Rethinking unused resources: Biofabrique Vienna

As the world grapples with the pressing issue of waste management, a growing trend is emerging: the circular economy. This innovative approach is changing the way we think about waste, transforming it into a valuable resource that can be reused and recycled. By creating a closed-loop system in which materials are continuously fed back into production, the circular economy has the potential to reduce waste to landfill, conserve natural resources and mitigate climate change.

 

Biofabrique Vienna is an innovative project that addresses precisely this point and transforms unused local resources into materials for architecture and design. Through a collaboration between various stakeholders such as the Vienna Business Agency, Atelier LUMA and the Vienna University of Technology, a platform for knowledge and production is being created that responds to the specific needs of Vienna. We had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Elisabeth Noever-Ginthör, Head of Creativity & Business at the Vienna Business Agency, about this exciting project.

 

KAT: Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. How did the BioFabrique Vienna project come about?

E.N-G: During a visit to Atelier LUMA, a program of LUMA in ARLES (really worth a visit, by the way, very impressive), the director Jan Boelen introduced us to his concept of Biofabrique: under the motto "Material is heavy and should remain local, ideas are light and can travel", it describes a living production network with a focus on the use of previously unused or underused resources in a region in order to transform them into new materials for architecture, design and fashion. Atelier LUMA has been working with this approach for some time. The Atelier LUMA itself (a former railroad repair workshop) in Arles has been impressively renovated and adapted using materials from the Carmague region.

We were interested in what this could mean for a city like Vienna. The prospect of positioning the project in the Climate Biennale, which was taking place for the first time, was also super interesting for us. Which cycles in the city can we still (expand), close or even extend?

 

KAT: What would be an example of unused local resources, materials for architecture and design from Vienna?

E.N-G: With Wiener Linien, the Ströck bakery and Wienerberger, we have found ideal partners for the first Biofabrique Vienna. For example, three studios of the Institute of Architecture and Design at the Vienna University of Technology (another important partner of ours) are currently researching the extent to which the excavated material from the U2xU5 subway extension can become a valuable resource for the further construction of this largest infrastructure and climate project in the city of Vienna. Wienerberger AG's production techniques and leftover baked goods from the Ströck bakery, such as dough and flour, are working together to produce new building materials for architecture and design. The great thing about this is that the companies' expertise and their willingness to innovate flow directly into the development process.

 

KAT: I'm sure you've spent an incredible amount of time on the subject of sustainable resources in recent months, so my question is: why do you think the circular economy is so important?

E.N-G: Against the backdrop of climate change and the energy crisis, one thing has become clear: we need a new way of doing business. Resource justice, circularity and social sustainability are no longer negotiable; they will determine competitiveness on the market in the future. As the Vienna Business Agency, we have therefore restructured our entire funding portfolio from the start of 2024: The objective of the realigned 2024 funding portfolio is to work together with companies to further develop the economy in Vienna in a climate-neutral way. "Don't do significant harm" is the lowest common denominator that must be met in any funding. Considerations of social and ecological sustainability are now a MUST.

 

KAT: It sounds as if you are passionate about this topic, so I would like to ask you what is particularly important to you about BiofabriqueVienna?

E.N-G: We are particularly pleased that the results of Biofabrique Vienna will also find their first real-life application: studio d/reist will design the hospitality area of the festival headquarters for the Vienna Design Week 2024 taking place in September using materials from Biofabrique, thus creating a first showcase.

At the same time, we are also working with our partners to formulate a future business model for a production facility for bioregional building materials in Vienna, as an example for other European cities and regions.

 

KAT: Now we're really excited! Thank you for taking the time.

Have we piqued your interest? Great, then come and visit us! From April 5 to July 14, 2024 always Wednesday to Friday from 12:00 to 20:00 and Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 in the festival area Nordwestbahnhof (Nordwestbahnstraße 16/ 1200 Vienna).

The first day, on June 5, will take place as part of the Creative Days Vienna at the Klima Biennale site and a workshop with Artivive will use the example of Biofabrique Vienna to show how AR can be used to create new levels of communication for sustainable projects.