Madlen Kobi
Madlen Kobi is assistant professor at the Unit of Social Anthropology at the University of Fribourg and leads the research project „Urban Bricolage. Mining, Designing and Constructing With Reused Building Materials“ (SNSF-PRIMA, 2022-2026). The project investigates at the intersection of anthropology and architecture the practical challenges of reusing building materials in selected European countries. The analysis of reuse practices leads to rethinking our current capitalist system where environmental injustices are inscribed in the production, circulation, taxation and consumption of resources and building materials. Madlen Kobi has more than ten years of experience in conducting research on urban development in China with an interest in circular economy, infrastructure, urban political ecology, ethnic place-making, material culture and urban climate change.
Country/Region of interest/research focus: China, European Cities