UIA WORLD CONGRESS OF ARCHITECTS
SUSTAINABLE FUTURES
LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND
The World Congress took place in Copenhagen on JULY 2-6 2023, highlighting terms such as ‘archtivism’, biodiversity, social inclusion, universal design & climate justice as well as investigating how architecture can contribute to the UN 17 SDGs.
Talks, tours, pavilions, dinners, harbour swims, exhibitions and so much more in the Scandinavian summer weather. Concluding with the 10 Copenhagen lessons: 10 principles for rapid and radical change in the built environment – because we can’t keep on doing what we’re doing. Time for change has come.
“The built environment is the biggest sector that has the power to limit the heat – it has the potential and responsibility to transform from being climate negative to become climate positive.” – Hans Joakim Schnellnhuber, Professor
COPENHAGEN LESSONS
“How we act on this must be bold – even radical, compared with current practice.With “The Copenhagen Lessons”, we present 10 principles for what that means when we construct, plan and develop the built environment. The health of the planet and basic human needs are on the line, we have no time to waste.”
– Natalie Mossin
The Copenhagen Lessons consist of 10 principles for a rapid and radical change in the built environment to reach the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs). The congress demonstrated that the architectural solutions are already here, contributing to sustainable communities and quality of life. However, the built environment is also an active part of the current challenges: a major consumer of energy and natural resources, and a producer of waste – and it can have a huge impact on both inequality and public health. The construction industry alone accounts for 40% of global CO2 emissions and 35% of total waste, which calls for urgent action.
01: Dignity and agency for all people is fundamental in architecture, there is no beauty in exclusion.
02: People at risk of being left behind must be accommodated first when we construct, plan, and develop the built environment.
03: Existing built structures must always be reused first.
04: No new development must erase green fields.
05: Naturel ecosystems and food production must be sustained regardless of the built context.
06: No virgin mineral material must be used in construction when reuse is possible.
07: No waste must be produced or left behind in construction.
08: When sourcing materials for construction, local renewable materials come first.
09: In everything we build, carbon capture must exceed carbon footprint.
10: When developing, planning, and constructing the built environment, every activity must have a positive impact on water ecosystems and clean water supply.
NEXT GEN
‘The amazing presence and contributions of the next generation was an incredible gift to the Congress’
SCIENCE TRACK
The science track brought researchers and practitioners together and proceedings were published by Springer Nature.
THE SDG PAVILIONS
PRESS COVERAGE
Find examples of international press coverage
NEXT WORLD CONGRESS IS IN 2026
COPENHAGEN LESSONS:
01: Dignity and agency for all people is fundamental in architecture, there is no beauty in exclusion.
02: People at risk of being left behind must be accommodated first when we construct, plan, and develop the built environment
03: Existing built structures must always be reused first.
04: No new development must erase green fields.
05: Naturel ecosystems and food production must be sustained regardless of the built context.
06: No virgin mineral material must be used in construction when reuse is possible.
07: No waste must be produced or left behind in construction.
08: When sourcing materials for construction, local renewable materials come first.
09: In everything we build, carbon capture must exceed carbon footprint.
10: When developing, planning, and constructing the built environment, every activity must have a positive impact on water ecosystems and clean water supply.
Graphic by @again.again.again.project 💫
NEW SCIENCE TALK OPEN FOR SIGN-UP´S NOW!
This talk is part of the “Leave No One And Nothing Behind” a cooperation between the UIA and BLOXHUB. You can join the talk for free online!
Sign-up at www.bloxhub.org - events
@bloxhubdk #science #uia2023cph #circulareconomy
We are excited to announce the publication of 🟡Design for Resilient Communities🟡
The volume is edited by Panel Chairs Anna Rubbo and Juan Du, and General Reporter Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen and Alternate General Reporter Martin Tamke.
The book presents 65 papers investigating Design for Resilient Communities through the lenses of:
• The SDGs and Everyday Life
• People as Partners
• The Global Crisis and Designing Resilience
• Housing and the Right to the City
• Design Education and Resilient Communities
🙌🏼🙌🏾🙌🏿🙌🏽🌇🚃🚦🤝🏞️🏕️💨🏜️🌊
The book is part of the six-volumes series of proceedings from the Science Track panels of the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023 CPH published by Springer Nature under their Sustainable Development Goals series.
