In collaboration with The Circle, The Swedish Institute, The Swedish Consulate General in Istanbul and In-Between Design Platform, Equal Spaces / Urban Explorations event series discussed the impact of the wood on sustainable architecture and build a dialogue between Turkey and Sweden on urban problems.
The speakers of the event were Architect Jessica Becker, Wood City Sweden Coordinator and Architect Selçuk Avcı, co-founder of The Circle and Avcı Architects. Dilek Öztürk, co-founder of In-Between Design Platform was the moderator of the event.
Today, in order to respond to the climate crisis, we are discussing the long-term positive impact on the environment in all areas of production. In this context, architecture has a great potential in the use of sustainable materials and construction techniques in the fight against climate change
In the event which was held on 2 October, common and differing points in the use of wooden architecture in Turkey and Sweden to address climate change in terms of sustainability were discussed.
Jessica Becker started her speech with how wood should be considered as a “smart material” for the environment, giving examples of different functions and scales.
Becker talked about the inclusion of sustainable design methods in Sweden into state policy, and EU regulations and incentives to create innovation in the building sector. In this context, Roadmap 2050, and the long-term plan of the EU to develop an economy using low carbon emission materials came to the fore.
Becker talked about the sustainability of the wood tradition, not only through the material, but also with the sustainability of the forestry and supply chain. Becker emphasized the importance of raising the awareness of employers on the subject in order to ensure ecological sustainability in urban areas while giving examples on the continuity of tradition in Nordic countries.
Selçuk Avcı starting from how the world’s climate crisis affected us from the city we live in to our dining tables, emphasized that we need to produce methodologies in which economics, ecology and ethical values will overlap.Avcı stressed that we should be part of the change not only to live now on earth but also to invest in the future.
Avcı mentioned that wood required use of a particular culture and emphasized the importance of R&D. He also said that the continuation of the tradition of wood is interrupted in Turkey.
After the speech, productive dialogues took place on the positive solutions that the public can bring to the social housing problems with wood; the fact that wood is more preferable for the adaptation of digital technologies and that it is a material that is resistant to disasters such as earthquakes and fires.