosystems? How do we translate new insights into practice, while involving all stakeholders? The necessary shift in design attitude ultimately leads us to rethinking rights and socio-cultural change.

We look forward to an inspiring and eventful day with speakers:

Floris Alkemade (architect and former Chief Government Architect), Anne van Kuijk (Environmental Quality Advisor to the Province of North Brabant), Fransje Hooimeijer (Associate Professor of Environmental Technology & Design at TU Delft), Arita Baaijens (writer, explorer and biologist), Anne van Strien (deep designer), Phebe Kloos (anthropologist, specializing in human-water relations, working at a Dutch water board), Dirk van Peijpe (urban planner and founder of De Urbanisten), Saskia van Stein (general and artistic director IABR) and Anouk van der Poll (creative leader Embassy of Water).

Water Works, ecologies of entanglement, is moderated by Marsha Simon.

Program and more information in Dutch can be found here: https://www.worlddesignembassies.com/programme/water-works-ecologies-of-entanglement/

Date: Friday, 24 March 2023

Time: 9:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. CET

Location: OASE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Language: Dutch