b'SERBAN SCRIECIU is an economist with an interest in climate change, sustainability, and making economics work for people and the environment. He is currently working for the European Commission community, social aspects of particularDrawing on local knowledge and engagingand is an honorary senior research fellow and a summer relevance in advanced economies. Thewith local arts and culture in shaping aschool teaching fellow with Venice pavilion of the Nordic countriessustainable and socially relevant AfricanUniversity College London in curated by the National Museum of Norwaybuilt environment was also fostered byUK. He is also enthusiastic about the potential of arts presented an exhibition in this respect onthe ArchiAfrika platform, present at theand humanities to help shape the topic of co-living and co-housing. AnBiennale. Its chairman, Joe Osae-Addo, whocleaner,low-carbon, and more interesting artistic element is inserted inis also the principal of the architecturalequitable economies and the pavilion by having an artist (Anna Ihle)practice Constructs, with offices in Ghanasocieties.share her personal story of co-habitation, andand USA, brings the inno-native approach reflecting on life in a co-living community.to contemporary African architecture, Further, several innovative architecturalwhereby proposed solutions are both businesses are pushing for climate-proof andmodern and indigenous. Accounting forcriteria for building ceremonial spaces, low-carbon buildings, while encouragingindigenous and local needs and interestssuch as circularity, wooden and vertical market-driven demand for both affordableis essential for the social acceptability,arrangement, and eastward positioning that housing and local traditional arts and crafts.environmental sustainability, and ultimatelyaims to reignite old ways of conversation Examples linked to the African continentthe longer-term economic viability ofand conflict resolution. More specifically, the include a collaborative research initiative,businesses and industries. Architecture,structure provides a special place to explore presented at the Beyond Bending II exhibit inculture and arts can help mediate betweenalternative paths to land disputes (that also Venice, between Block Research Group ETHdiverse stakeholder interests and fosterimpact the climate), between a Mapuche Zurich and the Department of Environment,shared understanding. From a differentterritorial organisation and a Chilean Forestry and Fishing (Republic of Southpart of the globe, a powerful symbolicforestry company, both living and operating Africa). This project has rethought theexhibit was advanced in this respect by thein the same area. It hosts the two parties housing construction process, such thatrenowned architect Alejandro Aravenaso that they first get to know each other, building materials and design practices are(who curated the 2016 Venice Architectureand then negotiate and talk in the old local not only more affordable and sustainable, butBiennale) and his colleagues at the Elementaltradition of parleys.also support local craftsmanship (e.g., thearchitectural office in Chile. They designedThe takeaway message is that climate use of local basket weavers). a structure based on traditional Mapuchesolutions that are appealing to the public and that closely engage communities may also make a strong business case, due to How will we live together, Chileans and Mapuche? Building places to get to know social acceptability, sustained demand, and each other (Kn) Building places to parley (Koya-we)Alejandro Aravena,Gonzalo Arteaga, Vctor Odd, Diego Torres, Juan Cerda of ELEMENTAL at the 2021 the potential to achieve both economic Venice Architecture Biennale. Image: Serban Scrieciu and social returns on investments. Arts and architecture have a key role in this dynamic, and businesses across the economic spectrum could do well from engaging more closely with them. It is worthwhile closing this piece by mentioning the simple, yet strong and evocative participation of the Philippines in the Venice Biennale, via its Structures of Mutual Support exhibition that put the Bayanihan spirit at the centre of the stage. This may be described as a sense of community welfare and cooperation that traditionally manifested itself in the form of collective labour support for individual households that are suddenly confronted with a natural disaster, for example physically moving an entire house from a flooded plain to safe ground. We may all stand to gain from being inspired by this practice and community spirit, found in many cultures around the world, and progress in nurturing social relationships, reciprocity, kindness, compassion, and knowledge sharing, in our search for answers to contemporary sustainability challenges. SQUARE12'