Cradle to Cradle at the Venice Biennial: Inspiration for architects

From the end of May until November 27, 2016 the Venice Biennial once again offers architects from around the world the opportunity to present solutions for how to deal with present and future global challenges.

Cradle to Cradle is excited to exhibit its concept for the building sector as part of the Biennial. It enables us to reach architects and building planners and to directly interact with those who have the potential to realise C2C in their daily work. Because that’s what it’s all about: we want to make the transition from talking to acting and demonstrate that C2C is applicable in the real world.

The founder and director of the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, has been invited by the director of the Biennial’s architecture sector, Alejandro Aravena, to present the design principle behind Cradle to Cradle.

 
The exhibition in Venice aims to inspire a way of building that’s useful and at the same time encourages positive thinking. Michael and his team want to shake up old habits in favour of positive design of a comprehensive quality, a design that boldly states: not only can we do less badly – we can actually do better. The approach encompasses all aspects of a building: its construction, energy, materials and utility as well as its value as a nutrient deposit and its ability to be fully recycled to a high standard.

The motto “cities like forests, houses like trees” perfectly sums up the aims and aspirations of C2C’s approach to construction. Instead of attempting to reduce the ecological footprint of a building by increasing its energy efficiency C2C aims to make homes useful and healthy for both people and the environment: structures that serve as material banks and as cleansers for air and water while celebrating the diversity of culture and nature. In short: homes that leave behind a positive footprint.

We recommend that all architects, planners, building contractors, district developers and investors drop by the Cradle to Cradle booth and let themselves be inspired to realise our concept as part of their next project.