Mu maja pole puudest, mis kasvavad kodu taga metsas

EXHIBITION OPENS

Galleries on level 3, Sat 29 Jan, 11am – 4pm. Free, no booking required.

SEMINAR

Auditorium, Sat 29 Jan, 11am – 3pm. Free, booking essential.

If you wish to attend, please contact Box Office: info@solsticeartscentre / 046 909 2300

Chaired by Peter Carroll from A2 Architects, this seminar will feature presentations by the curators of the exhibition and the exhibiting architects discussing their collaborative exchanges and response. A Keynote address will be given by world renowned Irish architects Shelley McNamara and Yvonne Farrell, Grafton Architects.

PLEASE NOTE: In line with the latest Government guidelines, all adults and unaccompanied minors must present one of the following upon entering the auditorium: i.) Covid Certificate OR ii.) Proof of Immunity (if you have recovered from Covid-19 in the past 6 months) AND photo ID.

All Patrons (13+) and unaccompanied minors are required to wear face coverings inside the auditorium at all times.

As this is a free event with limited seating at 50% capacity, please ensure you can attend before booking. If you are unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, please inform the Box Office in advance so that someone else can avail of your seat.

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Curators: Aet Ader, Helmi Marie Langsepp, and Mari Möldre (b10 Architects, Tallinn); St. John Walsh (Alder Architects, Dublin)

Exhibiting architects:  Creatomus Solutions, Hannigan Cooke Architects, Joseph Mackey Architects, Kaja Pae and Paco Ulman, OGU Architects, Peeter Pere Architects, Robert Bourke Architects, Ruumiringlus, Studio Kuidas, and Wrkshop.

As a natural building material, wood contains a unique richness which is impacted by many factors including climate and topography. Whether the building site is next to a forest or not, timber used in construction has been subjected to an industrial decision making process that dictates its final physical properties. In this act of translation, where wood is often treated similarly to other inanimate materials, a tree’s uniqueness is sacrificed for transportability, structural consistency and usability.

Focusing on the characteristics of wood, the exhibition explores the act of transformation across the life cycle of the material from extraction to transportation, standardisation to encapsulation and eventual disassembly for potential reuse. In seeking out the unique traits of timber, it asks how industry and construction can learn from and be shaped by these inherent qualities of the material. What are the demands of the building industry for wood materials and what are the limitations and opportunities of this? Is it necessary for a designer to consider the life cycle of the wood? What opportunity exists to interpret and reuse standardised material extracted from existing sources following deconstruction?

There is a forest in my backyard but my house is built from trees grown far away / Mu maja pole puudest, mis kasvavad kodu taga metsas is the culmination of Wood Works, an Estonian and Irish collaboration that focuses on uses of wood in architectural design and construction. The exhibition proposal was selected through the Wood Works Curatorial Team Competition in 2020, judged by the Estonian Association of Architects (EAA), Estonian Centre for Architecture (ECA) and Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF).

The Wood Works project is supported by the European Regional Development Fund through Enterprise Estonia, the EAA, the ECA, The Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Enterprise Ireland, the Arts Council of Ireland, and the IAF.

Biographies

b210 is an architecture office in Tallinn with a think tank approach to everyday spatial challenges. They believe that positive change in the built environment is driven by a smart design process where architectural ideas are as important as the methods of developing them. They like to design ways of thinking as much as physical spaces. Aet Ader is an architect and co-founder of b210 whose experience includes co-editing architecture magazine Ehituskunst, serving as vice-president of the Association of Estonian Architects, and co-curating the Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2013: Recycling Socialism and the exhibition BEL:EST – A Laboratory for Europe in Brussels, which was exhibited in Bozar, Brussels and TAB, Tallinn. Before joining b210, Helmi Marie Langsepp worked as an architect in MAP Architects studio (Denmark) and Mari Möldre worked as an architect in MORE Architecture (China).

Alder Architects is a multidisciplinary practice based in Dublin and Cork. They enjoy applying their design skills to projects at all scales, focusing on inventive use of materials and light. They place a strong emphasis on collaboration and participation with clients, communities and artists. Commissions to date have included new residential and commercial buildings, extensions to existing structures, workplace design and public installations. St John Walsh established Alder Architects in 2016 following over 10 years experience working with award winning architecture practices in Ireland and the UK.

The full learning & engagement programme which accompanies the exhibition, designed by Solstice Arts Centre and funded by The Arts Council’s ‘Engaging With Architecture’ Award will be available soon.