It is available as e-book, hardcover and individual papers via link in bio @springernature #uia2023cph #ResilientCommunities #architecture #sdgs
Zhang Li is the Dean and Professor of Architecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
In this video, he speaks about how today’s creativity in relation to sustainable goals should not be about developing new strategies but more about how to implement the strategies. The idea of vertical farming has been well-known for many years, but implementing the idea in a dense city like Beijing is where the challenge lies.
Video by our media partner @video.arka ❤️
#uia2023cph #architecture #design
The ‘Why give a shit’ pavilion by @arkitekterudengraenser is still standing strong outside @bloxkbh ⚡️
You can still visit the pavilion until the end of October, when it will be moved to a new location 💫
#biocenter #arkitekterudengrænser #pavilion #sdg #uia2023cph #sustainability #copenhagen @chrisbauch
When 135 nationalities get together to share knowledge it’s kind of magical 💫
Thanks to our media partner @itchycph for capturing great people at the World Congress 💚
#uia2023cph #architecture #sustainability #design #sustainablefutures2023 #copenhagen #bellacenter
We are so extremely happy that H.Y William Chan joined us for the NextGen session: `ARCHITECTURE AND ACTIVISM – HOW TO MAKE AN IMPACT` alongside Nyahsa Harper-michon 💫
`As architects what we do is longlasting. We have to show how we can live in the future, now!` -H.Y William Chan
William is the youngest-ever independent politician elected to public office and serves on the Sydney Lord Mayoral governing team. From urban planning, transport, heritage, environment and sustainability to culture, creativity and inclusion, William chairs the development of Australia’s global city.
Thanks for joining us @hywilliamchan 💛
#nextgen #sydney #copenhagen #inclusivity #future #activism #archtivism @nyashahm.archtivist
A big thank you to @daylightandarchitecture for capturing this moment from the Daylight talk with Grafton Architects: Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara 💫
Find more Daylight talks at www.daylightandarchitecture.com
#daylighttalks #uia2023cph #velux #graftonarchitects #light #architecture #design
A look back at the session: ALL OF THOSE THAT SHAPE OUR WORLD: MADAME ARCHITECT ON STORIES AND LESSONS FOR A NEW WAY FORWARD’ With panalists Sheela Søgaard from @big_builds, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen from @snohetta, Archtivist Nyasha Harper-Michon hosted by the wonderful Julia Gamolina.
Sheela Søgaard: ‘Diversity is a proxy to be open to talent. You have to see talent everywhere – including the places where you don´t normally look. And you have to be aware of your own biases. All of us think we are the best versions of ourselves, because otherwise we would change, right?! But we all have biases’
Kjetil Trædal Thorsen: ‘The next step for us is to focus on economic sustainability – Not company economy but social economy. This goes for the world as well. We cannot continue the way we do today.’
@madammearchitect @sheelasogaard @nyashahm.archtivist @kjetil_thorsen @julia.gamolina
#womenarchitecture #architecture #madammearchitect #copenhagen #uia2023cph #sustainablefutures2023
A big thank you to our founding partner Bevica for a great impact on the World Congress ⚡️
This is a look back at the Next Gen session: A HOME FOR ME – NOT THE DISABILITY -kindly supported by Bevica.
A big thank you to @jjwarkitekter @emilieghali @ryhlcamilla @sumh.dk #karinhøyland for sharing knowledge 💛
#bevicafonden #nextgen #inclusion #future #youngprofessionals #students #uia2023cph #sustainablefutures2023
Thanks for sharing your vision on future cities on this wall by our NextGen manager @millenniline ⚡️
‘Liveable & safe cities’ ‘Peace’ ‘No concrete cities’ ‘Make room 4 biodiversity’ just a few ⚡️
#nextgen #uia2023cph #copenhagen #sustainablefutures2023 #future
Anna Heringer at the OBEL AWARD talk: MENDING – CREATIVE MENDING THROUGH CLIMATE-POSITIVE CONSTRUCTION OR DESIGN ⚡
The architect cherish building communities and working with locals, as a vital tool to strenghten the cultural confidence and local economies, when working with sustainable architecture.
You can watch the talk on our Youtube channel, link in bio 🔝
#mending #obelaward #uia2023cph #sustainablefutures2023 #architecture #people #future @obelaward @studioannaheringer
