Sustainability Series with Corentin Fivet

• 5:45pm – Doors open
• 6:00pm – Welcome words by Prof. Katrin Beyer, Dean, ENAC School
• 6:10pm – Talk by prof. Corentin Fivet, Structural Xploration Lab
• 6:40pm – Round table moderated by Dr. Frédéric Dreyer, Innovation & Ecosystem Manager, Deanship ENAC with:
  • Prof. Corentin Fivet
  • Prof. Karen Scrivener, Laboratory of Construction Materials
  • Luana Ferrari and Sarah Planchamp from the MAKE rebuiLT project
  • Renaud Vincendon, Chief Operating Officer & Partner – m3 IMMOBILIER
• 7:10pm – Q&A
• 7:30pm – Networking aperitif

Corentin Fivet is Professor of architecture and structural design at EPFL where he develops computational methods and design processes to increase the circularity of building structures. Under his direction, the Structural Xploration Lab (SXL) is a frontrunner in the areas of structural optimization and groundbreaking large-scale demonstrator projects with reclaimed waste. From April 1st, he will be the Academic Director of the Smart Living Lab, located on the EPFL campus in Fribourg.

The construction sector stands out as a major contributor to Earth’s pollution levels. Yet there is a growing trend for buildings to be demolished, even though their components are in excellent condition. The reuse of these components in new construction activities represents a circular strategy offering significant environmental benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and material extraction. While this approach has yet to reach its full industrial potential, it is reshaping designers’ workflows and prompting the development of new computational methods and construction processes. After a contextualization of the current state of practice, Prof. Corentin Fivet will discuss recent research outputs from EPFL’s Structural Xploration Lab and their potential societal impact, with a focus on the reuse of obsolete timber, steel, and concrete elements in new building structures.