Copenhagen Architecture Forum's Podcast

Episodi

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  Arid Infrastructures: Water beyond techno-optimism 15.09.2026 18min

  How do you live with water when there simply isn't enough of it? Why did an island that had spent centuries learning to do exactly that suddenly stop? And why does the answer to both of those questions matter far beyond one small island in the Atlantic? In this episode, architect Pablo Castillo Luna reads his text "Arid Infrastructures: Water beyond techno-optimism in the island of Lanzarote." Lanzarote is, in many ways, a preview of where a lot of the world is heading: a hot, dry territory with no natural freshwater, that for generations built entire cultures of care, maintenance, and shared responsibility around scarcity — and that then, almost overnight, handed that relationship over to a desalination plant and a control panel. That shift, from water as something you live with to water as a resource managed by technical experts, is happening quietly almost everywhere, and it rarely gets questioned. Pablo's text asks what gets lost when it does, and what we might still learn from the infrastructures it replaced. The text builds on Pablo's project "A Permeable Atlas," shown in our exhibition "Slow Down" at the Copenhagen Architecture Biennial.
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  Inclusion Talks (Ep. 3): What's AI got to do with it? 01.07.2026 49min

  AI predictions tend to rest on an averaged notion of what a human being is.    In this final episode of Inclusion Talks, we take a closer look at how the growing use of AI in architecture and design processes risks reinforcing historical assumptions about what is deemed 'normal', with the consequence that difference is filtered out, concealed, and ultimately erased.   For this conversation, we have invited Canadian professor and director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre, Jutta Treviranus, who argues that the current wave of AI has underscored the importance of genuinely involving those who stand to benefit most from change.   Together with former Bevica Scholarship Programme recipient Aleksandra Mostovaja, she explores how we might move towards a future that embraces the full spectrum of human diversity – rather than allowing AI to lead us back into the patterns of the past.   On the podcast you will meet:   Jutta Treviranus: is a Professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU) in Toronto, Canada. She is the director and founder of the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) and the Inclusive Design Institute (IDI) and is a world expert in the field of universal design.  Treviranus has established the IDRC as a leading international centre for inclusive design in digital systems and leads the Inclusive Design Institute. Her work has pioneered personalised digital accessibility and contributed significantly to international accessibility standards and legislation.   Aleksandra Mostovaja: is a Master Student at Sciences Po Paris and former Bevica Scholarship Programme travel grant recipient for her project Advancing Spatial Equity Through AI: A Study of Universal Design Principles in the Public Sphere in which she has explored how AI understands inclusive language by studying how AI visualises urban landscapes.   Moussa Mchangama: is a leading strategic facilitator and change agent in the Nordic cultural conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion.    Inclusion Talks has been developed in collaboration with the Bevica Foundation. The podcasts are moderated by Moussa Mchangama.
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  Inclusion Talks (Ep. 2):The Museum as a Space For Inclusion Through Universal Design 23.06.2026 52min

  In the second episode of Inclusion Talks: A Universal Design Perspective we zoom in on the role museums and cultural institutions play. Museums have a key role in shaping cultural narratives, yet many still exclude visitors who don't fit the traditional visitor model.   In a talk between Camilla Ryhl, Research Director at Bevica Foundation and Academic Lead of Universal Design Hub, Louise Kæmpe Henriksen, curator at the New Viking Ship Museum, and student travel grant winner of the Bevica Scholarship Programme 2025-2026 Camille Wenner from the Royal Danish Academy we explore how universal design and co-designing can be a means to create a more inclusive environment in museums and cultural spaces.   Over three episodes of Inclusion Talks we investigate and share stories of how we can collectively create truly inclusionary spaces - spaces that are successful in rethinking our shared spaces, inviting more people in – from physical spaces to AI and digital spaces.   On the podcast you will meet:   Camille Wenner: Student travel grant winner of the Bevica Scholarship Programme 2026, from the Royal Danish Academy.   Louise Kæmper Henriksen: Curator at New Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde   Camilla Ryhl: Research Director at Bevica Foundation and Academic Lead of Universal Design Hub. She holds a Master's degree and a PhD in Architecture from the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen, and has specialised in universal design and the sensory qualities of architecture, as well as the interpretation and implementation of universal design as an interdisciplinary principle.   Moussa Mchangama: Moussa Mchangama is a leading strategic facilitator and change agent in the Nordic cultural conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion.   Inclusion Talks is a podcast that has been developed in collaboration with the Bevica Foundation. Tune in next Tuesday for the last episode!
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  Inclusion Talks (Ep. 1): Sustainability Doesn't Happen by Itself 09.06.2026 51min

