Ephemerality & Re-Source in Academic Construction

Talk by Alessandro Tellini, co-founder of Making is Everything and Director of Raplab at ETH Zurich.

The talk focuses on how temporary crafts and resource-conscious design address urban challenges through full-scale, student-built models. Through a series of international workshops, it explores innovative construction methods that prioritize reuse and sustainability, responding to the urgent need for resource reduction in the built environment.

Tellini examines the significance of ephemerality in academic construction, showing how design can transcend conventional paradigms of permanence and rigidity. Highlighting collaborations with museums, municipalities, and communities, the lecture showcases artistic solutions ranging from small-scale furniture to medium-scale architecture and landscapes. This discussion aims to inspire a reimagining of design strategies that address ecological concerns while embracing the fluidity of materials, spaces, and social constructs.

Targeted at architecture and design students and scholars, this event will uncover the potential of re-sourcing and academic models—transient creations—as urban catalysts rather than mere academic exercises.

The event is in English. Afterwards there will be the opportunity for networking and drinks.

Program

16:00     Welcome and Introduction by Peter Thule Kristensen (Head of the Spatial Design)
16:10     Theme: ‘Ephemeral Crafts & Re-Source’ by Solmaz Sadeghi (Marie-Curie Fellow)
16:20     Architecture and Temporality in Academic Construction by Alessandro Tellini
17:00     Questions & Discussion
17:30     Refreshments

About Alessandro Tellini

Alessandro Tellini is the Director of the Rapid Architectural Prototyping Laboratory at the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich, and the co-leader of the architectural platform Making is Everything. He is a maker, designer, and lecturer at ETH Zurich and UAntwerp. With a background in design, Alessandro Tellini has developed professional expertise in fabrication and construction. He has applied his practical knowledge to a wide range of projects, including model-making, product development, and the fabrication of large-scale architectural prototypes. His research interests focus on pedagogy, material, craft, and making.