Almost thirty lectures, talks and round tables are slated to take place as part of Ágora nude, with attendees comprising designers, experts on trends, architects and hotel owners.

This September’s Hábitat will also be hosting presentations of exhibitors’ latest products and staging displays of work by figures such as Gabriel Teixidó, estudi{H}ac and Miguel Milà and the home of the future.

València, 29 August 2023.- Much more than a trade fair. Feria Hábitat València is firming up the final details of the programme of lectures and activities <https://www.feriahabitatvalencia.com/agenda-de-actividades/> that will complement the extensive commercial offering from more than 600 Spanish and international companies and brands that forms the core of this next Hábitat, which runs from 19th to 27th September. The programme this time includes nearly thirty lectures, talks and round tables, as well as presentations by companies exhibiting and several special displays situated in different parts of the 85,000m2 of exhibition space.

Sustainability and concern about the environment and the future of the planet permeate our daily lives. We worry about what our lives will be like in the immediate future and whether this will impact our surroundings. The design community is well aware of these concerns and this year, a large part of the lectures being delivered and the discussions being staged Feria Hábitat València will centre specifically on these issues.

From waste plastic to designer products

One clear example is the programme for Hábitat’s Ágora nude, the great stage that will be the setting for the fair’s series of lectures. Located at the heart of Hall 4 on Feria Valencia’s Level 3, next to the design and cutting-edge zone and young talent show Salón nude, the Ágora nude lecture series opens on Tuesday 19th barely an hour after the fair’s official opening and precisely with an introduction to ‘Beyond the Plastic Wave’, an exhibition staged by Andreu World to raise awareness of plastic pollution in our seas. Next up and addressing the same issue, ‘The Gravity Wave’ will explain how to convert waste plastic from the sea into designer products.

The first day’s morning session will finish with a lecture about new materials in indoor spaces, given by interiors company Matter and another talk on how to improve sustainability in the home textiles sector. In the afternoon, designers José Manuel Ferrero, of Estudi{H}ac and Gabriel Teixidó will introduce the respectives on each of them being staged at Hábitat whilst Vondom will also be delivering a lecture on an environmental and sustainable initiative. Design consultancy Odosdesign will bring the Ágora nude session to a close with a revelation of the secrets hidden behind Hábitat’s new logo.

The contract and hotel sector

On Wednesday, with Feria Hábitat València in full flow, the contract business and the repositioning of hotel assets will be under the spotlight for most of the morning, with major players in the industry present. The morning will end with a presentation of a landmark event in the realm of design: the 22nd International Design Competition organised by Andreu World.

In the late-afternoon session, Tachy Mora will introduce the ‘Scenes from a near future’ exhibition, which explores how we will be living in the ever-closer future and is being set up in the same hall as Ágora nude. Next, Equipo DRT and Cuatro Cuadros will take a close-up look at the role of design in innovation in the textile industry, whilst the Foro de Marcas Renombradas (Famous Brands Forum) will bring the day to a close with its traditional meeting followed by a drinks reception.

More sustainable and flexible spaces to live in

The fair passes its half-way point on Thursday with a busy morning session in the Ágora nude that will kick off with a presentation on the MUGAK International Architecture Biennial and two fascinating sessions on trends: one on trends in home textiles, delivered by AITEX, and another on design trends by the professionals at consultancy Futurea.

At midday two meetings, arranged by Actiu, will bring outstanding architecture and design professionals together. The first, scheduled for 13.00, will consider the construction of sustainable, flexible and more human spaces whilst the second, starting at 15.00, will be a fresh ‘Women in office design’ gathering, looking at design from a feminine perspective.

Thursday’s late-afternoon session will continue with the launch of the new logo for the Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de Decoradores y Diseñadores de Interior (General Council of Official Guilds of Interior Decorators and Designers), a lecture by designers Kave Home on design from the Mediterranean and a presentation of the winning design for new buses for Madrid’s EMT (Municipal Transport Company).

Design strategy and management

The last Ágora nude activities take place on Friday and will include sessions on managing design studios efficiently courtesy of ADCV and the relationship between design and food, by Alberto Arza and Papila Studio, the award ceremony for the AMC (Kitchen Furniture Association) prizes and a presentation on the book about the tenth anniversary of the ‘PET lamp’ project by designer Álvaro Catalán de Ocón.The Ágora nude 2023 lecture programme will close, in principle and subject to last-minute changes, with a talk by the #innodesign group on the different strategies for promoting interior design projects.

Exhibitions

As well as this extensive programme of lectures, visitors coming to Hábitat this September will also have the opportunity to enjoy a number of themed exhibitions such as the retrospectives on Gabriel Teixidó and the 20 years of Estudi{H}ac, both of which will be in the lobby area on Level 3, and the display that tracks the career of historic designer Miguel Milà, which will be right at the entrance to the fair coming from the Foro Centro.

Another noteworthy exhibition, ‘Scenes from a near future’ is an ingenious exercise in perspective. Staged at Hábitat by the Fundació del Disseny, it will be located next to the ever-fascinating Salón nude, in Hall 4 on Level 3. A display titled ‘Beyond the Plastic Wave’, devised by Andreu World, Carmen Baselga and Héctor Serrano, is due to be set up in the same place, with a presentation on the exhibit set to open the Ágora nude proceedings on Tuesday.

The full programme of events can be viewed at https://www.feriahabitatvalencia.com/schedule-of-activities/ , via the Feria Hábitat València website. Please note that the programme is subject to last-minute changes.