2020 events continue with the Architects Series, the series dedicated to leading contemporary architectural firms. The 13th event of this format, dedicated to the German firm Werner Sobek, has undergone changes to comply with the current Covid-19 regulations. On 17 September at 5pm, a new digital platform, owned by Iris Ceramica Group, will host the video screening and lecture “Build More with Less”, to be held by the firm’s founder, Prof. Werner Sobek. This platform will offer a new way of experiencing audience-speaker interaction, which has always been one of the distinctive features of this event, allowing a large number of people to participate, therefore overcoming geographical barriers and offering them the opportunity to make new contacts.
“The Architects Series – A documentary on: Werner Sobek” is the 13th event of the exhibition format created by The Plan magazine for Iris Ceramica Group, which kicks off the 2020 season. The event has been reinvented with a new platform so that the usual programming can take place to allow more people to participate while offering the same opportunities for audience-speaker interaction.
On 17 September, from 5pm to about 7pm – after registering to the event online on the digital platform owned by Iris Ceramica Group – participants will be able to watch a 30-minute video documentary and, subsequently, the live lecture “Build More with Less”, during which they will have the chance to find out more about the firm’s design philosophy and discuss issues concerning architecture and the future of living.
Founded in 1992, the German firm Werner Sobek is renowned worldwide for its expertise in the fields of engineering, design and sustainability. Today, it has more than 350 employees, with offices in Germany (Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Berlin and Hamburg) and in major cities such as Moscow, Istanbul, New York, Buenos Aires and Dubai.
The firm’s philosophy is based on the idea that the architect must not use traditional materials and imitate previous models, but must come up with solutions that anticipate people’s living and work needs. Modern and future architecture must be radically different from the architecture of the past.
The concepts of energy efficiency, the enhancement of eco-sustainable technologies and a sense of responsibility towards nature and people play a key role in the design process. These principles have been translated into Triple Zero ®, an actual standard for sustainable architecture developed by Werner Sobek and registered as a protected trademark. It defines the criteria that a building must meet in order to satisfy the stringent quality requirements relating to the project’s environmental sustainability. As the name itself suggests, buildings must be able to produce the energy they need independently without the use of fossil fuels (Zero Energy), keeping CO₂ emissions to a minimum (Zero Emissions), and must feature construction elements that can be fully recycled at the end of their life cycle (Zero Waste).
The manifesto of Triple Zero ® architecture is R128, the house in Stuttgart where the architect Sobek chose to live with his family. The four-story building has been designed to be completely emission-free and self-sufficient in terms of energy supply. Moreover, all its parts can be recycled.
As can be seen in the many projects implemented worldwide, the firm works with all types of materials and buildings, with a special focus on “lightweight structural design”, namely transparent façade systems and sustainable design concepts that combine high-quality engineering solutions with elegant design, a high level of comfort and a very low environmental impact.
Werner Sobek works with many well-known names such as Christoph Ingenhoven, Barkow Leibinger, Henn, Helmut Jahn, Populous, Sauerbruch Hutton, Ole Scheeren, UNStudio, Zaha Hadid Architects and many others. Together with other architects and engineers, Werner Sobek founded the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), which in a few years grew to about 800 members and is now working on a brand new, flexible and adaptable certification system for sustainable buildings in various countries. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work both in Germany and abroad.
The course is under approval by AIA CES-USA and RIBA CPD-UK for learning units recognition and approved by CNACCP for accreditation 2 CPF, Crediti Formativi Professionali – Italy only.
WEBINAR:
Thursday, 17 September 2020
5pm / Welcome address and documentary screening: The Architects Series – A documentary on: Werner Sobek
5.30pm Conference: “Build More with Less” with Werner Sobek
THE ARCHITECTS SERIES – A DOCUMENTARY ON: WERNER SOBEK
