Conférence de Léa Hobson - Désarmer le béton, ré-habiter la terre

Every second, 150 tons of concrete are poured worldwide. No concrete without cement, the production of which emits nearly three times more CO2 than air transport. No concrete without sand, the second most extracted natural resource after water. No concrete construction without soil sealing, which is fatal for biodiversity and devours agricultural land. Behind the materiality, the "concrete norm" now structures an entire system. Analyzing this industry and tracing its development allows us to understand the challenges and pathways for change. So how can we collectively address this by proposing alternative approaches? First and foremost, it's about reconnecting with our senses and looking at the ground beneath our feet. Taking care of what is already there. Repairing and repoliticizing architecture. Rethinking the act of "building" in order to re-inhabit the earth. Léa Hobson is a French-English architect, set designer, and author. With a particular focus on existing structures and drawing inspiration from the living world, she works on rehabilitation projects, the assessment of historic buildings, and the practice of reuse. As a set designer, she collaborates with dance and theater companies and designs exhibition sets. Léa occasionally leads workshops for students and young audiences on ecological, architectural, and scenographic issues. She writes and co-writes articles and books. In 2025, she published her first book, "Disarming Concrete, Re-inhabiting the Earth," in the ZONES collection, published by Éditions la Découverte.