In a video message, Dominique RISTORI Director General of DG Energy at the EU Commission, recalled EU actions to help the construction sector to reduce energy consumption in buildings and green house gas emissions. “Architecture is a central actor in the energy transition. I am pleased at the level of architects’ awareness of architects in this area. We need all your expertise to contribute to raising public awareness, through the preparation of concrete construction and renovation projects”, he said.
In her introductory speech, Catherine JACQUOT, CNOA President, said that in developed economies, “the reduction of green house gas emissions and reduced energy consumption will lead to a paradigm shift in our lifestyles and in the way we design and construct the built environment (…) Architects have a great responsibility in this major paradigm change”. According to CNOA President, sustainable cities “are becoming denser and use strict planning rules for expansion, driven by imperatives of ecological preservation and energy savings”.
During the round table, architects, engineer and policy-makers exchanged views on how to design more resilient and sustainable buildings and cities. According to architect Kenneth YEANG, buildings and cities must as far as possible, be inspired by nature, notably so as to reduce waste. Frédéric BONNET, 2014 ‘Grand Prix de l’Urbanisme’, stressed the importance of democratic debates with citizens, in order to allow effective and innovative solutions to emerge. Thierry SALOMON, Vice-President of Negawatt, presented the three axes of the energy transition: energy efficiency, energy conservation, renewable energies. Francis CHOUAT, Mayor of Evry, stressed the importance of the social mix and the functional diversity of spaces, while MEP Karima DELLI focused on mobility issues in city planning.
In his conclusion, ACE President Luciano LAZZARI welcomed the leadership shown by the EU in recent years to drive forward improvements in the European building stock. He stressed that Europe must concentrate on the renovation of existing buildings and the regeneration of its cities. He finished by saying ”I would like to see a future where Architects would be universally recognised as a large part of the solution, a future where an architect could have the same credibility as a doctor at the scene of an accident and can confidently say: I am an architect, I can help”. UIA President ESA MOHAMED finally called on architects, politicians and all stakeholders of the construction industry to work together to fight climate change. Visit the ACE website for the:
Programme of the conference
Manifesto for Responsible Architecture
Replay of the conference
Video message by Sylvia PINEL, French Minister of Territorial Equality and Housing
Video message by Dominique RISTORI, Director General for Energy at the EU Commission
Speech by Catherine JACQUOT, CNOA President
Speech by Luciano LAZZARI, ACE President
Link to sign the Manifesto on the CNOA websiteJulkaistu 10.12.2015
Takaisin