More than 6,000 architects and designers from 135 nations converged on Copenhagen in early July for the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023, that explored architecture’s potential to shape better societies and create a more sustainable built environment, whether it was to look at new methods of creating buildings that address climate change, support biodiversity, and foster social inclusivity. A program with a global stellar cast of speakers gave keynotes and presentations, alongside guided tours, social events and experimental pavilions all around Copenhagen.
The overarching theme of the congress was “Sustainable Futures – Leave No One Behind.” The content revolved around the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the speakers highlighted how architecture can be an essential tool to achieving the goals. Over the course of five days, the UIA World Congress of Architects offered a unique platform for sharing knowledge and creating new professional connections across countries and continents. The program included over 150 sessions, 250 science papers, and featured more than 400 speakers from around the world.
Keynote speaker Bjarke Ingels of BIG Architects, t talked about the change that happened in Copenhagen, when 30 years ago, you could not swim in the city harbor, but now you can. He went on to talk about the idea of “hedonistic sustainability” with the idea that the sustainable city or the sustainable building is not only better for the environment but it can also be better and more enjoyable for the people living there, with interesting new possibilities for the future.
Pritzker Prize–winner architect Francis Kéré talked about “Rethinking Resources: How to Do More with Less,” drawing upon his early upbringing as a carpenter in Burkina Faso, and later training as an architect in Germany, and creating a world using simple materials and techniques. And in his keynote, the Danish urbanist Jan Gehl used Melbourne as a model of a pedestrian- friendly city that works. He talked about influences from Jane Jacobs and Holly White to the Berkeley School with Christopher Alexander, and h his “Life in the City” research which showed that studying people (rather than traffic) would result in designing better cities.
RIBA Gold Medalist architect Yasmeen Lari gave a moving speech about being an architect in Pakistan, where she has devoted herself to the humanitarian efforts and to building disaster-resistant homes for some of Pakistan’s most marginalized communities, having constructed more than 50,000 Pakistani homes for the victims of the earthquakes and flooding.
She talked about how she developed a system of distributing knowledge across rural communities and empowering them to self-build and discover indigenous materials and techniques. It is an approach she calls “barefoot social architecture,” that aims to achieve climate resilience, sustainability, and eco-justice in the world. It focuses on improving the lives of disadvantaged communities through zero–waste materials and building technologies.
“We are all aware of the damage caused by the colonial mindset to the Earth’s ecosystem due to wasteful and highly consumptive ways of living and building as well as excessive use of Earth’s resources promoted by the unscrupulous capitalist system,” she said. “We are here to work out ways to deal with social injustices in the global south. Equally, we have to combat ecological injustices and equal bigotry that is prevalent in the global north.” Lari pointed out that she saw the architectural profession as traditionally serving the elites, but now “young architects as citizens of a changing world are seeking a divergent course in practice of architecture.”
The Congress also presented “Science Track” sessions which brought together leading experts to address the challenges faced by the field of architecture, and a “Next Gen” series was an opportunity for emerging voices to contribute their ideas and experiences to the program at large.
But if that wasn’t enough, throughout the city of Copenhagen, UIA partners put on additional sessions and exhibitions that continued the theme of sustainability.
One of the most compelling offsite events was the “Greenhouse Sessions,” a two-day series of conversations about sustainability hosted by the re:arc institute, a new philanthropic organization that funds “community-led solutions that address the root causes and consequences of climate breakdown.”
The 15 SDG pavilions installed around the city were also a highlight (they will be up until November), a mix of pop-ups, temporary structures and permanent additions, with some being moved to new, long-term locations. Visitors could check out a repurposed glasshouse, installations showcasing sustainable materials and building techniques, and even a huge green washing machine that makes a statement about the problem of greenwashing in the construction industry.
As the congress drew to a close, “The Copenhagen Lessons” were unveiled and presented by Congress President Natalie Mossin, comprising 10 simple principles intended to rapidly and radically transform progress in the built environment to align with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
The Copenhagen Lessons:
- Dignity and agency for all people are fundamental in architecture, there is no beauty in exclusion.
- People at risk of being left behind must be accommodated first when we construct, plan, and develop the built environment.
- Existing built structures must always be reused first.
- No new development must erase green fields.
- Natural ecosystems and food production must be sustained regardless of the built context.
- No virgin mineral material must be used in construction when reuse is possible.
- No waste must be produced or left behind in construction.
- When sourcing materials for construction, local, renewable materials come first.
- In everything we build, carbon capture must exceed carbon footprint.
- When developing, planning, and constructing the built environment, every activity must positively impact water ecosystems and clean water supply.
The next UIA World Congress of Architects takes place in 2026 in Barcelona—which also becomes the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture throughout 2026.
