Circular Cultures Design School 2025 | Strand A – Materiality

Exploring Public Spaces Through Sustainable Design
By Sahra Hersi

Strand A is dedicated to exploring interactive and ethical designs for public spaces. It focuses on generating new ideas and approaches for facilities that enhance wellbeing, such as public toilets, seating areas, playground equipment, and access to water features like fountains and sculptures.

By emphasizing the importance of materials in design and architecture, this strand prioritizes circular design principles, sustainability, and a deep respect for materials. It aims to investigate how objects can be durable, easy to repair, and modular, moving beyond traditional notions of aesthetics and functionality.

Through socially engaged practice, the strand seeks to connect physical environments with people’s emotions, fostering community care and strengthening social bonds. It recognizes the importance of creating spaces that evoke feelings and encourage community interaction. By embracing the concept of circular cultures, it explores practices that extend the life of materials and reduce environmental impact.

Importantly, Strand A treats the site and materials as active participants in the design process, alongside the context and the people who use these spaces. It openly examines the give and take involved in projects, aiming to make these interactions more transparent and clear during the design process. By acknowledging the reciprocal relationship between designers, materials, and the environment, the strand adopts a more holistic and inclusive approach to creating public spaces.

Collaborative Urban Practices: Tactical Urbanism
by LUDD

Through its work and international experience, LUDD will discuss the so-called tactical urbanism, which, in contrast to central strategic urbanism, involves the shaping of the city from the bottom up through the dynamics of social fermentations. It is a micro-urbanism that is activated at the local level and in the realm of everyday life through self-construction and redesign.