Building Futures Together: The First Annual Summit of Open House Europe to be held in Lisbon, Portugal

20.11.2023

Open House Lisboa 2023. Casa Imensas Janelas. Photo by Hugo David © Coutesy of Trienal de Arquitectura de Lisboa
Open House Lisboa 2023. Casa Imensas Janelas. Photo by Hugo David © Coutesy of Trienal de Arquitectura de Lisboa

Next month, the Lisbon Architecture Triennale will be hosting the first Annual Summit of Open House Europe, an international cooperation project co-funded by the European Union. The summit will feature a Public Programme on December 15–16 related to this year’s theme, Building Futures Together, focusing on sustainable practices in our built environment.

The Annual Summit is a gathering of the community of Open House festivals’ organisers, architecture enthusiasts, students, and professionals. Hosted by the Lisbon Architecture Triennale in an 18th-century Palace transformed into a cultural centre, the first Open House Europe Annual Summit will feature a lively programme with three public debates, three guided tours, a workshop, an exhibition and film screenings. It aims to facilitate cross-regional exchange, bringing together perspectives and expertise from diverse fields of knowledge. It is a unique opportunity for the Open House community, including anyone who is planning to launch an Open House festival in their cities, to come together, learn, exchange knowledge, and share experiences. 

Palacio Sinel de Cordes. Photo by FG+SG, Fotografia de Arquitectura © Coutesy of Trienal de Arquitectura de Lisboa
Palacio Sinel de Cordes. Photo by FG+SG, Fotografia de Arquitectura © Coutesy of Trienal de Arquitectura de Lisboa

Three Public Debates 

As a collaborative effort by the organisers of Open House Milano, Open House Bilbao, and Open House Lisboa, the Annual Summit showcases an array of international experts. Central to this programme are three public debates, which form the cornerstone of this Summit encompassing moderated discussions and presentations, delve into the theme of sustainability in our cities, exploring it at various scales.

The first panel discussion is about Governance, Architecture, and Sustainability moderated by urban sociology, housing, and cities researcher Sandra Marques Pereira. The panel will include the Director of Urban Planning and Public Space at the City of Milan’s Agency for Mobility, Environment, and Territory Demetrio Scoppeliti, Vice President of the Board of the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation Filipa Serpa, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona for Ecology, Urban Planning, and Urban Mobility Janet Sanz and Susana Ruiz, who is in charge of the urban planning for the city of Bilbao.

The second discussion will focus on Sustainability in Urban Planning, moderated by an urban planner and the founder of Urbanistica Podcast, Mustafa Sherif. The discussion will feature awarded researcher, professor, and landscape architect Aurora Carapinha, data science enthusiast with expertise in urban mobility Manuel Banza, and architect and researcher Mariana Sanchez Salvador.

The third debate on Achieving Sustainability in Architecture will be moderated by the Curator of Prizes and Programmes at the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Ivan Blasi. The panel will involve architects Marta Álvarez Pastor from Studio Vaumm, Gianandrea Barreca from Barreca & La Varra, an architecture studio that designed the first Carbon Zero social housing in Europe, and Francisco Adão da Fonseca from Oficina Pedrêz, a studio dedicated to the study of cultivated building materials and infrastructures of self-sufficiency, as well as a founder member of Architects Declare in Portugal.

These three debates will be streamed online on the Open House Europe YouTube channel.

Extended Programme

An Exhibition of Visual Stories submitted by visitors of the Open House festivals across the continent will be unveiled, showcasing stories and experiences of architecture reflecting the theme Building Futures Together.

The programme ends with a Workshop and Guided Tours. Registered participants will be able to learn the benefits and challenges of vertical urban farming systems in a workshop led by Upfarming; visit the Lisbon Drainage Master Plan, and explore the brand new University Residence of Lisbon Public University in Cidade Universitária.


Schedule


15 December, Friday

16:30

Welcome
Introduction by the project coordinator and an address on sustainability by José Mateus, chairman of the Lisbon Triennale.

17:00

Governance, architecture and sustainability
Moderator: Sandra Marques Pereira.
Panellists: Demetrio Scoppeliti, Filipa Serpa, Janet Sanz, Susana Ruiz.

19:00

Opening of the Visual Stories Exhibition
Showcasing the stories and experiences of architecture by the visitors of the Open House festivals across the continent.


16 December, Saturday

10:00

Welcome

10:10

Sustainability in Urban Planning
Moderator: Mustafa Sherif. 
Panellists: Aurora Carapinha, Manuel Banza, Mariana Sanchez Salvador.

11:40

Achieving Sustainability in Architecture
Moderator: Ivan Blasi. 
Panellists: Marta Álvarez Pastor from Studio Vaumm, Gianandrea Barreca from Barreca & La Varra, Francisco Adão da Fonseca from Oficina Pedrêz.


Extended programme
16 December, Saturday

10:00

Workshop Vertical urban agriculture
With Upfarming (led by Tiago Sá Gomes and Maria Canelhas)
Prior registration is required. 10€/person. Registration.

15:00

Guided tour of the University Residence in Cidade Universitária
With Nuno Clímaco (Lisboa e-Nova) and Alexandre Marques Pereira.
Prior registration is required. Registration.

16:00

Guided tour of the building site of the Lisbon Drainage Master Plan
With Manuel Saldanha.
Prior registration is required. Registration.


Open House Europe coordination meeting. Photo by Bon Alog © Courtesy of Architektūros fondas
Open House Europe coordination meeting. Photo by Bon Alog © Courtesy of Architektūros fondas

Internal Sessions, 14–17 December

For the representatives of the Open House Europe partner organisations and guests from the wider Open House Worldwide network the Annual Summit will also combine an extensive internal programme. Lectures, workshops, discussions and other activities were designed to facilitate cooperation and exchange of best practices between the festivals’ organisers. These activities will enable international knowledge exchange and create opportunities for innovation.

Open House Europe Launch event. Photo by Giedrius Akelis © Courtesy of Architektūros fondas
Open House Europe Launch event. Photo by Giedrius Akelis © Courtesy of Architektūros fondas

About Open House Europe

Open House Europe is a cooperation project that unfolds a multi-layered view of quality architecture across Europe and unites people of all professions, interests, and visions—from volunteers and curious enthusiasts to young and experienced professionals and organisations. The project encourages and promotes an interest in architecture among these various audiences, helps them gain new perspectives on their local surroundings, and invites them to envision the future of architecture in Europe.

The project currently joins Open House festivals in Athens, Bilbao, Brno, Dublin, Essen, Stockholm, Lisbon, Slovenia, Milan, Tallinn, Thessaloniki, and Vilnius, implemented annually by 11 cultural organisations across the continent. In 2024, Open House Europe will welcome new partners organising festivals in Prague and Vienna, as well as guest cities Copenhagen, Tirana, and Zagreb. Co-funded by the European Union, the project is a new initiative promoting quality architecture in Europe and engaging audiences in a more inclusive debate about the built environment.

Project partners

Open House Europe is coordinated by Architektūros fondas and co-funded by the European Union.