ACE INTERVIEW

Interview with Katrin Koov, President of the Estonian Association of Architects. Read more

ACE NEWS

• Clean Energy Package – Revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings and Energy Efficiency Directives

On 7 September, the Environment Committee (ENVI) of the European Parliament adopted its opinion on the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). This opinion, which will feed into the work of the Industry and Energy Committee (ITRE – lead committee), includes a number of positive elements. Notably MEPs propose to clarify the vision for the EU building stock by 2050: a decarbonized building stock that performs at nZEB level. Read more

• Services Package: on-going discussion in the European Parliament and Council

The EU Parliament and Council are pursuing the examination of the proposals and recommendations that make up the Services Package, released by the Commission in January, namely: a proposal for a Proportionality Test; proposals for introducing a European Services e-Card; a proposal on the enforcement of the notification procedure; and reform recommendations for regulation in professional services. Read more

• Satisfaction Survey on the ACE Web site

During the summer, the ACE conducted a satisfaction survey about the CAE Web site. ACE partners were invited to reply to a short questionnaire to give their views on the ACE Web site.

You can read the result of the survey here.

Most respondents were architects (62,79 %) and visit the ACE Web site to look at the news (62,79 %), to obtain information about the practice of the profession in EU (58,14%) or to look for information about ACE policy positions (51,16%). On average respondents think that the ACE Web site design, quality and facility of access is satisfactory (30,67%) or good (44,09%). Some respondents made some suggestions that will be taken into account by the ACE Secretariat in order to improve the ACE Web site. 

EU NEWS

• State of the Union 2017, by EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker

On 13 September, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered his 2017 State of the Union Address, before the Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, presenting his priorities for the year ahead and outlining his vision for how the EU could evolve by 2025. Mr Juncker announced that a the Commission is considering setting up an EU Labour Authority to monitor how labour law is applied in Member States. Read more

• Level(s): a common language for sustainable buildings

To improve sustainability and drive market demand for better buildings, a new open source assessment framework called Level(s), has been developed by the EU Commission in close collaboration with stakeholders, including the Architects’ Council of Europe. Level(s) is a voluntary reporting framework that builds upon existing standards to provide a common EU approach to the environmental performance assessment of buildings. Read more

• The Commission presents a strategy for a smart, innovative and sustainable industry

On 18 September, the EU Commission released a Communication on A renewed EU Industrial Strategy, which brings together all existing and new horizontal and sector-specific initiatives into a comprehensive industrial strategy. Read more

• Professional Qualifications Directive: The Commission adopts Delegated Act amending Annex V

In September, the EU Commission adopted a Delegated Act replacing Annex V of the Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications (PQD). The PQD provides for the automatic recognition of seven so-called sectoral professions, including architects. The authorities in any EU country must recognise any of the architects' qualifications listed in the Annex V, point 5.7.1. 

Access the Delegated Act and the updated Annex V. 

MEMBERS' NEWS

• Union of Architects in Bulgaria

In June the Union of Architects in Bulgaria (UAB) joined INSPIRELI - the first online social platform for young architects, initiated and managed by the Association of Czech Architects. The focus of the platform is to become a space where young architects and students from all over the world share ideas, experiences and visions. In this regard, the INSPIRELI AWARDS competition is taking place. Details can be found on the official website of the platform www.inspireli.com

• Royal Institute of Dutch Architects BNA

MakeHappen! Inspiration Day Amsterdam October 20th

It’s time to grow now! The Royal Institute of Dutch Architects BNA will be hosting the third edition of the MakeHappen! Inspiration Day. This conference on International Business in Architecture at the spectacular new Circl project by Dutch bank ABN Amro in Amsterdam’s CBD Zuidas brings together inspiration, international expertise and network opportunities. Key notes by Caroline Bos (UNStudio), Kasper Guldager Jensen (3XN) and Matthias Schuler (Transsolar).

