Brussels, Jun 12 (EFE).- The European Union recognizes that housing is the foundation of its citizens’ lives and that cracks are beginning to form. This problem is compounded by environmental and quality-of-life challenges, forcing the bloc to solve a complex dilemma: How can more housing be built without sacrificing well-being and the environment?
During Friday’s sessions at the New European Bauhaus (NEB) festival, being held this week in Brussels, experts and policymakers agreed on the need to create homes that are more livable, affordable to purchase, energy-efficient and sustainable, resilient and safe, while also meeting high standards of quality of life.
“We cannot talk about housing without talking about resilience and sustainability,” said European Commissioner for the Environment Jessika Roswall, adding that this presents an opportunity to “rethink how we design, how we build and how we live in our homes and neighborhoods.”
“When we create homes that are efficient in their use of energy and water, climate-adapted and community-centered, we do much more than reduce carbon emissions. We lower long-term costs for citizens and reduce pressure on public services, thereby safeguarding our well-being,” the commissioner said.
Aware that recycling and reusing materials minimize waste generated during construction, and noting that “only 1% of construction materials are reused,” Roswall highlighted the “many innovative projects” presented at the festival that offer solutions based on the principles of the circular economy.
“The time will come when these ideas take root in cities, towns and streets,” she predicted.
“Home is more than four walls”
Eamon Ryan, chair of the European Commission’s Housing Advisory Board, which was established a year ago, urged participants to look beyond the design and construction of new housing and consider “how to create it within denser and at the same time beautiful communities,” while preserving quality of life.
“The definition of home is not limited to four walls. It is the neighborhood. It is the sense of connection with the people around me,” Ryan said. “In my view, (the solution) begins by moving away from a car-dominated system, from building highways through cities and destroying the essence of the urban environment. We have seen that this does not work.”
He therefore called for a broader understanding of well-being, not only in terms of housing affordability but also in relation to everything surrounding it.
“The cost of your home is always influenced by how much food costs,” he said. However, other factors such as commuting times, air pollution, and noise pollution should be added to the equation, he added
Trophy Competition for Young Designers
Following these discussions, Commissioner Roswall took part in an event at the New European Bauhaus festival to recognise the winner of the NEB Young Designer Trophy, which will be presented in October to the creators of the most innovative projects.
The winning designer, Italian Luca Ambrosi, created a design inspired by the Northern Lights, incorporating their colors and organic forms.
“I wanted my design, my trophy, to point upward with elegance, representing progress toward the future,” Ambrosi told EFE. “The idea was that, through these values, we can move together toward a better future for everyone.” EFE