Urban Forum: Rethinking the Urban Challenges of Tomorrow: A Danish Perspective

Speakers: Stephen Willacy, Kolja Nielsen, and Lars Emil Kragh

This session explores how architecture can help kick start an urban renaissance and create spaces that add social, environmental and economic value to our cities.   Drawing on examples from the Municipality of Aarhus and innovative, award-winning projects such as The Iceberg, this lecture will examine what it takes to create environmentally sound urban and cultural developments without losing sight of the most important element – people. Danish architecture is known for its ‘People First’ approach, grounded in the principles of sustainability.  Despite its modest size, Denmark is recognized as a global leader in architecture and urban design.

Stephen Willacy, Chief City Architect of Aarhus

Stephen has combined practise as a partner at internationally acclaimed Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects with teaching and research as associate professor at Aarhus School of Architecture. Projects include award winning University of Aberdeen, Sir Duncan Rice Library and City of Westminster College in London. As Aarhus City Council’s chief city architect in the past five years Stephen works towards ensuring the city develops in a way where architectural considerations are held in the highest regard and contributes towards continued innovation in planning, urban design and architectural quality.

Kolja Nielsen, founding partner and CEO of CEBRA, Chairman of the board at The Danish Association of Architectural Firms, Member of the Danish Art Society, Architect MAA and Architect RIBA.

CEBRA is a Danish architectural office based in Aarhus in Denmark and in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. With a multidisciplinary international staff of 50, CEBRA has gained recognition through award-winning projects in Europe, the Middle East and Russia.

Most CEBRA projects are within the fields of education, culture and housing – thoughtfully designed in line with their mantra – architecture with attitude.

Lars Emil Kragh, Head of Business Development, the Danish Association of Architectural Firms.

 Danish Association of Architectural Firms is an organization of private firms of consulting architects. One of the Association’s current major strategic projects is to document the value creation of architecture through examples come from all over Denmark.  The project demonstrates good architecture can make a difference for the people who use the spaces.

Urban Forum encourages members to use transit and means of active transport. However, if you do need to drive, parking is available in lot P2. Campus map is available at:  http://carleton.ca/campus/