As the world faces an increasingly urgent climate crisis, the construction industry – which is responsible for nearly 40 percent of global carbon emissions – is facing a wholesale rethink of the way buildings are developed. As a practice with a longstanding emphasis on sustainability, Dutch architects MVRDV are strongly aligned with the principles of this change. But what does that mean in practice? Now on show at the Atelier Néerlandais in Paris, the Carbon Confessions exhibition (rebranded for France as Confessions Carbone) recounts MVRDV’s story from the heart of the construction revolution. Open from September 19th to 27th, the exhibition shows the ideas, ideals, everyday actions – and yes, the missteps and missed opportunities – of their quest for carbon reductions.

Image © Paul Lefevre

Storytelling, real-life examples, and practical tools combine to demonstrate how MVRDV strives to create truly sustainable architecture. At the centre of the main space of the Atelier Néerlandais is a 21-chapter storyline of their evolving approach, presented on hanging paper banners that immerse visitors in the space. The storyline highlights everything from MVRDV’s early evangelism for density and mobility, to its efforts to implement sustainability in its own operations with vegetarian lunches and the creation of The Green Dream Foundation to offset its travel emissions, and from its missteps in relying too heavily on sustainability consultants, to the foundation of MVRDV NEXT, a combined climate and technology unit within the office that helps to drive the firm’s current focus on carbon.

Image © Paul Lefevre

On the walls of the main gallery space, visitors will discover a series of 36 hanging booklets. These include 24 anecdotes of how a push for low-carbon projects works in practice, from a look into the perverse incentives that cause engineers and other consultants to advise against sustainable solutions. The remaining booklets present 12 “carbon cases” showing calculations of the embodied carbon of MVRDV projects using the software CarbonSpace – which MVRDV will soon launch for public use. These carbon cases provide transparency into the methodology MVRDV now uses to measure, and more importantly change, the climate impact of its projects.

Image © Paul Lefevre

Further into the exhibition space, visitors will discover models and material samples of circular projects, as well as a selection of samples of innovative low-carbon materials, some of which were specially developed for MVRDV. They will have the opportunity to discover MVRDV projects, both completed and ongoing, as well as projects from The Why Factory, a think tank at Delft University of Technology led by MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas. A selection of samples of innovative low-carbon materials, some specially developed for MVRDV, is also presented.

Image © Paul Lefevre

The space also features videos presenting a series of digital tools that serve as examples of the firm’s “everyday activism”. Software such as RoofScape and CarbonSpace help others to design using low-carbon principles, thus amplifying the impact that one office can have. CarbonSpace is soon to be launched for public use, allowing anyone to learn how to reduce the carbon footprint of their architectural designs. In addition, MVRDV's transformation projects are also displayed on the screens here, to present transformation as a more sustainable alternative to new construction. Visitors will be invited to reflect, engage in dialogue, and become involved in a broader movement for a more sustainable built environment.

Image © Paul Lefevre

The exhibition takes place within the Atelier Néerlandais – a platform funded by the Dutch Embassy for the creative and cultural industries – located at 22 avenue Victoria, 75001 Paris. Admission is free and the exhibition is open from September 19–27, between 10:00 am and 5:30 pm. Having now been presented in Munich, Berlin, and Paris, Carbon Confessions will continue to travel to various locations globally.