Who we are

ArchiFair is a non-profit organisation that we founded in 2016 before we started our first project. With Archifair, we try to pursue our passion for socially and ecologically sustainable architecture because these aspects are in our “everyday work” often overridden by economic factors.

We are aware that the environmental impact of the construction industry in general must be drastically reduced in order to achieve the Paris climate goals. Especially the use of cement, which causes massive CO2 emissions, should be significantly reduced in the construction industry. But also construction sand is a major contributor to climate change, as its extraction is accompanied by the destruction of ecosystems around the globe. With ArchiFair, we want to raise awareness of these environmental impacts caused by the construction industry.

 

Method

With our projects, we want to experiment with sustainable building methods, both traditional and new, that can have a positive influence on the current building discourse. The construction projects we carry out are non-profit and are primarily intended to support people in underserved areas. In our projects, we work closely with local non-governmental organisations that are familiar with the local conditions. These cooperations give us the opportunity to realise sustainable and meaningful earthen buildings and ensure their long-term use.

In the implementation of our projects, we are supported by volunteers (mainly architecture and civil engineer students) as well as local construction workers. We also work closely with the Vienna University of Technology and international experts. In addition, an important aspect of our approach is to create an environment on our construction site where an intensive intercultural exchange can take place and all participants can learn and benefit from each other.