As a centrepiece of a city-wide exploration of sustainability in housing, Six Cities Design Festival, Scotland’s first Nationwide Design Festival, presents a major installation comprising New, Old, Green - a Museum of Finnish Architecture exhibition and Greenhouse/Blackhouse – a specially created exhibition including projects short listed for the 2009 Highland Housing Fair. The exhibitions will be shown in The Six Cities Design Festival Centre, Castle Wynd from 17 May – 3 June 2007.
Eco-friendly Design
Today, we live in an age when we have all very suddenly become aware of what our ‘carbon footprint’ is, and are now, in our basic day-to-day existence, on the constant look-out for ways in which we can individually decrease the impact of our individual dints on the world’s surface, and collectively create a better environment in which to live. Sustainable design – or ‘Green Design’ - is an integral part of this endeavour, encouraging the use of durable, recyclable materials and natural available resources. By working with local ecosystems, designers and architects can affect environmental issues on a global scale.
New, Old, Green
Originally designed by the Museum of Finnish Architecture and now developed by the Six Cities Design Festival, New, Old, Green presents an approach to architectural design that emphasises the place of buildings within both local ecosystems and the global environment. Step inside one of the three-dimensional constructions and get a first-hand experience of how eco-friendly materials can be used to their fullest potential. Meanwhile, a selection of models demonstrate how contemporary architecture seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by enhancing efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space. In this
show, as with the exhibition when it was originally shown in Helsinki last year, school children's ideas are paralleled with the views of professionals as the visual narrative proceeds from large to small: from landscape and community to individual buildings, interiors and details. A cross-section of microcosms will help build up the bigger environmental picture.
Greenhouse/Blackhouse
Greenhouse/Blackhouse looks at sustainable architecture specifically in the Highland context. Arguably the Highland Black House was a sustainable way of living, built of local materials and using renewable sources for heat and light. While not creating an ideal internal environment, at least it was ‘at one with nature’. Will 21st century ‘Green’ houses give us the best of both worlds; sustainability in construction and services, and be a pleasure to live in? Set within a landscape of the exhibition New Old Green, Greenhouse/Blackhouse explores the current state-of the-art in sustainable housing design in Scotland and Europe. The aim is to provide inspiration – by exploring new and creative solutions and traditional methods, from renewables and energy saving, to reducing waste, and new approaches in housing design. Included in the exhibition is a presentation of the entries to the Highland Housing Fair 2009 competition, which is aiming to create a new eco-community in the Highlands. Greenhouse/Blackhouse is being curated by SUST: The Lighthouse on Sustainability and designed by NORD, one of Scotland’s leading architects practices. It is presented in association with the Highland Housing Fair and the RIAS.
Lori McElroy, director of SUST: The Lighthouse on Sustainability said
“Creating sustainable buildings and sustainable communities are key drivers of current regeneration and development. The need to recognise the importance of connecting with the landscape when creating new housing is crucial no matter where we build in terms of enhancing the environment, but in areas of natural beauty such as the Highlands the need to avoid negative impacts is patently clear. In Finland sustainability is inherent in design and in New Old Green the Museum of Finnish Architecture presents some of the contemporary, creative approaches to sustainable architecture being adopted in that country.”
She added
“ In Greenhouse/Blackhouse we want to raise awareness of the importance of valuing landscape and using indigenous and sustainable materials in new build here in Scotland. The inspirational Findhorn Foundation in the Highlands is living proof that sustainable living works, and in the Highland Housing Fair Inverness is setting an example to us all in putting sustainability at the heart of urban planning.”
Highland Housing Fair Co-ordinator, Fiona Porteous, said
"The Highland Housing Fair concept is based on a highly successful model developed in Finland, where sustainable architecture is the norm not the exception. We are therefore delighted to be able to showcase all the proposals submitted for the Fair both within the context of Inverness's Six Cities Design Festival programme on sustainability and alongside the fascinating Museum of Finnish architecture exhibition New Old Green. We hope that people will come not just from Inverness, but from across Scotland to see the innovative designs which we hope to see built on the Balvonie site in 2009."
Exhibition location and hours
Six Cities Design Festival Centre, Castle Wynd, IV2 3HA
www.six-cities.com
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm; 5pm Sunday 12 noon–; Special late night opening, until 7pm, on Thursday 31 May
Entry Free.
Associated “Design Double Bill”
At 6pm on Tuesday 22 May leading campaigner for sustainable housing design and founder of the Red or Dead fashion label, Wayne Hemingway will be joined by the Alasdair and Neil Stephen directors of Dualchas, the award-winning practice specialising in modern design that is rooted in Gaelic culture, to talk about key issues facing architects and designers today. Entry free - booking essential. Visit www.six-cities.com
