We, the representative European organisations of architects, spatial planners, landscape architects,
interior architects, engineers, designers, artists, educators and researchers of the built environment,
enthusiastically welcome the New European Bauhaus initiative put forward by the President of the
European Commission as part of the Renovation Wave strategy.
With this initiative, the European Commission complements the economic, social and environmental
measures of the Renovation Wave strategy with an essential cultural dimension. By making the
Renovation Wave a cultural project, including all stakeholders, and by including architectural quality and
design quality as key principles to steer it, the Commission initiates a fundamental shift. This can be a
game-changer in the transition to a more sustainable economy and society and will bring the Green Deal
closer to citizens for their well-being.
It opens the door to a more holistic approach to our built environment, seeking to enhance, at the same
time, economic, social, environmental and cultural values. Thus, it builds on the 2018 Davos Declaration
Towards a high-quality Baukultur and principles included in the New Leipzig Charter and, in its
implementation, will help to reach the UN Sustainable Development goals.
In this holistic approach, the cultural dimension is central. It goes far beyond aesthetic considerations and
is the main driver for quality planning processes and quality projects, as well as a source of inspiration
and innovation for the other pillars of sustainability, given that arts are providers of crucial twenty-first
century competencies, such as critical thinking and problem solving.
The holistic thinking and cultural approach that underpin the New European Bauhaus initiative must lie
at the heart of the Renovation Wave strategy and inspire all its measures to raise the full potential of the
strategy and achieve a ‘quality renovation wave’, making a difference in people’s minds and quality of
life, and achieving Europe’s climate neutrality objective.
This holistic approach is needed at all spatial scales, whatever the size of the project – from landscape
architecture to town planning, neighbourhood development, infrastructure, buildings and interior
architecture and design. We very much welcome the ambition of the European Commission to facilitate
exchanges across disciplines, as we share the view that it is the best way to spur creativity and innovation.
It reflects well how our professions work, every day, on the ground.
Through our respective networks, we are ready to support the development of this initiative, notably by:
- acting as an information platform, able to reach a large audience via its member organisations;
- assisting the implementation of the key principles of the strategy in the education, as well as the research agendas of schools and institutes;
- identifying and collecting best practice examples and innovative projects;
- enabling contact with renowned professionals and experts, who would be able to give greater visibility to the initiative;
- offering a knowledge and expertise hub, to help the European Commission to further design the initiative and ensure that its process delivers the desired outcomes;
- facilitating initiatives to upskills professionals in the targeted sectors;
- obtaining inputs from public authorities and decision-makers, with whom we are in regular contact in our daily professional practice at all governance levels;
- acting as a partner for co-organising consultations, co-creation initiatives, and awarenessraising events targeting professionals, students and citizens.
We are very much looking forward to collaborating with the European Commission and all stakeholders
to make this initiative a success.
Read the full statement here
Or download pdf: BH_statement
******
bni is lid van de European Council of Interior Architects