  In our new podcast series Inclusion Talks – A Universal Design Perspective we investigate and share stories of how we can collectively create truly inclusionary spaces - spaces that are successful in rethinking our shared spaces, inviting more people in – from physical spaces to AI and digital spaces. In our first episode we go straight to a fundamental question: What does it truly take to ensure a sustainable future for us all? The question lies at the heart of the Bevica Scholarship Programme, and to answer it we have invited two big capacities. Tune in and hear Camilla Ryhl, Director of Research and Head of the Universal Design Hub at the Bevica Foundation, in conversation with Daura van Vuuren, a former recipient of the scholarship.  Moderator Moussa Mchangama asks Camilla Ryhl and Daura van Vuuren: How do we take the right steps towards a sustainable future - without leaving anyone behind?   On The Podcast You Will Meet: Daura Van Duuren: Is a former winner of the Bevica Scholarship Programme. In her work, Daura links Denmark's political commitments to global climate action plans with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Denmark ratified in 2009. In 2024, Daura van Vuuren travelled the world to gather knowledge, and if there is one key insight she brought back, it is this: sustainable development does not happen in silos – it happens through collaboration and across disciplines. Camilla Ryhl: Research Director at Bevica Foundation and Academic Lead of Universal Design Hub. She holds a Master's degree and a PhD in Architecture from the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen, and has specialised in universal design and the sensory qualities of architecture, as well as the interpretation and implementation of universal design as an interdisciplinary principle. Moussa Mchangama: Moussa Mchangama is a leading strategic facilitator and change agent in the Nordic cultural conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion.  Inclusion Talks is a podcast that has been developed in collaboration with the Bevica Foundation. Tune in the next two Tuesday for more engaging conversations on creating an inclusionary future.
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  Unaffordables Ep. 3: 'Keys and Queues' with Olaf Grawert, Bent Madsen, Matthias Nordby, Camilla van Deurs and Line Thorup Schultz 08.06.2026 17min

  Who gets access to housing when there is not enough to go around? In the final episode of Unaffordables, we move beyond construction and economics to explore the political and ethical questions at the heart of housing affordability. Should access to housing be determined by the market alone, or are alternative models needed to ensure fair and incdlusive cities? Moderated by Olaf Grawert (HouseEurope!), the discussion brings together Matthias Nordby (Urban Studio), Camilla van Deurs (Nordic Office of Architecture), Line Thorup Schultz (VELUX), and Bent Madsen (Danish Federation of Non-Profit Housing and former President of Housing Europe). From the Danish non-profit housing model to the relationship between housing and democracy itself, this episode asks what it takes to create cities where people can not only arrive — but stay. Unaffordables is a three-part podcast series commissioned by Living Places and VELUX.
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  Unaffordables Ep. 2: 'Forms & Footprints' with Sinus Lynge, Steffen Enersen Maagaard, Wietse de Vries, Valérie Vermandel and Mads Rude 08.06.2026 20min

  Can we build our way out of the housing crisis without deepening the climate crisis? In this episode of Unaffordables, we look at the physical realities of creating affordable homes in a world where seven of the nine planetary boundaries have already been breached. From adaptive reuse and bio-based materials to investment models and regulation, the discussion explores how housing can be delivered sustainably, affordably, and at scale. Moderated by Sinus Lynge, co-founder of EFFEKT Architects, the conversation features Steffen Enersen Maagaard (Artelia), Wietse de Vries (Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma), Valérie Vermandel (Whitewood Developers), and Mads Rude (PATRIZIA). Together, they ask: how do we provide housing that is affordable, healthy, and environmentally responsible — without compromising on quality? Unaffordables is a three-part podcast series commissioned by Living Places and VELUX.
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  Unaffordables Ep. 1: 'Pulls & Pressures' with Finn Williams, Kath Scanlon, Olaf Grawert, Anne-Mette Boye and Lars Jensen 08.06.2026 18min

