Book your place → Take part in Futures Under Construction, a conference series at the Biosphère that invites you to reflect on the transformations needed in the field of urban planning in response to the climatic crisis. These gatherings bring together specialists in architecture, urban planning or even in design. Drawing on their diverse perspectives, these experts offer concrete avenues for imagining sustainable ecological and social futures. Inspired by the Transformer: Design and Energy Futures exhibition, these conferences offer an opportunity to join the conversation and contribute to an essential debate. Hosted by: Marc-André Carignan, author and columnist specializing in urban development Thinking the World Futures Under Construction is the 2026 edition of the Biosphère Gatherings. This event series encourages collective reflection on the kind of world we want to build. Researchers, practitioners, scientists and members of the public come together to share their perspectives, break down silos and spark new solutions. Each annual edition explores a theme that invites participants to reflect collectively on the futures we want for our societies. IN FRENCH ONLY Watch the conferences online → Conferences January 22 | Design tomorrow Opening Remarks Alexandre Shields, environmental reporter, Le Devoir Tomorrow is a collective choice André-Yanne Parent, director of leadership development – McCall MacBain Scholars, McGill University Éric Pineault, professor, Department of Sociology, UQAM Laure Waridel, ecosociologist and associate Professor at the Institute of Environmental Sciences at UQAM Between dependency and transition Pierre-Olivier Pineau, full professor, Chair in Energy Sector Management, Department of Decision Sciences, HEC Montréal Sidney Ribaux, director, Office of Ecological Transition and Resilience, City of Montréal February 12 | Build less, build better Opening Remarks Franck Scherrer, full professor at the School of Urban Planning, Architecture, and Landscape Design, academic director of Chemins de transition Reinvent what already exists Marie-Ève Cantin, architect and chief executive director, Écobâtiment Claudine Déom, associate professor, School of Architecture, Université de Montréal Annie Levasseur, full professor, Department of Construction Engineering, ÉTS Build differently Cécile Bulle, professor, School of Management Sciences, UQAM Marc-Olivier Champagne, associate architect, Appareil Architecture Céline C. Mertenat, senior associate, architect, Provencher_Roy March 19 | Reweaving our territories Opening Remarks Aziza Chaouni, architect and engineer, assistant professor of architecture and sustainable construction, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne Cities under pressure : cohabiting rather than coexisting Paula Negron-Poblete, Director and Associate Professor, School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture, University of Montreal Christian Savard, chief executive officer, Vivre en ville Fee Stehle, program management specialist, human settlements, UN-Habitat Designing for protection Alain Fournier, architect, senior associate and director, EVOQ Arcjtecture Olivier Riffon, professor of eco-consulting, UQAC Frédérique St-Arnaud, professional in land use planning, co-founder of the Le Picbois cooperative April 30 | Design as a superpower Opening remarks Simon-Matthew Séguin, Professor, School of Design, UQAM Pecha Kucha* Following a call for applications organized by the Bureau du design and the Biosphere, four applicants were selected. These designers will present their respective visions of design as a superpower for supporting the socioecological transition. Allan MacDonald, product and UX/UI designer and facilitator catherine d'amours, transdisciplinary designer and a professor at the School of Design at UQAM Melania Grozdanoska and Sébastien Beauregard, co-founders of the social economy enterprise SURCY Manuel R. Cisneros, architect, urban designer and Director of Environmental and Regenerative Strategies at Sid Lee Architecture Explore their profiles on the Bureau du design’s website* For your information, Pecha Kucha is a presentation method that involves showcasing a few slides in a fast-paced format. It relies on visual information to convey a message and requires eloquence, a sense of storytelling, rhythm, and conciseness.