#10 WATER&THE CITY
FLOAT (flexible land on aquatic territory)
Why the talk is inspiring?
The prognoses are that by 2050 approximately 70% of the world’s population will live in urbanized areas, i.e. cities. Considering the fact that about 90% of the world’s largest cities are situated on the waterfront, we have arrived to a situation where we are forced to rethink how we should live together with water. The unpredictability of future stimulates us to come up with flexible strategies and plan changes. Remko van Buren imagines future city as a mobile and floating vast territories capable of outsmarting ever changing water level and not leaving any scars to earth. According to the speaker, this is a tangible solution to urbanisation problems.
2013
Speaker
Remko van Buren
How the speaker is exceptional?
Remko van Buren is pioneer in sustainable architecture who started his career in the Pritzker Prize awarded office of Morphosis and later on worked together with MIII architects. Today the architect is one of the partners in Waterstudio.NL office, which deal with problems derived from urbanisation and climate change. R. van Buren’s work includes several award winning projects as The Environmental Education Center (2005), IrDeto European Head Office (2010).
RECOMMENDS TO READ
Float!
Koen Olthuis, David Keuning
Why the book is worth reading?
FLOAT! Building on Water to Combat Urban Congestion and Climate Change proposes a new way of building: on water instead of on land. Although the concept may seem revolutionary, it is an obvious solution to overcrowded metropolises. The majority of world cities are situated on the water and have too little space where it’s most needed: in the city centre. Building on water allows inner-city areas to expand. It’s up to the architects of the climate-change generation to respond to the world’s spatial needs with smart, sustainable proposals. FLOAT! will help them do just that.
