What role can architecture and design play in the green transition? Come and meet some brilliant minds from Sweden and the US, who in different ways contribute to the transformation of society – from public buildings to home interiors and product design. The program is launched in connection to the Bifrost Summit 2024, with the main theme Innovation for a sustainable future. Welcome to a seminar about how we can move from linear to circular thinking.

The seminar takes place at The Center for Architecture + Design that recently opened in the historic Hallidie building – Americas first glass-curtain-wall building (1917) – newly furnished by Aidlin Darling Design. Organizers: Architects Sweden, Svensk Form (The Swedish Society of Crafts and Design) and the Swedish Institute, in collaboration with AIASF – American Institute of Architects San Francisco.

We’re proud to present these remarkable speakers:

Joshua Aidlin and Roslyn Cole, principals of Aidlin Darling Design, will present their work with the newly inaugurated Hallidie building and its new interior design, work for which the firm won the Cultural Architecture Award in 2023. Aidlin Darling is named one of top two achitecture firms in San Francisco by Archello and have won numerous prizes in 2023 including prizes for The Prow, Trestle Residence and Faust Haus. They work with “design as a sensory art” as a guiding principle, across projects of any scale, use or purpose. https://aidlindarlingdesign.com/

Johan Oscarson, Architect and Founder at Elding Oscarson architects, an award-winning Architecture practice based in Stockholm, Sweden. Their most recent project, Wisdome, was inaugurated in January 2024, as an extension to the Technical Museum in Stockholm. The building is an architectural masterpiece in timber where traditional craftsmanship meets advanced technology. https://www.eldingoscarson.com/

Robert Schmitz, Architect and partner at White architects. White Arkitekter is one of Scandinavia’s leading architectural practices. Their vision is that by 2030 all their architecture will be regenerative and climate neutral through design excellence. Robert, one of White Arkitekter’s leading partners, will present Sara Culture center one of the world’s tallest timber buildings. https://whitearkitekter.com/

Yves Behar, is the founder and leader of fuseproject – an industry leading design- and innovation firm with an experience-led approach focuses on using design to change people’s lives to the better. Yves Béhar is a sustainability advocate who argues that a designer’s role is to create products that are both commercially viable and contribute to social good. https://fuseproject.com

Lisa Hilland is one of Sweden’s most acclaimed and prized contemporary designers, making objects with a poetic twist, combining modern high-tech production techniques with artisan quality craftsmanship. Her current clients include furniture producers such as IKEA, but she also runs her own design brand, Mylhta. https://www.lisahilland.com/

Simon Mattisson is a Stockholm based and prized young designer working within the fields of furniture, products, and interiors, connecting interdisciplinary methods such as the digital and the physical, the natural and the artificial, technology and history. https://www.simonmattisson.com/

About Bifrost. The Bifrost Summit 2024 is a week-long rendezvous of the brightest minds from the Nordics and Silicon Valley, coming together to address the pressing environmental challenges of our times. This year’s theme – Innovation for a sustainable future – shines a spotlight on regions where the Nordics hold an authoritative voice. With their extensive experience and proven track record, the Nordics have showcased sustainable innovations that the world needs. On the other side, California presents a bustling market with untapped commercial demand and opportunities in this sector. The goal? To bridge these two worlds for a sustainable future.”

Learning Objectives (1 LU Pending)

1. Understand how Nordic innovation in sustainability can satisfy commercial demand in California.
2. Recognize the role of architecture and design in the green transition to sustainability.
3. Evaluate how a shift from linear to circular thinking can overcome environmental challenges and aid in decarbonization.
4. Identify how power-to-X solutions can aid in converting renewable energy into synthetic fuels and help to curtail and counteract carbon emissions