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Communities in Transition - Reimagining Place, Communities and Climate Action

The IAF is excited to host an online event aimed at sparking discourse and inspiring action in supporting communities at the heart of climate action policies. In Ireland we are in a pivotal time, where the way we support our communities through the transition away from industrial peat harvesting can have major implications for broader societal changes. We will hear from two inspiring projects from the Ruhr region in Germany. The Zollverein Foundation will present "the most beautiful coal-mine in the world", a major complex which is now a World Heritage Site. Finally, we will get to hear from members of Ireland’s peatlands communities, who will share their journey so far, and their aspirations for the future.

In this event, we are exploring innovative post-industrial projects which place sustainability, culture, heritage and aesthetics at their heart, as a way of reimagining a new future for these places. Through hearing from these examples, we wish to provide space to consider how our own peatlands communities in transition can benefit and even thrive.

“By living with and in the built architecture of this important phase of Ireland’s industrial heritage, peatlands communities have become guardians of its legacy, and are concerned about how that is protected. We want to make sure their voices are heard.”

“By working with these communities, the IAF wants to develop a new peatlands architecture which gives recognition to the labour and innovation of the workers, celebrates the architectural vision of their villages and looks to a great design to reimagine our relationship with the peatlands.”


This event will be facilitated by Hans Zomer, CEO of Global Action Plan, an environmental organisation who have been a key partner in the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Workers’ Villages programme. Workers’ Villages is part of Creative Ireland’s Creative Climate Action Fund. This Creative Ireland initiative supports creative, cultural and artistic projects that build aware

Jun 10, 2022 03:00 PM in Dublin