  Why has housing become unaffordable in so many cities across Europe? In the first episode of Unaffordables, we explore the forces driving the housing crisis and the growing pressures on urban housing markets. As more people are drawn to cities, demand is increasingly shaped not only by residents, but also by tourism, short-term rentals, and international investment. Is the problem simply a lack of housing supply — or is it a question of what we build, and who we build it for? Moderated by Finn Williams, City Architect of Malmö, this conversation brings together Kath Scanlon (London School of Economics), Anne-Mette Boye (City Architect of Aarhus), Lars Jensen (City Architect of Copenhagen), and Olaf Grawert (HouseEurope!) to examine one of the defining challenges facing European cities today. Unaffordables is a three-part podcast series commissioned by Living Places and VELUX.
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  Slow Down: Architecture and Extreme Environments (2/2) 01.04.2026 51min

  Listen to the second podcast series Slow Down. A conversation between David Garcia and Kristoffer Weiss on the architecture of extreme environments. An important conversation on the future of architecture in a world of increasingly extreme conditions.   In this second and last episode of Slow Down we delve into the architecture of extreme environments with a true expert: David A. Garcia. Since 2013 he has been the director of the Master Program "Architecture and Extreme Environments" at the Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation.   And last year Garcia published the book Extreme Environments - Architectural Possibilities for a Challenged World. From the cold expanses of the Arctic to the desert regions of the Gobi and pollution-heavy industrial territories, the book investigates how architects can integrate site-specific presence, fieldwork and investigations, local knowledge and contemporary technological advancements to create resilient alternatives both at home and abroad.   On the episode you will meet:   David A. Garcia: Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Art Academy School of Architecture and director of the Master program "Architecture and Extreme Environments" since 2013. His work focuses on exploring site-specific actions in extreme environments, merging arts and sciences and challenging standard approaches to architecture.   Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss: Director of Danish Architectural Press. He has a background in philosophy from the University of Copenhagen and the Paris-Sorbonne University, Paris IV.    
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  Slow Down: The Slow Violence of Sand Extraction (1/2) 25.03.2026 53min

  We are back with a new podcast series! Listen to the first episode of Slow Down, a series investigating ways to slow down overheated sites, cities, and societies. In this episode, we follow a deep dive into the Køge Bay and explore the violent praxis of marine sand extraction. As part of her PhD, Emma Rishøj Holm descends to the seabed to experience firsthand the hidden consequences of marine sand extraction — a practice that is accelerating as land-based resources disappear, yet remains largely invisible. Together with Tideland Studio and marine biologist Stiig Markager, the conversation unfolds across ecology, infrastructure, and architecture, tracing a slow violence that reshapes the seabed — and exploring how architecture might play a role in bringing attention to it.   In the episode you will meet: Emma Rishøj Holm: PhD Fellow at Arkitektskolen Aarhus. Focusing on sand extraction in the Køge Bay and sand-related proposals for material solutions in the construction industry. Tideland Studio: A research-based design studio merging architecture with artistic expression, technological innovation and holistic sustainability. Through a profound understanding of both our natural and built environments, we design solutions, stories and experiences that resonate, transform and enrich.  Stiig Markager: Professor in marine ecology and biogeochemistry at the Department of Ecoscience at Aarhus University. A prominent voice in the Danish discussion about agriculture's impact on the marine environment.  
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  Living With Other Species: Microbial Architecture (3/3) 17.03.2026 30min

  Today we conclude Living With Other Species. A series exploring how to plan and live alongside other species in the cities of the future.  The last episode is a talk on how microbes and human well-being is connected through soil ecologies, building materials, and urban planning—and how acknowledging processes of decay can inform healthier, more resilient cities. What happens when we begin to think of the city as a living microbial ecology? On the podcast you will meet: Marie Sainabou Jeng: Is the founder and program director of Madland. A food policy hub and community by and for the micro-level. Together, they rethink and transform food systems with social responsibility Adam Bencard: Researcher and curator at the The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research and at the Medical Museion Lasse Antoni Carlsen: Is an urban farming expert and food system innovator, dedicated to advancing modular, sustainable farming that bring specialty ingredients like mushrooms closer to consumers - improving the accessibility to sustainable quality food.
 Founder of BYGAARD. Gerd Laura Juul Dahl is moderating the conversation.  
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  Living With Other Species: Insect Urbanism (2/3) 10.03.2026 58min

