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World Habitat Days 2025

The Future, with a Scent of Wood

As we conclude World Habitat Days 2025, held within the framework of Urban October – Month of Design, we look back with great joy and pride at a week filled with professional discussions, creative workshops, international collaborations, and inspiring moments of connection.

The programme, organised by the Faculty of Design, once again brought together academia, industry, students, artists, and researchers in a shared reflection on the future of design — this time under the theme “The Future, with a Scent of Wood”, dedicated to wood as the material of the future.

Events unfolded across several venues – the Faculty of Design, the Rog Centre, and the House of Design Management and Innovation (HDMI) – creating a rich and diverse mosaic of ideas and experiences.
Among the highlights was the international conference “Wood for a Green Future” at the Rog Centre, featuring distinguished speakers such as Prof. Dr. Gjoko Muratovski (ICONA Design Group, Australia), Assoc. Arch. Takehiko Iseki (Zaha Hadid Architects, London), Emeritus Prof. Arch. Peter Gabrijelčič, Emeritus Prof. Dr. Rado Bohinc, Asst. Prof. Dr. Arbresha Ibrahimi, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Tămășan, Prof. Dr. Ernesto Fenollosa Forner, and many others.
Their contributions explored wood as a symbol of sustainability, innovation, and cultural continuity — a material that bridges tradition and the future.

Closely connected to the conference were the two Design Talk panels, which fostered vibrant discussions on the intersection of art, science, and design practice. Moderated by Prof. Nada Rožmanec Matičič, Prof. Dr. Gjoko Muratovski, Prof. Dr. Dušanka Komnenić, Barbara Gunčar, Prof. Peter Gabrijelčič, and Steiner Valade-Amland, the talks examined how design thinking can inspire systemic change and foster collaboration across disciplines and cultures.

This year, a special focus was also placed on our students, who played a key role through exhibitions, workshops, and lectures.
The opening exhibition “Wood – Material of the Future” presented student projects, prototypes, and spatial concepts exploring wood as a natural, versatile, and aesthetically refined medium.
The interdisciplinary workshop “Packaging with Two Lives”, led by Asst. Prof. Barbara Dovečar, MA and Asst. Prof. Mateja Š. Dimic, MA, in collaboration with the Slovenian brand SNUGI, invited students of Visual Communications and Design Management to design packaging that gains a second life after its first use. Through hands-on collaboration with a real client, they combined creativity and strategic thinking to develop sustainable and meaningful solutions.

We were honoured to host several international mentors, including Steiner Valade-Amland (Three Point Zero, Denmark), Prof. Jovanka Mladenović (Serbia), Prof. Dušanka Komnenić (Serbia), and Prof. Merve Özbaş Kilisli (Turkey), whose lectures and workshops enriched the students’ perspectives and creative experience.

Throughout the week, visitors could explore a range of exhibitions with strong artistic and social messages, such as “Circular Creativity (Kružna kreativa)”, curated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Art. Iris Lobaš Kukavičić and Asst. Prof. Dr. Sc. Margarita Bego, and “Requiem for the Sea” by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Art. Iris Lobaš Kukavičić, hosted at the Minka Skaberne Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired. These exhibitions reflected on humanity’s relationship with nature, material reuse, and artistic responsibility.
For younger participants, Jaka Lipar (Institute LILA) led the engaging workshop “Bauhaus – Design and Chair Making,” where primary school pupils explored the principles of Bauhaus aesthetics — functionality, simplicity, and beauty in design.

The week concluded with the final round table “Wood – Ancient and Yet Future” and the expert lecture by PhD Candidate Lucija Erjavec Primožič on “New European Bauhaus In-Between Spaces: Potential for the Unexpected or In-Between Spaces: Zones of Connection and Creation.”
These closing reflections symbolically encapsulated the essence of this year’s World Habitat Days — interdisciplinarity, creativity, and the continuous search for innovative and sustainable design visions.

At the end of this inspiring week, we extend our sincere gratitude to all speakers, mentors, guests, partners, and students who shared their expertise, enthusiasm, and creative energy.
Special thanks go to everyone who contributed to the organisation, exhibitions, and workshops — each moment was a testament to how collaboration, ideas, and passion can build bridges between disciplines and people.