At a summit in Davos in 2018, European Ministers of Culture observed a blatant drop in the quality of the built environment. It was reason enough for a number of participating architects to propose countermeasures and take them where they might best be heard – to Brussels.
The Architect’s Council of Europe invited Ulli Grassmann, one of the two managing directors of BEA St. Gallen, to present Baumschlager Eberle Architekten’s concepts directly to the EU Parliament on 20 October 2019. Grassmann also addressed the 2226 Lustenau office building as a specific example of better, more sustainable architecture.
The keynote speech was accompanied by an exhibition in the parliamentary foyer. Entitled “20 Architectural Projects Against Climate Change”, it presented 2226 Lustenau as a reference building for a realised alternative.
The event and exhibition sought to address members of the EU Parliament directly and give the Commission and decision-makers a better understanding of architecture-driven solutions..
Grassmann’s speech emphasised the need to consider all aspects of sustainability. While reducing CO2 production is part of the solution, it is not everything. Sustainability also means economic sustainability in the form of lower maintenance costs, life cycle costs and affordability, along with socio-cultural acceptance of the building. He urged a holistic approach rather than an entirely technology-based one.
The exhibition’s accompanying publication is available for download here.
11 | 2019
