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Ecobuilding, Society
Together is better: when engaging citizens makes cities smarter
Together is better: when engaging citizens makes cities smarter
Imagine living in a building that once leaked heat in the winter and baked in the summer, now retrofitted to be a haven of comfort and efficiency.
Image credits: Espaço Municipal
Cities for all: when inclusivity is key for tackling climate challenge
Where once there were tanks, today there is a residential centre for the disabled , an art laboratory for people with mental health problems, a training centre for immigrants and ex-convicts, a restaurant, a hall for cultural events and a co-working space.
When heating is a luxury: countering energy poverty to save the planet
When heating is a luxury: countering energy poverty to save the planet
After working all of his life as a sound technician for the Bulgarian state television, Emil is now retired. He lives in a 120 square meter house in Gorni Lozen, a village not far from Sofia, but only uses its ground floor and basement because he can’t afford to heat the whole of it.
When citizen engagement makes the difference
When citizen engagement makes the difference
Thirty-one apartment buildings comprising 140,000 m 2 of floor space: Europe’s most ambitious energy-saving renovation project is transforming Torrelago, a residential district of Valladolid in central Spain.
How can smart cities finance their transformation?
How can smart cities finance their transformation?
Local governments in Europe are notoriously risk averse, city council officials and industry leaders won’t hesitate to tell you.
The many faces of hemp
The many faces of hemp
A relatively recent interest in hemp as a building material responds to a global trend that encourages the development of bio-based products and the reduction of carbon emissions.
Living in a hemp house
Living in a hemp house
Hemp is getting more attention for its multiple uses in sustainable building . In the US, former Asheville mayor Russ Martin and his wife Karon Korp, built the first hemp house in 2010 using crop imported from the UK .
Efficient, Cheap and Green
Efficient, Cheap and Green
Only when they are accepted, or better even embraced by the people, they can be implemented swiftly without any  major delays.
Generation green: smart cities bring new eco-friendly jobs
Generation green: smart cities bring new eco-friendly jobs
This year’s EU Green Week is clear in its focus: “green jobs for a greener future.” It’s highlighting how environmental policies are helping to create new work opportunities and a demand for new types of competences.
Green living: encouraging investors to go retro
Green living: encouraging investors to go retro
Just because your home was built in the 1950s or 60s doesn’t mean it can’t be green. Retrofitting – the process of modernising properties using the latest technologies – can save energy and reduce CO 2 emissions.
Could bio-based materials help earthquake-proof buildings?
Could bio-based materials help earthquake-proof buildings?
In April 2009, a devastating earthquake destroyed one of Italy’s most beautiful ancient towns, L’Aquila, killing more than 300 people and injuring 1600.
Are smart buildings safe from hackers and privacy breaches?
Are smart buildings safe from hackers and privacy breaches?
Smart buildings offer better energy efficiency and the kind of futuristic mod cons that appeal to many consumers, but some experts warn our appetite for new technology is putting us at risk from increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks .
Rescuing Swiss Heritage
Rescuing Swiss Heritage
Scientists, monument preservationists and craftsmen aim at ensuring conservation of the region’s architectural heritage also by optimising energy efficiency.
Niklaus Ledergerber: "Reviving Strickbau wood log houses"
Niklaus Ledergerber: "Reviving Strickbau wood log houses"
Niklaus Ledergerber, president of the cultural heritage preservation commission of the Swiss canton of Appenzell, is an expert in local building history. He tells youris.
Whipping Swiss cottages into green shipshape
Whipping Swiss cottages into green shipshape
Scientists aim to create a sustainable future for the Strickbau building technique , typical of the Swiss Appenzell region. The challenge is to use modern features respecting historic architecture to bring them back from the verge of extinction.