ArchiFest presents Outdoor Screening:

e2 Design Series
11 & 12, 18 & 19 Oct | 7–9pm . The Plaza, National Library . Free admission

ArchiFest is pleased to with US documentary filmarker kontentreal to showcase the documentary series e2 Design Series. Narrated by Brad Pitt, the series explores ideas, initiatives and drivers of change in the world of sustainable architecture. Currently in its third season, e2 continues to traverse the globe, covering sustainable practices in design, energy, transport, water, food and urban development. This special outdoor casual screening also brings back an episode from season one, featuring Malaysia architect Dr Ken Yeang and his work on the National Library Building.

e2 – Episode Summaries

Deeper Shades of Green

“The first season of e2 design concludes with a look to the future. “Deeper Shades of Green” examines the work and philosophies of three remarkable designers: Dr. Kenneth Yeang, William McDonough and Werner Sobek. Each is radically changing the face of both architecture and environmentalism by experimenting with new designs and technologies. Dr. Yeang, a Malaysian architect, has long emphasized a combination of technology and ecology in his work. His design for the National Library of Singapore, completed in 2005, crystallized his vision for the “bioclimatic skyscraper,” or a tower whose design is responsive to the local climate.”

A Garden in Cairo

Cairo, a city of 16 million, is one of the most densely populated in the world, with only one square foot of green space per person prior to 2005. His Highness the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, saw the need to relieve this congestion. The result is Al-Azhar Park: a 500-year-old dump-turned-“urban lung” that provides much-needed green space and a source of civic pride.

The Village Architect

Architect Brian MacKay-Lyons grew up on the shipyards of Nova Scotia and borrows from that lean, economical building tradition in his architecture. From the Barn Yard in his village to the Canadian Embassy in Bangladesh, this episode presents a lesson in local vernacular — why it works and how it might be the most sustainable form of architecture there is.

Melbourne Reborn

By the mid-1970s, Melbourne was a dying city. People commuted in to work during the day, but downtown became a ghost town after 5 p.m. This episode explores how leadership and vision transformed the cityscape. Rob Adams, Melbourne’s director of design and urban environment, gives a guided tour to show how the city first sought livability, then sustainability, and how the two are inextricably intertwined.

The Art & Science of Renzo Piano

World-class architect Renzo Piano draws on nature to create a structure that defines a natural history museum for the 21st century. Combining Piano’s signature transparency design with a green roof evoking its surroundings, San Francisco’s new California Academy of Sciences provides a model for sustainability, and sets a benchmark for how people use, operate and interact with public buildings.

New Orleans: The Water Line

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the citizens of New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward weren’t about to watch their community disappear, even as government officials at all levels turned a blind eye to their plight. This story profiles community leaders fighting to rebuild the neighborhood sustainably, and the outsiders — including renowned architect Bob Berkebile, and organizations Global Green and Brad Pitt’s Make It Right — who are working to make this possible.

Super Use

The partners of 2012 Architecten in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, are making surplus superfluous, reusing everything from I-beams, wood floors, car tires, washing machines, stainless steel sinks and even windmill blades as building materials in their creations. 2012 Architecten’s work suggests not only a new kind of aesthetic and functionality in sustainable architecture, but also a new approach to design.

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