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Ecobuildings
Photo credits: Pexels -  Lio Voo Decentralisation, sustainability and energy democratisation. The untapped potential of citizen-led initiatives

Greece has recorded a “monumental growth” in solar power generation and cooperatives are on a promising path to decentralisation and energy democracy. Yet multiple obstacles still prevent many countries from unleashing their potential. And with the commitment of governments called into question by the outcome of the European elections, citizen-led initiatives could take centre stage 

July 2024
Virtual cities for very real benefits: from Local Digital Twins to the Cityverse Virtual cities for very real benefits: from Local Digital Twins to the Cityverse

Virtual clones of our cities are popping up all over Europe. As crucial urban planning tools to cut emissions and help achieve carbon neutrality, digital twins are now already heading to the “Cityverse”: a connection of virtual and physical environments, to put technology at the service of citizens' needs

October 2023
Building more, building greener. How robots can help the construction sector grow bigger and more sustainable Building more, building greener. How robots can help the construction sector grow bigger and more sustainable

Reducing C02 emissions and boosting productivity by over 60%. Going digital can be crucial for global construction, but SMEs struggle to keep pace. Hence, the robot challenge in the AI era: filling the gap with the big industry and letting the whole sector grow bigger and greener.

September 2023
Image credits: Espaço Municipal Cities for all: when inclusivity is key for tackling climate challenge

From the retrofitting of social housing blocks to the set-up of a “biodistrict”, co-designed by school pupils. When urban regeneration faces climate change from a new perspective: “Inclusive and beautiful is better. People must be proud of where they live”.

July 2023
When heating is a luxury: countering energy poverty to save the planet When heating is a luxury: countering energy poverty to save the planet

Social housing associations and EU projects are countering energy poverty with innovative financial schemes and “solidarity mechanisms”: “Buildings refurbishment benefits both the people and the Planet. Social and environmental fights go hand in hand” 

May 2023
Circularity in the building sector: What to learn from Apollo 13 and The Truman Show Circularity in the building sector: What to learn from Apollo 13 and The Truman Show

Giving materials a passport, designing buildings as temporary aggregates, and making companies responsible for their products. What we can learn from a European project, Apollo 13 and The Truman Show, to limit the environmental footprint of the construction industry?

February 2023
Invisible is better: when sustainable solutions blend into the landscape Invisible is better: when sustainable solutions blend into the landscape

Solar panels disguised as ancient Roman tiles or terracotta bricks to match the city skyline. The innovative solutions adopted by the archaeological park of Pompeii and the Portuguese city of Evora pave the way for an inspiring model: turning architectural constraints into assets, boosting heritage and sustainability.

December 2022
Smart and electric: Dresden goes climate neutral Smart and electric: Dresden goes climate neutral

Work is in progress, in Dresden, to become climate neutral in the next few years. The German city, after being selected as one of the 100 European Cities to address this challenge by 2030, chose the Johannstadt neighborhood as its pilot area.

November 2022
Valencia 2030: heading for climate neutrality Valencia 2030: heading for climate neutrality

Internationally renowned for the stunning architecture of its City of Arts and Sciences, by local architect Santiago Calatrava, the Spanish city of Valencia has been this year selected among the 100 European cities that will take up the challenge to become climate neutral by 2030.

September 2022
Sustainable is beautiful Sustainable is beautiful

Beauty in architecture is often expensive, while sustainability should be affordable and widespread. Does this mean that aesthetics and sustainability are in conflict? Or can one integrate the other? Solutions exist. What we need is a cultural revolution.

 

August 2022
Circular is better: recyclable buildings to save the planet Circular is better: recyclable buildings to save the planet

House units which can be reassembled into other buildings. Citizens’ groups volunteering to renovate the existing stock with natural materials. And an EU project testing innovative solution, to involve users and institutions in a new sustainable model. When the housing sector goes circular, waste and emissions go down.

July 2022
Shifting ground: the changing face of construction and buildings Shifting ground: the changing face of construction and buildings

Earth is not only our precious planet, but a building material that can guide one of the planet’s most emissions-heavy sectors towards a carbon-neutral, sustainable future

December 2021
Bauhaus coming full-circle: sustainable buildings in a resource-efficient economy Bauhaus coming full-circle: sustainable buildings in a resource-efficient economy

One hundred years on, the influential building, art and design movement is born again amid Europe’s push to reduce emissions in the carbon-heavy housing sector. Like its forerunner of the 1920s, the New European Bauhaus is designed for form, function, good looks and community uplift – with some 21st century additions too

September 2021
Smart buildings of glass Smart buildings of glass

Glass in architecture has been recently used more intensively thanks to developments in its manufacturing

June 2019
Building renovations: social aid to accept the change Building renovations: social aid to accept the change

When energy-saving measures are planned in social housing buildings, the environmental aim is combined with the scope of reducing inequality. In Zaragoza, Spain, a team of social workers is helping the tenants of a multi-family building to accept a challenging refurbishment

June 2019
Building energy efficient communities Building energy efficient communities

In many EU countries multi-family dwellings represent the dominant residential solution. But structural renovations to cut emissions and save energy may be a real challenge in such contexts, if the communities are not properly involved in the process

June 2019
District Heating 2.0 District Heating 2.0

In the EU, the main use of energy by households is for heating their homes, and is therefore highly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions

February 2019
Twenty-two million smart homes in Europe: from science-fiction to reality Twenty-two million smart homes in Europe: from science-fiction to reality

Energy-saving devices and ‘smart speakers’ are selling in record-breaking numbers, and driving hi-tech market development. However, obstacles remain due to a lack of digital skills among consumers and inconsistent service level

January 2019
Useful Steam - Heat Recovery Useful Steam - Heat Recovery

While the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) takes place from the 2nd to the 14th of December 2018 in Katowice, Poland, we have been investigating how district heating can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases.

December 2018
Home sweet (hemp) home Home sweet (hemp) home

December 5 is UN World Soil Day. The building industry has thus been called to account for its role in the massive use of mineral raw materials and environmental pollution. One solution comes from the bio-construction sector which draws on unlimited sources of natural materials such as hemp, which is a recyclable carbon sequestrator. But how comfortable is it to live in a hemp house?

November 2018
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