BIØN is a network of organisations active in low-impact building techniques. We aim to share knowledge, practices and experiences to contribute to the built environment and our communities. Listen in to our diverse European network when we share our perspectives on building with natural materials, creating circular designs and working closely with the local communities.

The exhibition on the Bi0n network is coming to an end!

Thank you all for contributing your work and building new practices. We will now move out of Open studio at Färgfabriken, very satisfied with having shared our work in the Stockholm area. Thank you all!

All partners gathered in Stockholm for an intense work session on future plans for the network. We summarised the learnings from the partners and reflected on improvements to strengthen circular building practices all across Europe.

On Friday 17th June 2022, AES Studio’s Anna Sundman and Emily Aquilina hosted the international Conference ‘Down to Earth’ at Färgfabriken in Stockholm, Sweden. The event focused on the current practice and future possibilities for sustainability in the architectural and construction industries. Gaining insights into the practical knowledge, built work and natural/circular material innovations of BIØN, the Building Impact Zero Network, produced over a six-year European funded project.

BASEhabitat invited Tânia Teixeira to speak at a theory lecture for the University of Linz under the title Working in Networks - BIØN Building Impact Zero Network.

Building Impact Zero Network finishes 6 years of experimental building with circular materials, and now we want to share it with you! In a full day conference we will share our practical explorations in biological- and low-impact building techniques and all the surrounding knowledge of people-led movements, cooperative strength and the latest on earth building research

We are happy to announce to all friends of Bi0n that we now have set the date for the conference in Sweden. We will gather all partners and the knowledge from our 6 years of experimental building! So save the date and join us in Stockholm.

We have looked at allt the partners different approaches, lessons and aspirations on people-led development. By using the experiences from Bi0n I, the training conclude some ways for the partners to improve the placemaking process and further strengthen people-led development.

We are gathering the feedback from different actors that took part in building the cordwood building in Sweden in 2017. Revisiting the structure and recalling the work makes us proud of the communal effort, a true team completed it! It has been interesting to follow the development and especially how the building is a piece of a larger puzzle of locally produced food.

Placemaking is enabling and empowering people to create and participate in making places that they love and feel connected to.

– CoDesign Studio

The above description is borrowed from CoDesign studio. The work produced within this network is very much about placemaking, and finding alternative development paths. In this staff training session all partners focus on their own process and how to strengthen the placemaking strategies for each association.

– It helps having a building like this, one of the farmers add, it appeals to people interested in organic produce, and those are the ones we sell to.

On the 28th of august the travelling exhibition opens in Stockholm. The doors open at 17 with presentations starting at 18.30 by AES. The project results from the 3 year collaboration will be presented and discussed through the topic of placemaking, co-creation and resources.

The 6th International Degrowth Conference in Malmö, Sweden, titled “Dialogues in turbulent times” has taken place from August 21-25. It was organized by the Institute for degrowth studies. We took the opportunity to present our work and share our insights from placemaking and place-led development.

Design and Build with Cordwood, a 4 week building workshop in Östertälje, Sweden. During this workshop we built a cordwood building to suit the needs of the newly established social enterprise Eko-Odlarna. They cultivate organic produce on a small plot of land on the outskirts of Östertälje.

The last week of the workshop, and plenty of things were completed. We started and finished laying the cordwood floors, using the cut up oak. All the walls were completed, all with its own pattern.The eastern wall made up by the windows placed as a V, and walls filled by chopped birch wood and debarked oak logs. Above the windows we made the wall fillings by recycled wood

The third week started with making the first cordwood wall, starting with the southern facade. It was exciting to finally see some results from processing of the material. The roof was completed to the point of having a covered structure. The layers for planting will be done at a later stage.

The 2nd week started with a lecture by Cordwood DIY builder Olle Hagman, taking us through the history of cordwood building, the development of the technique and how it’s being used today. Olle also joined us on site with some valuable advice.

The first week of LearnBIØN course #3 Design and Build with Cordwood started on the 1st august with an introduction in Järna. The team was gathered with participants from 9 nationalities, all with unique skills that each one brings to the project.

Design and Build with Cordwood is a 4 week building workshop. During the workshop we will build a cordwood building to suit the needs of the newly established organic farmers in Östertälje.