Morning programme: Today’s Materials for Tomorrow’s Arhcitecture

On Wednesday 13 March, the vistor of MaterialDistrict Rotterdam can enjoy a sensational speaker programme with the theme ‘Today’s materials for tomorrow’s architecture’, in which renowned (inter)national architects, scientists, designers, and other experts share the latest innovations regarding materials.

Filippo Lodi holds several master degrees in engineering, architecture, art and business, making him an all-around thinker. As Head of Innovation and Knowledge Management at UNStudio, Filippo works on the development of disruptive technologies for the built environment. Alongside UNStudio, Filippo is part of the arch tech startup UNSense, whereby as part of the management team he is responsible for research and technology.

Sylvia ten Houten is founder of Goodhout, a company that develops sustainably-sourced, newly engineered wood made from coconut waste, as a formaldehyde-free, bio-based wood alternative.

Title: Functionalizing mycelium materials for applications in the interior design

Stefano Babbini is CEO of Mogu, a startup company aiming to research, develop and commercialise a wide variety of bio-materials, produced from the combination of mycelium (fungi) and agro-industrial residues and co-products, for the replacement of synthetic matter, such as petroleum based plastic

Design studio Martens & Visser is a collaboration between Michiel Martens and Jetske Visser (Design Academy Eindhoven). Central to Martens and Visser’s work are the themes of movement and transformation inspired by nature, thereby sharing the thought of things being dynamic rather than static. Striving for a quality that mixes marvel and wonder at a surprising (in)sight and use of material and digital techniques.

Lunch lecture: Space Popular by Sto

Sto presents a lecture considering about the future of glass façades, in particular about the possibilities of printed glass and StoVentec Glass.

Title: The Deep Surface 

Lara Lesmes (Spain) and Fredrik Hellberg (Sweden), both graduates from the Architectural Association in London, founded Space Popular in Bangkok in 2013. Based in London since 2016, the practice works at multiple scales: from furniture and interior design to architecture, urbanism, and the design of virtual worlds. The duo have extensive teaching experience at INDA (Bangkok) and the Architectural Association and have lectured and participated as visiting critics internationally. Beyond their academic experience, Space Popular has ongoing and realised built projects and exhibitions in Europe and Asia. 

Afternoon programme: Today’s Materials for Tomorrow’s Urban & Landscapes

On Wednesday 13 March, the vistor of MaterialDistrict Rotterdam can enjoy a sensational speaker programme with the theme ‘Today’s materials for tomorrow’s urban & landscapes’, in which renowned (inter)national architects, scientists, designers, and other experts share the latest innovations regarding materials.

Until his retirement in 2015, Cees Donkers was the urban architect of the city of Eindhoven, the Netherlands. He redeveloped the neighbourhood he lives, Witte Dorp, as well as the former Philips building De Witte Dame as the start of the transformation of the former PHILIPS factories. Donkers also started series of open debates on the redevelopment of Eindhoven, and founded together with Technical University and Design Academy Eindhoven ‘City as a Lab’, a research project on urban beautification. 

Anouk van der Poll has initiated the Embassy of Water as a platform for cross disciplinary collaboration on the subject. vanderPolloffice is a multidisciplinary design studio run by Anouk and Marijn van der Poll with over 25 years of combined experience in design consulting. 

Ton Kooymans is founder and director of Kooymans Design, a design firm that is specialised in products for public spaces and mobility. Ton designs and produces products and offers advice to third parties. 

Lunch lecture: Oliver Heath by Interface

A sense of community has been fundamental for human survival and development throughout evolution and now more than ever, with the advent of our digital lives, communities are an essential part of our lives and help us connect with each other.

Title: Creating positives spaces by designing for community

Oliver Heath is founder of Oliver Heath Design, an architectural and interior design practice combining three key strands: sustainable design, consumer engagement and communications to inspire the uptake of future thinking in the built environment.  He stimulates the adoption of happier, healthier places to live and work through his projects as designer, writer, and TV presenter. Oliver is a qualified Domestic Energy and Green Deal Assessor and is passionate about sustainable design. His human centred Biophilic Design approach seeks to reduce stress by strengthening the human connection with nature to improve health and well-being in the many spaces we live and work in.