Maria Lisogorskaya and Kaye Song from Assemble, London, and Lviv-based architects Anna Pomazanna and Mykhailo Shevchenko have been named the new Experimental Fellows at Bauhaus Earth and are set to begin their projects.
Both projects delve into the potential of earth as a material, exploring complementary aspects and creating opportunities for collaboration. These synergies convinced the jury to select two projects—and a total of four Fellows—from 120 submissions.
“Earth, Lightly”, a project by architects and artists Maria Lisogorskaya and Kaye Song, explores new approaches to forms of regenerative architecture. During the fellowship, they will test and develop prototypes for earth-based construction using techniques that engage both the aesthetic and haptic dimensions of art and architecture. Centering our bodily relationship to ecological architecture, the initiative focuses on earth plasters and minerals, bioregional and reused materials, performance, and play.
“Grunt” (Ukrainian for “earth”), the project by architects and educators Anna Pomazanna and Mykhailo Shevchenko, investigates the potential of regenerative reconstruction using earth sourced from contaminated soil in conflict zones, with a focus on Ukraine. Their aim is to address war-induced environmental pollution, making its counteraction an integral part of reconstruction and engaging architects in the effort. Central is fostering multidisciplinary cooperation networks and developing guidelines that can be applied to other conflict zones worldwide.
In close collaboration with the Fellowship Team, the Fellows will develop their practical research over six to eight months, progressing from field research to the creation of experimental prototypes. Their work and results will be widely shared through the partner’s media channels and networks, as well as through publications, exhibitions, symposia and workshops.
The third Open Call for the Fellowship Program, announced in May 2024, attracted 120 submissions from around the world, and the international jury convened in Berlin on September 12–13, 2024. Future initiatives and calls are planned for the summer of 2025. Continuing the Experimental Foundation’s commitment to sustainable architecture, Experimental plans to establish additional partnerships for future fellowships. In this context, the current program will be renamed:
“Experimental Fellowship — Bauhaus Earth”.
Jury statements
Overall, this cycle brought together a strong and diverse group of applicants. For the jury, a central challenge is selecting projects that are experimental—as the name of the fellowship makes clear—but that also demonstrate the rigour and understanding of precedent necessary to ultimately influence how buildings are made and to contribute to a more sustainable future. Karen Stein (Independent Critic and Architectural Advisor, New York).
Sharing a deep fascination with clays and soils while exploring complementary aspects of these materials, we are intrigued by the prospect of the new Fellows working together at Bauhaus Earth in Berlin. Their collaboration promises to promote a holistic understanding of the benefits and practices of earthen architecture, bridging science, industry and the humanities. By bringing together practitioners, experts, architects and artists from across Europe, their projects will prototype and showcase the beauty and contemporary relevance of earth-based architecture. Jan Wurm (KU Leuven, Arup, Brussels/Berlin).
Information
Jury: Prof. Florian Nagler (TU Munich, Nagler Architekten, Munich), Prof. Anna Ramos (ETSAB-UPC, Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona), Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Christiane Sauer (Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin, Berlin), Karen Stein (Independent Critic and Architectural Advisor, New York), Prof. Jan de Vylder (ETH Zürich, A JDVIV, Ghent/Brussels), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Wurm (KU Leuven, Arup, Brussels/Berlin), Prof. Regine Leibinger (Experimental, Barkow Leibinger, Berlin), Prof. Dr. Philipp Misselwitz (Bauhaus Earth, TU Berlin, Berlin), Chrissie Muhr (Experimental, Berlin/Basel).
Fellows: Learn more about the Fellows and their projects here.
Experimental is a non-profit organization founded by architect Prof. Regine Leibinger in Berlin. Since 2022, it has promoted practice-based experimental and research-oriented projects for sustainable architecture.
Bauhaus Earth is an interdisciplinary international think-and-make tank based in Berlin and Potsdam. This non-profit organization is dedicated to the regenerative transformation of the built environment.
The Fellowship Program was launched in cooperation with Bauhaus Earth in 2022, beginning with its first Fellows, the London-based collective Material Cultures. Subsequent open calls brought three further Fellows: the collective Baukreisel, spanning six German and Austrian cities; Cape Town’s Kevin Kimwelle; and the Buenos Aires-based duo Angie Dub & Heidi Jalkh.
Further information can be found on the websites of Experimental Foundation and Bauhaus Earth and via social media.
Press contact and inquiries: press [at] experimental-foundation.com, press [at] bauhauserde.org.
