Masterclass by Kjetil Trædal Thorsen at Abu Dhabi sessions

As part of the Abu Dhabi Sessions, organized by strategic design studio Slash, Snøhetta's co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, will host a masterclass on Sunday 9 June 2024 at 15.00. 

The masterclass is held during the Final Draft weekend, a three day-mini festival of design/culture/creativity-focused sessions looking at what makes good design good.

In this dialogue-based session, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, architect and co-founder of Snøhetta, will address questions about collective design and co-creative processes when building inclusive and thriving communities.

One of the major challenges in today’s cities is the segregation of the public. Creating spaces accessible to everyone and promoting public ownership of common areas is crucial to ensure designs that work with the people, not just for them.

This is usually achieved through participative models and representation of different user groups. In the masterclass, Thorsen wishes to explore how the profession can go beyond the norm and the ways these issues challenge designers and architects. What does inclusiveness mean? And what happens when there is no unanimous voice among user groups? Can architects act as mediators? How can the profession remain proactive rather than passive?

Thorsen will use examples from Snøhetta's own negotiated designs and encourage participants to share their perspectives and experiences in order to advance the discussion.