EFFEKT Architects plants 1200 trees in their installation ‘Ego to Eco’ at Venice Biennale

EFFEKT Architects has unveiled its exhibit ‘Ego to Eco’ at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, as part of the section focusing on communities. This exhibit features 1200  seedlings in an effort to create an exhibition with a lasting effort.

EFFEKT Architects, through several projects of varying scale and typology, investigates new ideas for living and building, for producing, consuming and revitalising the ecosystem we are part of and depend upon. Through selected seven research and design projects, the installation showcases how the firm is considering social, environmental and economic aspects to help address some of the greatest challenges we face today.

“The architectural prototypes embodying the values of the firm were selected to spark curiosity in the visitors and promote discussion regarding new, resource-efficient ways of living and building. The projects seek to explore how we can design future communities rooted in the principles of Nature,” said EFFEKT.

The centrepiece of the exhibit is the miniature forest consisting of 1200 planted seedlings that will grow during the course of the exhibition, lasting till 21 November, 2021. The exhibit is also equipped with recirculating irrigation technology that pumps water and nutrients to the roots of the plants through an ebb-and-flow grow table and the excess water is drained and collected below the grow table.

The tables are equipped with control box monitoring pressure, humidity and temperature sensors, which provides real-time monitoring and allows the team back in Copenhagen to run the motor to drain out water from the table. This will allow the trees to keep growing through this greenhouse technology, throughout the exhibition and at the end to be brought back to Copenhagen and planted back as part of community forest project called Naturbyen, an urban forestation project in Denmark. The team estimates that these trees will be absorbing more then 1000 tons of CO2 over the next 50 years. The afforestation project is a municipality-led residential expansion that sets out to become a laboratory for residential development in suburban and peri-urban areas and help Denmark reach a goal of covering 20% of its landmass with forest by 2100.

 

 

The studio explains, “Ego to Eco is built upon the idea of creating an exhibition with a lasting positive impact.” They continue, “This way of thinking and designing is an approach and methodology applied by EFFEKT in all their projects in recent years of practice. Considering social, environmental and economic aspects of any project can help address some of the greatest challenges we face as a result of our human existence.”

The studio hopes that this approach will leave a lasting effect towards the discourse of this year’s Biennale theme: How will we live together? The installation hopes to crate livable, sustainable and affordable communities that have positive impact on their surrounding achieving healthy and socially connected neighbourhoods.

 

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ABOUT EGO TO ECO

Curator: EFFEKT
Location: Corderie dell´Arsenale, Venice
Suppored by: Realdania, Kunstfonden and Dreyers Fond
Opening: The exhibition will be open to the public from May 22^nd until November 21^st

 

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ABOUT EFFEKT

EFFEKT is an architectural collaborative based in Copenhagen, Denmark operating in the fields of architecture, urbanism and research. The company was established in 2007 and currently employ 56 full time staff under the creative direction of the two partners Tue Foged and Sinus Lynge. EFFEKT has in recent years distinguished themselves on both the national and international architecture scene through several prestigious and award-winning projects, such as Camp Adventure Forest Tower, the Urban Village Project, Livsrum Cancer Counselling center, ReGen Villages as well as some of Denmark’s largest urban planning projects, Rosenhøj, Gellerup and Vinge.