• DATES

    August 26, September 2, and 9
    Online Sessions
    Wednesdays
    18:00 CEST

  • GUEST LECTURERs

    Søren Pihlman (DK)
    Marius Myking (NO)
    Julia Lohmann (UK / FIN)

  • submissions

    Please follow the enrollment link to proceed to the payment page and complete your registration. Once your payment has been processed, you will be added to The Material Way platform within 1–3 days, where you will have access to all seminar content, including links to the live sessions.

  • fees

    250€ (VAT incl.)

    NATURAL MATERIALS IN NORDIC ARCHITECTURE

    Rethinking Architecture through Biomaterials and Ecological Thinking

    How are Nordic architects redefining the role of natural and bio-based materials in contemporary architecture? This seminar explores the opportunities and challenges of working with biomaterials - from material research to design processes and natural materials. Drawing on practitioners' experiences, we will discuss how ecological thinking, locality, temporality, and a close relationship with nature shape architectural practice across the Nordic region.

    Nordic architecture is widely recognised for its close relationship with nature, where landscape, climate, craftsmanship, and local resources play a fundamental role in shaping the built environment. As the demand for more regenerative and environmentally responsible forms of construction grows, biomaterials are becoming part of a broader shift in architectural thinking. What opportunities and challenges then arise when designing with materials that are renewable, biodegradable, and deeply connected to local ecosystems? Through presentations and conversations with leading practitioners, this seminar explores material research, experimentation, craftsmanship, construction, durability, and the evolving role of architecture in a time of ecological transition. Together, we will reflect on how ecological thinking, locality, circular design, and a close relationship with nature are redefining architectural practice across the Nordic region - offering new perspectives on how we design, build, and live with materials.

    COURSE CONTENTS

    USEFUL INFORMATION

    FORMAT

    —Weekly online sessions: August 26, September 2, and 9  from 18:00 to 20:00 (CEST).
    —All sessions and lectures will always be recorded and available online for reference or in case of absence.
    —There will be access to digital study materials folders.
    —All sessions will be in English.

    SUBMISSION PROCESS

    Please follow the enrollment link (above) to proceed to the payment page and complete your registration. Once your payment has been processed, you will be added to The Material Way platform within 1–3 days, where you will have access to all seminar content, including links to the live sessions.

    FEES

    250€ (VAT incl. / exemption to educational services)

    CANCELLATION OF APPLICATION & REFUND POLICY

    If, after applying, being accepted, and accepting our terms, you wish to withdraw from the course, the following terms apply:
    No refunds will be issued in the event of participant withdrawal. All fees are non-transferable to another course or year.

    PROGRAM RESPONSIBLE

    BONNIE HVILLUM

    NATURAL MATERIAL STUDIO
    Founder of Natural Material Studio, a Danish cross-disciplinary design company that drives toward expanding our collective understanding and relation to materials. 
    Natural Material Studio is an award-winning, Copenhagen-based design and research studio redefining material innovation for a fluid future. Founded in 2018 by Bonnie Hvillum, the studio transforms natural and discarded resources into bespoke biomaterials, objects, and environments that seamlessly merge functionality, artistr,y and circularity. Through reimagined design processes and architectural structures, Natural Material Studio is committed to shaping a more sustainable and interconnected world.

    The studio’s biomaterials are biodegradable, re-castable, and fully circular, embodying a commitment to eco-conscious design. Notable clients and collaborators include Restaurant Noma, Snøhetta, Frama, Gehl Architects, Office Kim Lenschow, Dinesen, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Typology, and Leeds University. Natural Material Studio has exhibited internationally and been part of exhibitions at Copenhagen Contemporary, Design Museum Denmark, and the Danish Architecture Centre.

    MAIN LECTURERS

    SØREN PIHLMANN

    founder of pihlmann architects (DK)
    Søren Pihlmann (1987) is a Copenhagen-based architect and founder of pihlmann architects. His work focuses on transformation, material reuse and retentive construction, treating existing buildings as sites of spatial and technical possibility. His practice integrates building surveys, component reconfiguration, structural adaptation and material testing as core parts of its methodology. In 2025, he curated the Danish Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura where he initiated a renovation of the pavilion itself, securing it against recurrent flooding, and used surplus material from the construction process as the core of the exhibition. Further, he gained international recognition for Thoravej 29, a benchmark project in contemporary transformation practice, retaining 95% of its materials while radically changing the space and use.

    MARIUS MYKING

    Product Design at Snøhetta (NO)
    Marius Myking leads Product Design at Snøhetta, where he established the practice’s Product Design discipline in 2017 and continues to develop it globally. 
    His work sits at the intersection of architecture, emerging technologies, and new market applications, translating industrial and strategic design into products and systems.
    With experience from Oslo and New York, Marius works across studios, disciplines, partners, and industries to develop projects that connect architectural thinking with innovation, sustainability, and long-term relevance.

    JULIA LOHMANN

    Designer, Researcher & Professor at Aalto University (UK / FI)
    Julia Lohmann is a German multidisciplinary designer, educator, and researcher living and working in Helsinki, Finland. As of 2025, she is an Associate Professor of Contemporary Design at Aalto University. She subsequently completed an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art (2004) and a Ph.D. degree "The Department of Seaweed – Co-speculative Design in a Museum Residency", supervised collaboratively by the RCA and Victoria and Albert Museum, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (2018). As designer in residence at the Victoria and Albert Museum during her PhD in 2013, Lohmann founded the 'Department of Seaweed ', a trans-disciplinary Community of Practice exploring seaweed as a sustainable material for making.
    Lohmann thinks that the design industry truly has power and it should not support the status quo, instead moving forward in a socially and environmentally responsible and sustainable way. She is constantly asking herself questions, and design is her way of figuring out how she views the world.

    DO YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS? CONTACT US:

    First Name
    Last Name
    E-mail address
    Note
    Thank you!
    Created with