Denmark

A video-essay: Biomimicry acts as an undisputed guiding thread in many design and creation processes and creates a certain harmony between built and grown environments through its basis, consisting of the sophisticated shaping of nature. But why only imitate the forms of our living environment when we can also take the functioning of cross-global communication, which fauna and flora have refined for millions of years, as a model to transform our social coexistence into a living together and for each other?

Germany

The invasive reed plant typha, growing in large abundance at the Sénégal river, could be one of the most radical and innovative building materials in Africa. Because of his great insulation properties it is mixed into BTC's, compressed earth bricks. Architects, activists and entrepreneurs explore the possibilities of typha and the larger idea of plant supported architecture in this particular region.

Georgia

In the late 90s there were few places where one could go as a kid and have fun. Tbilisi zoo was one of them. While skipping the school, me and my friends would go there often. By that time this place had no much meaning, it was just a place to hide. I have not been to the zoo since childhood, until my kid got 3-4 years old. After almost 20years gap, revisiting this place got me into a big emotional mess. I started to go there for my photo projects, at first, I was obsessed with the architecture of the cages. Later in 2015 Tbilisi flood happened. It resulted in around 20 peoples and in half of the zoo’s animals’ deaths. Some of the wild animals escaped from the zoo and were roaming in the city, just like in Hollywood movies or animations. For me it got more meaning to observe the life of the zoo after the flood. From a happy childhood attraction, it has transformed into a saddest place, which is located in the city center, surrounded by highways and constructions. We go there and take our kids, as if we are getting them used to have fun in a most primitive way.

USA

Increasingly, nature has become more of a luxury for city dwellers to access in our everyday life, an indicator closely tied to real estate value and the process of gentrification. Meanwhile, our building industry is established upon the constant exploitation of nature and the production of waste. Can we redefine and up-cycle trash to create public space that serves us all? This project by Ensemble Studio transcends the shackles of a tight budget and designed a public corridor with recycled CDs and leftover quarry stones - a gigantic sculpture, a playground, a microcosmos of nature that welcomes everyone to rest, wander, play, and decompress.

Hong Kong

Metropolis is often used as a broad term, and sometimes boring. Perhaps we have neglected that the build-up of a bona fide city is always gradual, progressive and partial. The fact that it is indeed more intriguing can always be found in the inconspicuous corners, and in each corner there resides a bunch of hidden stories vividly shining concurrently. In Hong Kong, the outlying islands are the hidden gems. Many of us cannot even imagine how resilient and inclusive this city is until we see the living evidence. It may surprise some if we take some daily snapshots at the same time, the diverse timelines are manifested - fIshermen, jossmen, villagers, artists, swimmers, hawkers, and visitors… their journeys being also the crucial parts of the city coexisting with the traders and bankers sitting inside the skyscrapers. If we spread those moments on live, we then have a series of overlapping histories in pixelated form being a rich and flavorful color palette that composes the pearl of the Orient. This video aims to capture the metropolitan cinematics in different interpretations to retrieve the hidden historical scatters from the unique stories and cultural legacy behind the often-forgotten islands - that to have witnessed our once significant transformation from a fisherman village to the international city. By cutting from an angle of the current lifestyle alternatives we aspire to impress the audience by showcasing the contrast to our usual understanding of a “metropolis” and “socio-economic development need”. The visual narratives on the living habits, interactions, struggles and growth of the people around passively respond to how we chose to battle with the “prescribed” ways of living then in turn reminiscing us about the genuine comprehensive story of Hong Kong.

Denmark

The bridges are an important urban element in Copenhagen, providing different ways of navigating the city. A bridge in the city is not only a connection to the waterfront, it contains a broader definition. By observing the bridges, we can see Copenhagen's diverse lifestyle and the city's inclusive culture.