JEMS Architects. Layers

In the face of contmporary economic and socio-political processes, environmental changes, architectural practice is increasingly dependent on external conditions, standards, procedures. This means that, at the same time, the classical understanding of architecture as the art of building, of creating durable, simple, timeless and universal objects, is disappearing. A culture of dwelling that indivisibly combines issues of utility, environment, knowledge of techniques, working with materials and issues of form has been replaced by systemic solutions that are dependent on complex specialised techniques, organisational procedures and externally supplied energy.

Warsaw based office JEMS Architekci presents 5 of its own projects in the exhibition, with an emphasis on sustainability, openness and multidimensionality. In order to achieve these features, JEMS often works with 'layers' which, depending on the design task, relates to different issues (construction of form, cultural, programmatic, material, perceptual, climatic). Their potential in the context of sustainable and integral in many dimensions architecture, is illustrated in the exhibition through the following themes:

- Layers as physical (surfaces, walls, rooms) and ideal building material (atmosphere).

- Layers as an extension, of the multidimensional, open boundaries between inside and outside.

- Layers as the basis for the sequencing of different climatic zones of a building.

- Layers as a feature of a complex, yet integral, holistic vision of architecture.

- Layers of accessibility, relational, human dimension of architecture.