  Living With Other Species is back! The second episode, "The Insect As Worker and Citizen", is a conversation on the role of insects as urban workers with - pollinators, decomposers, and ecosystem engineers. How might cities look if we began to think of insects not only as inhabitants, but as workers and citizens of the city? The episode asks how designing with (and for) them challenges aesthetic norms, maintenance culture, and anthropocentric planning.   On the episode you'll meet:   - Hjalte Calberg Ro-Poulsen: Biologist/entomologist/melittologist who conducts research, provides consultancy, and teaches about land and urban management based on the needs of wild bees and other insects at Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen.   - Studio Coquille: Marion de Lingua de St Blanquat and Frederik Mads Svendsen. The architects behind The Habitable Skin, along with TERROIR, in collaboration with Lasse Carlsen and MYCO.
 The studio focuses on creating organic, sensory experiences that promote biological connections and co-creation between buildings and landscapes.   "The Insect as Worker and Citizen" is a part of the podcast series Living With Other Species. The series explores how to plan and live alongside other species in the cities of the future. Moving across scales from regional planning to the secret lives of bats, ants, and microbes, we shift our gaze to imagine new forms of interspecies cohabitation.  
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  Archive: Biochemist Irina Iachina Lets Spiders Weave the Future of Design 03.03.2026 48min

  This week we're taking a short break from the Living With Other Species podcast series to revisit our extensive archive. But we continue our focus on the lives and architectures of other species — and what we might learn from them. What follows is a conversation in which biochemist Irina Iachina shares her groundbreaking work on biomimicry, focusing on spider silk as a model for sustainable innovation. The talk was held as part of architect Pavels Hedströms exhibition Strange Adaptions, which was on display at Halmtorvet 27 from late 2024 into 2025. Next week, Living With Other Species returns — with a conversation on The Insect As Worker and Citizen.
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  Living with Other Species: The City as a Garden (1/3) 24.02.2026 58min

  From today you can listen to the first episode of Living With Other Species. A conversation on regional planning for all species, infrastructural imagination, and permaculture. Listen, as we dwell on a simple but far-reaching provocation: the city as a garden. What do we see when we conceive of the city as a garden? And how can we promote the garden-like qualities of the city? On the podcast you'll meet: Anna Aslaug Lund: Landscape Architect at Schønherr and author of The City as a Garden Skye Jin: Artist, educator, permaculture designer, and cultural sustainability advisor Studio Coquille: The architects behind The Habitable Skin, along with TERROIR, in collaboration with Lasse Carlsen and MYCO.
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  Everything is Transformation: Building Across Disciplines (3/3) 17.02.2026 1h 6min

  We conclude the Everything is Transformation podcast series — a three-episode deep dive into the thoughts, ideas, and methods behind Djernes & Bell's work on the Hedeskov Center for Regenerative Practice. In the last episode, we go fully interdisciplinary with Marie Stender—anthropologist and senior researcher at BUILD, AAU—and Torben Valdbjørn Rasmussen—civil engineer and senior researcher at BUILD, AAU. In a conversation with Justine Bell, they explore how Hedeskov can be perceived as a kind of "basic research," and how anthropology, physics, and a range of other disciplines informed the building process—and helped measure and test the finished building.
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  Everything is Transformation: Utilizing Vernacular Crafts (2/3) 10.02.2026 1h 23min

  Tune in for a conversation between Ben Bosence from Local Works Studio and Justine Bell, of Djernes & Bell. Bosence is a artist turned conservator and an expert in vernacular building structures. He is a major capacity when it comes to vernacular construction and repair—and of uncovering the materials available on site, and their relations and possibilities. The conversation centers on Bosence's and Djernes & Bell's collaboration on the Hedeskov Center and investigates techniques and technologies of mapping and sourcing materials - as well questions regarding seasonality architecture and the topic of collective maintenance rituals. 
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  Everything is Transformation: Making Regenerative Architecture (1/3) 03.02.2026 34min

