The Norman Foster Foundation Re-Materializing Housing Public Debates, supported by the Holcim Foundation, took place on 17 November 2021. This event brought together a group of experts from a range of fields to discuss overarching topics around sustainable building practices and construction materials within the framework of housing as a fundamental human right.

As Dirk Hebel pointed out, ‘mainstream building practices are unsustainable. The construction sector uses an extensive amount of material resources and is responsible for the use of material compounds that are harmful to both humans and the environment. It is not enough to talk about more efficient steps to take within the existing systems but time for a real paradigm shift’.

The Re-materializing Housing Public Debates was developed in two blocks. Each block consisted of keynotes and a subsequent debate between the three speakers followed by a questions and answers session.

With the participation of:

• Dirk Hebel, Professor, Sustainable Construction, Karlsruhe Institut für Technologie (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
• Anna Heringer, Founder and Director, Studio Anna Heringer, Laufen, Germany
• Johan Karlsson, Managing Director, Better Shelter, Stockholm, Sweden
• Carme Pinós, Founder and Director, Estudio Carme Pinós, Barcelona, Spain
• Stuart Smith, Director, Arup Berlin, Berlin, Germany
• Brinda Somaya, Principal Architect and Managing Director, Somaya and Kalappa Consultants, Mumbai, India
• Tim Stonor, Managing Director, Space Syntax, London, United Kingdom; Chair of the 2021 Re-materializing Housing Public Debates

Available to watch on Youtube.