Rules & Terms: Sustainable Thinking Evolution Day, Powered by PechaKucha

23 August 2019

Rules & Terms

Sustainable Thinking Evolution Day, Powered by PechaKucha

SOS Call for Ideas

On the occasion of the third evolution of “The Wall: Sustainable Thinking Evolution”, the timeline dedicated to the history of Sustainability and exhibited at the Museo Novecento in Florence, its protagonists SOS – School of Sustainability and MC A – Mario Cucinella Architects present: SOS Call for Ideas – Sustainable Thinking Evolution Day, Powered by PechaKucha

What is PechaKucha?

It is a lightning talk method whose peculiarity lies in its format (20 × 20), which provides for the presentation of only 20 slides in 20 seconds each. That is, 6 minutes and 40 seconds in total.

Sustainable Thinking Evolution Day, Powered by PechaKucha: the objective.

With the objective of giving innovative answers to the future challenges we will shortly need to face, both as men and as professionals, the PechaKucha aims at developing a cocept that contributes to the achievement of one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda proposed by the team of SOS and MC A. The Call will allow participants to introduce their ideas to companies that are “leaders in the sustainability sector” and that will join the event together with Mario Cucinella, the director of the Museo Novecento Sergio Risaliti and the director of SOS Massimo Imparato, to select the inspirational papers submitted during the first phase and to evaluate the final presentations during the Sustainable Thinking Evolution Day, Powered by PechaKucha, thus decreeing the winners.

Who can participate.

The Call, open until October the 23rd, 2019, is reserved for young professionals (under 30), recent graduates and graduating students (to be graduated by 30 July 2020), of all disciplines.

How to participate.

First phase.

To participate in the first selection phase it is necessary to compile the template (that can be downloaded at the end of the article), with an evocative and representative image of the proposal, accompanied by a short descriptive text (maximum 1000 characters, including spaces) and send a video illustrating the concept. Each candidate is invited to present one proposal only (by October the 23rd, 2019), choosing among the four themes proposed below. In formulating possible, previously unpublished, solutions, there are no limits in terms of approach and scale, from wide-ranging strategies to innovative but limited ideas.

Topic 1) Water is the new oil

Water is everywhere. We use it to drink, in agriculture, to produce energy, in many production processes, within our buildings. Cyclical regeneration is an essential phenomenon for life on Earth, which is made of it for about 70%. However, less than 1% can be used for drinking purposes. Population growth, mismanagement, water pollution and climate change imply a change of scenery: an apparently inexhaustible and essential resource is proving to be the oil of our century. About 40% of the world population suffers from water scarcity and in 2025 this problem will affect two out of three people. In the 1990s only there were 16 conflicts arising from the availability of water, but only in the last five years 73 conflicts are prefiguring huge migrations.

Topic 2) Humanity as an urban species

Over the course of fifty years, the planet has witnessed a demographic phenomenon of equal magnitude to that produced in all its history: 2007 will be remembered as the point of equilibrium between rural and urban population. At the end of the 21st century, 9 out of 10 people will live in a city and the human species can be said to be completely “urban”. The projections to 2060 speak of 260 billion m2 of new buildings. On the one hand, this is the result of a progressive increase in wealth, although unfairly distributed, and of a longer-term perspective of aging. But in the absence of a strategic vision for this growth, and to improve the quality of life in cities, the effects of this are likely to be controversial: overcrowding and the consequent housing problem, worsening health conditions, greater pressure on natural components -such as ecosystems- and man-made -like infrastructures- at the service of cities, are just some of the challenges that will characterize the near future.

Topic 3) After plastics, what?

Half of the 300 million tons of plastic produced globally every year is used only once and then disposed. More than 85% ends in the environment, the ocean and the landfills. High-income countries – that generate more plastic waste per person – have low mismanaged waste, while middle and low-income ones dominate the sources of global plastic pollution; therefore most of the efforts that are being carried on to reduce the impact of plastic on the ecosystems focus on management and recycling. Will this be enough? The promoters of Cradle to Cradle suggest to embrace the challenge of a cultural shift: ”Let’s be good instead of just less bad”. The rising demand for plastic goods of the last decades reflects however its many benefits: it’s cheap, versatile, lightweight and resistant, can help maintaining food quality, safety and – paradoxically – preventing waste. Therefore the debate concerning how to replace plastics is complex and requires a new systemic approach towards integrated solutions.

Topic 4) Impact of digital technologies on public space

In various cultures and countries, and over time, in different historical eras, places with different configurations, conformations, morphologies and natures, have been the aggregation and exchange terrain of communities. From the agora of the classical world, to the Roman baths, to the marketplaces of the cities of the late Middle Ages, going forward in history up to the most recent Matadero in Madrid, the aggregation spaces have always been a topic of great importance for the communities and in the architectural debate. In the future, the aggregative role of the spaces is destined to evolve. Certainly, among the variables to be taken into consideration, there will be the impact of the digital world, the evolution of society and the lifestyles of urban, metropolitan and rural realities.

Second phase.

On the 25th of October 2019, three Finalists for each of the proposed themes will be announced. Those selected for the second phase will be invited to present their proposal in person or via video, preparing a slideshow according to the “PechaKucha” format: 20 slides x 20 seconds (sending video materials by 30/10). The Sustainable Thinking Evolution Day, Powered by PechaKucha will take place at the Museo Novecento in Florence on Novembre the 6th, 2019 (no coverage is provided for transport costs) in the presence of several “leaders in the sustainability sector”, of Mario Cucinella, of the director of the Museo Novecento Sergio Risaliti and of the director of SOS Massimo Imparato.

The winners.

The winners of the 4 Topics and the Winner of the PechaKucha will see their concepts included in the third evolution of The Wall: Sustainable Thinking Evolution, on display at the Museo Novecento in Florence from November the 20th, 2019 to January the 27th, 2020. The cards will be displayed on The Wall and a QRcode will show the in-depth video made during the Sustainable Thinking Evolution Day, Powered by PechaKucha. The contents will be uploaded in a dedicated area on the SOS – School of Sustainability website and the results will be communicated to the press through a joint communication between SOS, MC A, Museo Novecento and the companies involved.

Up for grabs for the Winner of the Sustainable Thinking Evolution Day PechaKucha a full scholarship for SOS7 (academic year 2020/2021). For the 2nd and 3rd classified, an internship at one of the “sustainability companies” involved is foreseen.