Drafting a Mine

The responsibility of the architect in sustainable use of natural resources should not be underestimated as construction is directly related to the transformation of the material taken from the ground according to the design drawn by the architect. Architecture from the perspective of limited resources, writes Roland Reemaa, will be faced with several challenges that are directly related to the origin of raw materials.

Ateljé Ö

In creating architecture, Ateljé Ö takes cue from materials in their pure form, constructional principles, contextual entities, and finding complexity in the simplest of concepts, write Joel Winsnes and Mats Wahlström Walter.

The Living Souls of Vallikraavi

Vallikraavi street that winds below the slopes of Toome Hill in Tartu will get three new capacious apartment buildings this year, doubling the number and area of living spaces on this short street that has merely a couple dozen houses altogether. Systemic densification of old towns enhances the possibilities of urban life and helps to save energy through more economical mobility.

Call for Abstracts

Infrastructure is inherently spatial, but what role does architecture play in its grand schemes? You are invited to submit a 200-word abstract in English or in Estonian as a proposal to contribute.

What is Heritage-Based Development and Why Are We Discussing It?

Kaija-Luisa Kurik gives an overview of the results of a 30-months-long partnership project between the Estonian National Heritage Board and the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, titled ‘Historic Town Centres Revitalised Through Heritage-Based Local Development’, and tries to decipher the increasingly close connections between heritage preservation, urban studies, and sustainable development.

Norwegian Strategic Heritage Practices

Planning in Norway is strongly guided by strategic approaches and broad state-set goals directing the local level. This is also reflected in the management and development of local cultural heritage. Vignir Freyr Helgason, senior advisor at the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren) gives an overview of how strategies are developed and implemented in collaboration between the state, municipalities and communities.