Charlotte Malterre-Barthes Lecture: Challenging Construction for a Sustainable Future

This lecture features architect and urban planner Charlotte Malterre-Barthes, who will discuss her critical perspective on the destructive nature of construction and advocate for a radical re-evaluation of space utilization. The talk explores concepts from her publication 'A Moratorium on New Construction', questioning growth-driven economies and promoting reuse and reform.

Charlotte Malterre-Barthes, an architect, urban planner, and university lecturer, challenges the inherent destructiveness of the built environment in this lecture. She posits that every element of construction stems from resource-intensive and polluting processes, driven by a profit-oriented global economy that severely impacts the planet and its inhabitants. Despite housing being a fundamental right and a core design responsibility, Malterre-Barthes questions how to reconcile the necessity of building with its destructive reality. She proposes a moratorium on new construction, even if temporary, to foster radical new ways of thinking about spatial engagement. This approach prioritizes the repurposing of existing structures, anti-extractive measures, educational and work culture reforms, and innovative design and building methodologies over continuous expansion. Her latest publication, 'A Moratorium on New Construction' (February 2025), serves as both a theoretical exploration and a call to action for a future where we build less, reuse more, inhabit differently, and care for our existing environment more effectively.

Regular tickets are €9. Employees and students of the Academie van Bouwkunst can attend for free by ordering via the ticket button. The lecture is in English and takes place at the Academie van Bouwkunst in Amsterdam.