The call for papers and projects, a call dedicated to the Architecture section, arises from the interest to use "alternative materials" in architecture and design with the aim of reducing the overall environmental impact of buildings, for the protection of resources and the sustainable management of construction processes.

Lucca Biennale Cartasia is the biggest worldwide art event dedicated to Paper as an artistic and architectural means. LuBiCa was founded in 2004 to disseminate the knowledge of paper art through artistic expressions and is made up of nine sections that include Architecture. This particular section focuses on analysing in depth the use of paper and of cardboard in buildings, not only as a medium for the construction of small objects or as a support for drawings, but a truly exemplary material that is perfect for building temporary structures and suitable for creating longer-lasting and efficient edifices. Cardboard originates from a renewable resource, is the result of recycling processes and is in turn recyclable. This material can promote the search for new architectural components that can contribute to reducing the overall environmental impact of buildings and that can inspire resource protection and the sustainable management of construction practices. Within the Architecture section, LuBiCa aims to create a permanent collection of research and projects to stimulate innovative solutions and overall development of technical and formal aspects, of the machinery and tools suitable for the production of cardboard building components and of testing and product verification procedures. This confirms once again the ever-growing interest in the use of "alternative materials" in architecture and in turn, it may have an impact on the use, structures and forms of architecture itself. Starting from the 2022 edition, Lucca Biennale Cartasia is launching a call for papers and projects with the following key themes: cardboard architecture, sustainability, innovation, design research and construction techniques.

The call is made in collaboration with the Order of Architects, Planners, Landscapers and Conservatories of the Province of Lucca.

The key themes of the call are: architecture and cardboard design, sustainability and innovation.

The Call aims to collect technical and design submissions on topics related to research and development of solutions for the use of paper and cardboard in construction and design. Submissions shall be in the form of an essay and accompanied by graphics, drawings or design tables if needed. To participate in the Call:

  1. Submit projects, theses and research that have been carried out and / or concluded since 2015. Text font must be Helvetica 12, black, and the maximum length is set at 25,000 characters including spaces, footnotes, bibliographical references and image or drawing captions. Page format shall be a vertical A4 format and the document must be a NON-LOCKED pdf. Images (jpeg, pdf, tiff) must have a minimum quality of 300DPI and saved with the name or number used in the relevant caption contained in the text. The same guidelines apply when submitting tables.
  2. Fill in the application form (Attachment 1), send your BIO CV (max 10 lines) CV and 2 personal photos.
  3. Send the essay with accompanying images/drawings/tables to [email protected] via WETRANSFER. The compressed folder can have a maximum size of 10 MB. You may submit material in video format not exceeding 100 MB exclusively via WETRANSFER to [email protected].

All received submissions shall be catalogued and published in the LUBICA LIBRARY in the dedicated section of the website. Such contributions shall also be published in eBook format with an ISBN and shall be available for online consultation. One of the participants may be chosen by the Biennale curatorial team to take part in the 11th edition of Lucca Biennale Cartasia.

Professionals, scholars, architects, designers, artists, engineers, teachers, students, researchers are all invited to submit their projects in the format detailed above. The call is open to anyone 18 or older and there is no registration fee. A group leader must be identified if the contribution is submitted by more than one participant. It is not necessary for submitted projects to be previously unpublished or to have been specifically created for this Call.