How Heavy is a Building?
‘How Heavy is a Building?’ explores the unseen material, cultural, and environmental weight of architecture. Developed by Ha/f Climate Design and Make Good Projects, the film traces the embodied carbon of three of Lisbon’s most iconic cultural institutions—the Museu do Design (MUDE), the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT), and the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB). Through site investigations, interviews, and visual storytelling, it examines how construction materials and systems such as concrete, steel, and HVAC embody energy, history, and labour.
By connecting Lisbon and Toronto, the project reveals how global networks of extraction, production, and reuse shape our cities. It translates complex architectural research into an accessible narrative that invites viewers to see buildings not as static forms, but as living records of resource use and cultural exchange.
Presented in English and Portuguese, the film blends technical precision with poetic reflection to illuminate how architecture reflects both the ambitions and burdens of modernity. ‘How Heavy is a Building?’ asks what it means to “weigh” the built environment—and how this act might inspire more sustainable and imaginative futures.
Participants
Ha/f Climate Design (Kelly Alvarez Doran, Ryan Bruer), Make Good Projects (Kurtis Chen), Gavin Le BerAccessibility
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