Transylvania Architecture Biennale kicks off: 13 events in 16 days in Oradea

PRESS RELEASE

The Transylvania Architecture Biennale kicks off:

13 events in 16 days in Oradea,

with themes for the specialized public and for the whole family.

Opening at the University Library, Ambulance for Monuments, Map of Craftsmen in Construction or the Impact of Micro-hydropower plants. These are just some of the BATRA 2019 events in Oradea.

The debut of the Transylvania Architecture Biennale Transylvania 2019 in Oradea takes place today, from 17.00, when the Ambulance for Monuments will be "parked" in the Oradea Citadel, corp G. It is a pilot project that aims to act effectively in the field of safeguarding immovable heritage, by making safe important heritage objectives in an advanced state of decay or pre-collapse. Anyone can contribute financially or by volunteering to save a monument. To date, six interventions have been carried out on heritage sites in southern Transylvania: the Brîncovenească Gate in Sâmbăta de Sus, the fortified church in Velț, the Heroes' Monument in Seleuș, the Orthodox Church in Gherdeal, the ruined defense tower in Apața and the CFR railway station in Șaeș. The results of these six interventions will be presented in pictures in an exhibition to be unveiled on this occasion.

Friday, November 8th, at the University of Oradea Library, will be held the opening of the Exhibition-competition of the works entered for the BATRA Awards, in the following sections:

Architecture of individual housing
Architecture of collective housing
Community and production facilities architecture
Architecture of public space
Cultural Heritage Architecture
Rural
Interior architecture and scenography
Micro architecture / Temporary architecture
Object design
Cultural Projects / Initiatives / Experiments

The exhibition will be displayed simultaneously in the other cities where the Romanian Order of Romanian Architects' branches are partners in BATRA 2019: Cluj Napoca, Satu Mare, Baia Mare and Alba Iulia.

On November 12, from 17:00, in the Oradea Citadel, building G, during the discussion The impact of micro-hydropower plants on the environment and the community, a long debated topic will be addressed. Authorities tell us that micro-hydropower plants are good because they create jobs and solve local electricity needs. But what is their environmental impact? We will try to find out all the pros and cons of creating micro-hydropower plants on Romanian rivers, in a discussion with Prof. Mihai Vasilescu, PhD, from the Faculty of Physics at Babeș-Bolyai University.

Via Transilvanica, a story about courage and identity, will be presented by Bogdan Brânzaș, program director, on Thursday, November 14, starting at 17:30. The initiators of the project, Tășuleasa Social, were inspired by the pilgrimage trails in Spain and the endurance trails in the United States and India. And they set up a project, Via Transilvanica, which is a walking trail starting from Drobeta-Turnu-Severin, where King Carol first entered the country, and ending at Putna, where Stephen the Great is resting.

On Tuesday, November 19, from 11.00 am, in the Oradea Citadel, building G, the energy efficiency course Circular Economy and Passive Houses will take place. In a more interconnected world, with material flows crossing national borders, energy efficiency requires a more holistic approach. This implies a better understanding of the impact of materials and their integrated energy (production, transportation, construction). But is it enough? Resource depletion will dramatically affect the world in less than a generation from now. This requires a new understanding of material flows and their life cycle and end of life (waste). Could there be a better design and construction process that allows multiple cycles of use of a building material? What prevents this from becoming a widespread solution? During the course we will look at the Passive House standard, but also Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC), the Circular Economy approach in buildings and last but not least the role of interdisciplinarity in this situation. Daniel C. Tabacaru has been working for the last 15 years with all these topics as a practicing architect / consultant in Norway and China

Info BATRA 2019

The fourth edition of the Biennale of Architecture Transylvania (BATRA) 2019, organized by the Romanian Order of Architects - Transylvania Branch, in partnership with the OAR branches of Bihor, Satu-Mare, Alba and North-West, takes place from 7-24 November. The aim of this edition is reflected in the chosen theme, "The Future/Acum", namely the desire to involve the whole community in the plans and decisions of architects, urban planners, landscape architects, authorities, starting from the premise that only in this way can the future reflect what we all want.

OFFICIAL PARTNERS: Cemacon, STADT, Iulius Mall, Hexagon

SPONSOR: Daisler Print House

EVENT SPONSORS: Lasselberger-Knauf, Geberit.

SPONSORS: Wienerberger, Fundermax, Hafele, Giorgio Graesan, Nowy Styl, EMS Floor, Recaș, Banca Transilvania

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS: Cluj-Napoca City Hall, Casino - Center of Urban Culture, Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism Cluj-Napoca and Faculty of Construction, Cadastre and Architecture Oradea.

MEDIA PARTNERS: Arhitectura, Spațiul Construit, Igloo, Arhispec, Case și grădini, Hotel Invest, IBC Focus, ibuild, Instal News, Revista Atelierul, Modernism, Proidea, Zile și Nopți, EBS Radio, Radio Cluj, I like Cluj, Transilvania Reporter, ViaTV Cluj, Cluj Today, Făclia, Clujul de Buzunar, Cluj4Ever, Oradea în Direct, Muzica Instanțelor, Cluj Insider, UpNews, Transylvania Today, Add PR.