Circl Amsterdam, 20th October 2017, 12-18h. More info and signing up: www.inspirationday.nl

• Pitch Fest Expo Real Munich October 5th

Why not present out-of-the box ideas of architects, designers and other creatives when European investors and project developers are all in one place? During Expo Real Munich, the main European real estate fair, the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects BNA will be hosting its first Pitch Fest evening. In former bank and hip temporary venue Lovelace fifteen innovative creatives are pitching creative ideas for current urgencies and future strategies for urban challenges. Meet up with these talents and real estate professionals!

Alte Staatsbank Munich, 5th of October 2017, 18-21h. More info & signing up online.

• Ordre des Architectes et des Ingénieurs-Conseils du Luxembourg

The Embassy of the Grand Duchy of  Luxembourg, in collaboration  with the Ordre des Architectes et des Ingénieurs-Conseils du Luxembourg (OAI), has the honour to invite you to a conference on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of London : “the transformation of the fortress city of Luxembourg into the capital of in an independent country – an architectural look on the way to modern city” by the Luxembourg historian Dr. Robert L. Philippart a presentation of the OAI Exhibition « Bauhäre maache Lëtzebuerg » (the owners who make Luxembourg) and the Luxembourg Architects & Consulting Engineers eXport www.laix.lu  by Architect Sala Makumbundu, OAI Secretary General

Thursday 12 October 18h30 at the Maison du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg - Avenue  de Cortenbergh 75, 1000 Brussels

For more information click here

EU PROJECTS

ACE is currently involved in five EU-funded projects. The FP7 project A2PBEER, the ERASMUS+ project in co-operation with EAAE (European Association of Architectural Education), the Horizon 2020 (H2020) projects PROF/TRAC (developing and maintaining an Open Education Platform for Continuing Professional Development) and ABRACADABRA (market up-take of energy efficiency through significant energy and architectural transformation with new volume additions). Furthermore ACE is partner in a new Horizon 2020 project called BIMplement. The overall aim is to achieve improved quality for nZEB construction and renovation by setting up large scale training, Continuous Professional Development and BIM-enhanced qualification schemes, addressing the entire value chain in a cross-trades and cross-level multidisciplinary approach, strengthened with hands-on and BIM enhanced workplace learning tools

All projects address issues related to sustainability, climate change, resource efficiency and building renovation. The projects develop, for instance, innovative materials and technologies, CPD training and better architectural education, business models to finance energy retrofits and position papers. Through these ACE seeks to promote the architects’ role in energy efficient construction and urban regeneration, to influence cutting edge research and make it more applicable for European architects.

Read the projects' news

PUBLICATIONS

• New OECD Affordable Housing Database
• Healthy Homes Barometer 2017. This report is part of a series of pan-European surveys investigating the link between homes and health across the EU.
• Increasing risk over time of weather-related hazards to the European population: a data-driven prognostic study - Weather-related disasters could affect around two-thirds of the European population annually by the end of this century. This could result in a 50-fold increase in fatalities compared to today if no measures are taken, according the new study by the Joint Research Centre – the science and knowledge service of the European Commission. 
• ECSO Report: Improving the human capital basis
• Administrative formalities and costs involved in accessing markets cross-border for provision of accountancy, engineering and architecture services
• ECEEE - Energy Efficiency in the European Commission’s Clean Energy Package

EVENTS

• REFURB Conference 2017, 10 October, Brussels - Registration here
• Professional services: How does regulation matter? 09 November, Brussels - Registration here
• The transformation of the fortress city of Luxembourg into the capital of an independent country - an architectural look on the way to a modern city, 12 October, Luxembourg. More info

MISCELLANEOUS

• European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards

The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards is Europe’s top honour in the heritage field. It recognises the best achievements in conservation, research, dedicated service as well as education, training and awareness-raising. 

More information and application: http://www.europeanheritageawards.eu/apply/

Deadline 1 October