Since 2008 CANactions organize an international architecture festival in Kiev. CANactions stands for sharing knowledge and connecting people in order to improve the discourse in Ukraine. The goal is to create better buildings and public space to finally make good cities to help the country in its development. CANactions International Architecture Festival has grown into the largest architectural event in Ukraine.

The event includes a full program of lectures, workshops, exhibitions and film screenings. During the festival also a several competition winners are honored.

For the edition of 2016, May 19 - 21, I have the great honor to be the first curator of the festival. Together with a team of very enthusiastic people of Zotov&Co architects we determined the central theme, put together the program and invited interesting guests.

Resilient Architecture
“The city of the future is an existing city. It is the present place where we live, work, have fun and grief. To solve the problems of today and tomorrow, we should not dream about perspectives of a distant future, but act proactively now.

The precise improvement of the existing city allows residents to find a stable base. Places remain recognizable, but at the same time future-proof. Stories from the past take on a new meaning for the future. The adaptability of urban fabric is extensive and the possibilities for building transformation are numerous. Through re-evaluation, renewal or extension of public space and renovation, reallocation or transformation of existing buildings the city will be improved.

Resilience is the capacity to adapt to changing conditions and regain functionality after disturbance. Through resilience we can maintain livable conditions for individuals, households and communities after natural disasters, power crises or social conflicts. By respecting the past and contrast, vitality can be restored on the scale of a building, street, block, neighborhood and city. Resilience focuses not barely on physical characteristics of an architectural object, but also includes its local context. Resilient architecture regenerates new identity influenced by respect to tradition and curiosity to international development.

Architects that are capable of providing better future for an existing context are ready to face challenges of this time frame. Architecture, in which authorship and spectacular icon are dominated, is over. A new generation of architects does not require a skyscraper or museum to prove themselves, they look for indications in the world around”

See full program here.