There's just over a month to go before the 'Towards Frugality' international symposium and workshop kicks off in Malta.

Jointly organised by Maltese practice Architecture Project and Italian firm Abbate & Vigevano Architects, the three day event will take place on the 2nd of June with a workshop to follow on the 3rd and 4th.

Focusing on ways to tackle sustainability at a local level with responses tailored to site specific contexts, Towards Frugality will also tackle questions related to the intelligent use and re-use of available materials, giving new meaning to tired clichés of eco-compatibility and low consumption.

Leading international protagonists, from Spain, the UK, Africa, Italy and the USA will be flying in to illustrate their experience in the field.

Anthropologist Franco Le Cecla from Palermo will discuss the danger of iconic buildings, Sarah Wigglesworth from the UK will be relating her experience constructing the prize-winning Straw-Bale residence and offices, and the architectural practice Lot-Ek from the USA intend to use their Puma City as an example of how to re-use discarded materials.

Architecture Project, the local host for the event, is inviting architects, artists, design professionals and anyone troubled by the state of our built and natural environments to register for the event.

Part financed by the Malta Arts Fund and the American Embassy in Malta, the symposium on the 2nd will be held at Dar L-Ewropa, 254 St Paul’s Street, Valletta; and the workshop will run between the 3rd and 4th June 2011 at the Phoenicia Hotel, Floriana.

Everything's free, but you will have to register by the 20th May which you can do by sending an email here or by calling +356 21 243 981 (ext. 141) to request a participation form.

More info and updates are up on Facebook here too.

Towards Frugality is sponsored by the Malta Arts Fund, Halmann Vella, The American Embassy, FXB Furniture, Auntie Lucy, Faces, and Multigas. Collaborators include The Association of American College and University Programs in Italy, Kamra Tal-Periti, Din L-Art Helwa, and Valletta Local Council.