In Collaboration with the Architecture and Design Film Festival, Grace Farms hosts a weekend of films and conversations celebrating architecture’s impact on people and communities throughout the architecturally significant River building
Last weekend, January 24-25, Grace Farms hosted the first-ever Humanity in Architecture Film Festival, in collaboration with the Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF). The weekend featured 11 films that explored the built environment’s power to enrich the human experience.
Sharon Prince and Zita Cobb (photo by Melani Lust)
“Architecture can be a driver of humanitarian outcomes,” said Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder, Grace Farms. “It was incredible to welcome hundreds of people to Grace Farms to experience these award-winning films throughout the River building. The Humanity in Architecture Film Festival recognizes the unique power that design can have to create positive change in the world.”
The festival began with the opening night premiere of Strange & Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island and was followed by a dialogue between visionaries Zita Cobb and Grace Farms CEO and Founder Sharon Prince, alongside Kyle Bergman, Festival Director & Founder of ADFF, and Toshihiro Oki, Grace Farms Architecture Advisor.
Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder, Grace Farms Foundation, Zita Cobb, CEO and Founder of Shorefast and the Fogo Island Inn, and Kyle Bergmann, ADFF Festival Director (photo by Melani Lust)
Cobb’s work to establish the Fogo Island Inn, which was designed by architect Todd Saunders and is inspired by Fogo Island’s natural landscape, has been internationally acclaimed. Much like Grace Farms’ River building, it is a one-of-a-kind architectural space that nurtures hope, brings optimism, and creates change.
“Be thoughtful about every step and if possible, make it here,” said Zita Cobb on the construction of the Fogo Island Inn and the materials used to create and furnish the space.
Saturday was an immersive day with 10 featured films. With music by Grace Farms Music Director, Marcus G. Miller, delicious tea from Certified B Corp, Grace Farms Tea & Coffee, and many films and discussions, it was a multi-sensory experience enjoyed by hundreds of visitors throughout the site.
The festival culminated with Tokyo Ride, rooted in exploring the question of how the built and cultural environment both feeds and shapes our imagination and featured Ryue Nishizawa-san and Kazuyo Sejima-san, renowned architects and founders of SANAA.
