Tall Stories 430: Holcim Foundation Awards series: Lina Ghotmeh
Oct 14, 2024
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Lina Ghotmeh, a Lebanese-born architect and principal of her own practice, discusses the transformative power of sustainable design. She delves into how architecture can heal communities and uplift places, emphasizing the Holcim Foundation Awards' role in promoting innovative ideas. Ghotmeh reflects on her personal journey, weaving memories and cultural experiences into her designs. She highlights the vital interplay between sustainability and aesthetics, showcasing how her work addresses global challenges while fostering societal connection.
Architecture can heal landscapes and strengthen community ties, especially in post-conflict areas like Beirut, showcasing its cultural significance.
Sustainable design encompasses durability, energy efficiency, and positive experiences, emphasizing beauty and ecological responsibility to address global climate challenges.
Deep dives
The Role of Architecture in Healing and Identity
Architecture serves as a powerful tool for healing landscapes and fostering community connections, particularly in post-conflict regions like Beirut. An architect's personal experiences, such as those of Lina Gottmay, illustrate the profound impact that a city’s historical and cultural context can have on design choices. By merging insights from archaeology with contemporary architectural practices, architects can create spaces that evoke a sense of belonging and reflect cultural identities. Projects like the Estonian National Museum highlight how architecture can serve as an incubator for culture, allowing communities to engage with their histories while promoting their individual identities.
Sustainability and Positive Impact in Design
Sustainable design transcends mere numbers; it incorporates the durability of materials, energy production, and positive user experiences. Recent achievements in sustainable architecture, such as the first low carbon energy positive building in France, demonstrate the importance of integrating aesthetics with functionality in industrial facilities. The approach emphasizes beauty, ecological responsibility, and community engagement in architectural practices. As architects face global climate challenges, the need to harmonize complexity within the built environment becomes essential for fostering spaces that benefit both people and the planet.
1.
Exploring Sustainable Design and Community Healing
Every week we welcome one of the jury chairs of the Holcim Foundation Awards – the world’s premier competition for sustainable design – to hear their views on creating uplifting places, fostering a healthy planet and building thriving communities. In episode two we sit down with Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh, the founding principal of her eponymously named practice.