  The series podcast centers around one of the most remarkable architectural transformation projects and experiments with material localism in recent Danish architectural history: Hedeskov Center for Regenerative Practice, by Djernes & Bell. Across three episodes, relying on three conversations that took place at Copenhagen Architecture Forum in March 2025 in the exhibition of the same name, we investigate the knowledges, techniques, ideologies, and social relations shaping the project.  In the first episode, we sit down with architect Justine Bell from the studio behind the project, and Sofie Aagaard, co-founder and co-owner of Hedeskov Center for Regenerative Practice. The conversation traces the origin story of the project, with a particular focus on the architectural ideas driving it, and on the client–architect relationship that made it possible. Central to the discussion is the question: What does regenerative actually mean in the context of architecture?
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  Assemble!: EP. 03 ADAPTATION REWILDING 28.10.2025 33min

  In this third episode on the policy proposal ADAPTATION REWILDING, drafted by landscape architect and founder of SCAPE, Kate Orff, we sit down with Kate alongside Copenhagen's City Architect Lars Jensen and legal adviser in the business association of Pensions and Insurances in Denmark, Thomas Brenøe to discuss Kate's proposal for the strategic rewilding of our landscapes as a tool for successful climate adaptation.  Read the law proposal at this link.   This podcast was produced by KoozArch in collaboration with Copenhagen Architecture Biennial.
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  Assemble!: EP. 02 XO Policy - Extraction Zero Policy 28.10.2025 26min

  In this second episode on the policy proposal XO Policy – Extraction Zero Policy, drafted by architect and Dark Matter Labs co-founder, Indy Johar together with & Ivana Stancic, we sit down with Indy alongside architect and both Innovation Director and director and initiator of The Planetary Project at Sweco Karl-Martin Buch Frederiksen as well as director of the Regenerative Built Environment Network at BLOXHUB Jacob Rask to discuss Dark Matter Lab's policy which  bans construction processes that are extractive to the point of endangering human and ecological systems.  Read the law proposal at this link.   This podcast was produced by KoozArch in collaboration with Copenhagen Architecture Biennial.  
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  Assemble!: EP. 01 Material Ownership 28.10.2025 38min

  In this first episode on the policy proposal of Material Ownership, drafted by architect and founder of Lendager, Anders Lendager, we sit down with Anders alongside Co-Founder of both Home.Earth & Transformer.Build Kasper Guldage Jensen, Vice President of Global Sales at Fritz Hansen, Martin Scharff and Senior Adviser at construction company DI Byggeri, Jakob Thaysen Rørbech to discuss the proposal for the extended producer responsibility for construction products. Read the law proposal at this link.   This podcast was produced by KoozArch in collaboration with Copenhagen Architecture Biennial.
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  The European Renovation Charter by HouseEurope! 22.04.2025 1h 28min

  Instead of demolishing and rebuilding, HouseEurope! calls for sustainable renovation and adaptive reuse, pushing for new EU laws that protect and prioritize existing spaces. Using the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), they are mobilizing people across Europe to demand policies that favor preservation over demolition, with the goal of collecting one million signatures from at least seven countries. This live conversation features leading voices from architecture, urbanism, and activism: Søren Pihlmann (Founder, Pihlmann Architects / Danish Architecture Pavilion - Venice Biennale 2025) Lars Autrup (CEO, Arkitektforeningen) Jacob Blak Henriksen (Head of Sustainability Architect, Cobe) Tamara Kalantajevska (Head of Urbanism, Schmidt Hammer Lassen / KADK) Kasper Benjamin Reimer Bjørkskov (Founder, No Objectives) Erik Valdemar Eriksen (Activist, Den Grønne Studenterbevægelses Klimaaktivistisk Tegnestue) Dominique Hauderowicz (Founder, Studio Dominique Serena / Danish Architecture Pavilion – Venice Biennale 2027) Esben Thorlacius (Partner, Over Byen Arkitekter) The discussion is moderated by Enlai Hooi, Head of Innovation at Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Tune in to hear how architects, urbanists, and activists are coming together to rethink the future of Europe's cities — one renovation at a time.