More than 20 lectures, workshops and round tables slated for a full programme at ‘Ágora nude’, one of the key events in the set of parallel activities taking place at the upcoming edition of Feria Hábitat València, Textilhogar and Espacio Cocina SICI.
Leading creative figures such as Ramón Esteve and Inma Bermúdez are just two of the professionals poised to deliver lectures.
Valencia, 6th September 2024.- Feria Valencia is getting ready right now for the start on 30th this month of what is set to be an historic edition of Feria Hábitat Valencia, alongside Textilhogar and Espacio Cocina SICI. Together with the vast product offering from almost a thousand international companies and brands, one of the great incentives to attend will be the lectures and other activities slated to take place, notably the lectures programmed in as part of ‘Ágora nude’.
‘Ágora nude’ is one of the three major backdrops – together with the Hotel Hábitat València and the Espacio Cocina SICI lecture zone – for this September’s programme of parallel events and activities. Located in the Level 3 Lobby Area, next to the halls dedicated to design, ‘Ágora nude’ has arranged a series of lectures with a special focus on sustainability, design, trends and the new lifestyles and ways of living and working.
From neuroarchitecture to weather and materials
The series of lectures starts on Monday 30th September barely an hour after the fairs’ official opening, with a session led by designer Natalia Adán and featuring architect Muriel Bourgeay talking about materials, architect Benjamín Peniche tackling design and landscaping, and a round-table sponsored by UECKO. The session will address so-called neuroarchitecture through materials, with designer Aitor García de Vicuña, amongst others, also taking part. A talk sponsored by the Fundació de Disseny will round off this inaugural session, along with a fascinating presentation by sleep specialist Gonzalo Pin. Courtesy of sponsor Gomarco, Pin will talk about how to understand sleep and mechanisms for taking care of it.
The second session of ‘Ágora nude’ kicks off with a lecture by architect Carlos Salazar, followed by talk on circular design by Andreu World. Next up, a panel discussion sponsored by Pino will look at the new forms of community living, with panellists including Enrique Schonberg (Design Institute of Spain) and design & build specialists Sutega, amongst others.
Trends specialist Pepa Casado is set to follow. In partnership with Formica, she will be taking a look at the trends coming up for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The late afternoon session begins with what is always a fascinating account of the multidisciplinary team at CuldeSac’s experiences, and a roundtable centred on the Domaine de Boisbuchet international research centre for design and architecture featuring international designer Inma Bermúdez, Premio Nacional de Diseño 2022, as one of the panellists. A talk by Kave Home is set to bring this second day to a close.
Midway through the fair, on Wednesday 2nd October, the ‘Ágora nude’ programme opens with two roundtables: one led by the Consejo de Interioristas (Council of Interior Designers) and one by Andreu World that will review their Concurso de Diseño (Design Competition). At midday, Ramón Esteve, one of the most eminent names in Spanish architecture today, takes centre stage with a lecture on design as a sensory experience.
Next, at the third roundtable of the day, textile company Equipo DRT will be drilling down into the secrets of textile design, with panellists including landmark Valencian designer Vicent Martínez.
Focus on textiles for the home and contract projects
On the third day of ‘Ágora nude’ the late afternoon session will focus entirely on textiles, with a series of talks arranged by the Instituto Tecnológico AITEX that will address the challenges the textile industry is facing in the immediate future in both the home and the contract sectors. The talks will address variables such as the circular economy, the future of electronic textiles, trends in home textiles and the most innovative materials for this sector.
In the final session, on Thursday 3rd October, the focus will be on trends in interiors, with a presentation by the Observatorio de Tendencias del Hábitat (OTH – Observatory for Trends in Interiors) and another about a fascinating ‘digital twin’ project for trialling furniture. Two of the industry’s leading companies, Viccarbe and Actiu are also part of this programme, with Viccarbe delivering a lecture on design and Actiu leading a round-table discussion on the Women in Office Design initiative and giving a lecture on the importance of building bridges between design and industry.
The full ‘Ágora nude’ programme, the lectures to be delivered in the Zona Conferencias Espacio Cocina SICI (Espacio Cocina SICI Lecture Space) and the Escenario ITH (ITH Stage), plus all the exhibitor activities scheduled can be viewed at https://www.feriahabitatvalencia.com/agenda-de-actividades/
