Interview with João Santa-Rita, President of the Ordem dos Arquitectos (OA), Portugal. Read more

ACE NEWS

ACE reiterates its commitments with respect to climate change on the opening of COP22   

To mark the opening of the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) on 7 November in Marrakech, ACE reiterated that the buildings sector can contribute significantly to achieving climate goals and that Architecture is a powerful source of solutions in the medium term, at low-cost, both at buildings and city levels. Read more   

ACE workshop at the Lisbon Triennale: Cities as Problem-Makers and Problem-Solvers    

On Wednesday 16 November, ACE and the Portuguese Order of Architects (OA) co-organised a workshop titled "From Land to the Sea, from House to City: Cities as Problem-Makers and Problem-Solvers". The event, which took place ias part of the 2016 Lisbon Architecture Triennale, brought architects and local, national and EU experts together to discuss the challenges that EU cities face and the solutions that architecture can bring. Read more
  
ACE responds to the EU Commission’s consultation on indicators for the assessment of environmental performance of buildings
        
In its Communication of July 2014 on Resource Efficiency Opportunities in the Building Sector, the EU Commission announced the development of a EU framework of indicators to assess the environmental performance of buildings in order to help building professionals and their clients to prioritise their action in the area of environmental improvements, as well as facilitate greater comparability of data. In early October, ACE submitted a response to a public consultation of the EU Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) on draft indicators for the assessment of the environmental performance of buildings. Read more
    
Working Party on Building Passport
    
On 27 September 2016, Judit Kimpian, Chair of the ESA Work Group, attended a meeting organised by DG GROW on an initiative aimed at developing a Building Passport. Similar to medical records or a car’s maintenance log book, a Building Passport would allow access to relevant data and information on buildings. DG GROW works from the premise that market participants in the construction sector routinely gather and discard information along the building value chain. Read more

Madrid Leaders’ Summit: Bringing the building sector together to deliver a renovation revolution

On 20-21 September, six ACE delegates took part in the Madrid Leaders’ Summit, hosted by the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid (COAM). The event was organised in the framework of the BUILD UPON project and gathered 170 experts from central and local governments, construction companies, financing institutions, research institutes and non-profit associations. Read more 

The impact of the Single Market Strategy on Architects

The Special Session of the ACE General Assembly was dedicated to “The impact of the Single Market Strategy on Architects”. Speakers from the European Commission discussed with the ACE representatives the implications of the Single Market Strategy for European architects. Read more   

ACE participation in CE.ZA.AR awards and Conference
        
On 6 September 2016, ACE President Luciano Lazzari attended the CE.ZA.AR awards ceremony in Bratislava. The Prize is awarded annually on the anniversary of the Slovak Chamber of Architects. The awards are proposed for outstanding professional performance and architectural works that contribute to the enrichment of material culture in Slovakia. Read more
    
EU NEWS

EU and Canada sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)        

On 30 October, the EU and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which is expected to offer EU firms more and better business opportunities in Canada. Read more

The Commission adopts a “Clean Energy for All Europeans” package    
    
On 30 November 2016, the EU Commission published a package titled “Clean Energy for All Europeans”, through which it proposes revising several key pieces of legislation in the field of energy, in order to reach the EU's 2030 climate and energy targets, including the Energy Efficiency (EED) and the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) Directives. Read more

European Construction Sector Observatory (ECSO)     

The European Construction Sector Observatory (ECSO) is a 3-year project run by DG GROW aiming to inform European policymakers and stakeholders on market conditions and policy developments in the construction sector through regular analysis and comparative assessments. Read more   

EU Building Stock Observatory       

In October, the Commission launched an EU Building Stock Observatory in order to monitor the energy performance of buildings across Europe. It assesses improvements in the energy efficiency of buildings and how this impacts on the actual energy consumption of the buildings sector overall. Read more

Entry into force of the Paris Agreement       

The Paris Agreement legally entered into force on 4 November 2016, following the EU’s ratification of the deal a month before. This historic event comes less than a year after COP21 in Paris and just days ahead of the UN COP22 climate conference in Marrakech. Read more   

UN Habitat adopts a New Urban Agenda in Quito

On 20 October, U.N. Habitat partners adopted a New Urban Agenda at the U.N. Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) held in Quito (Ecuador). This Agenda contains guidelines to make cities all over the world more inclusive, green, safe and prosperous. It is a cornerstone in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Read more

Urban Agenda: new knowledge sources available for Europe's cities

In October, the EU Commission launched two new sources of information on cities, with the objective fostering the exchange of information and best practices. The first, a new "One-stop shop" portal, provides information on EU policies such as climate change adaptation, mobility or circular economy that have a direct impact on cities and urban areas. Read more 

MEMBERS' NEWS

Infringement procedure against Germany regarding minimum tariffs

The European Commission has taken further steps in the infringement procedure against Germany regarding minimum compulsory tariffs for architects and engineers (Honorarordnung für Architekten und Ingenieure/HOAI) on 16 November announced that the case will be taken before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Read more

"Introspection 2015-2016": the best of Lithuanian architecture of 2015-2016     

At the end of October 2016 the Architects‘ Association of Lithuania announced the winners of the 2015-2016 Lithuanian Architecture Awards. This bi-annual award recognises the 5 best projects, designed and realised (or not) by Lithuanian architects in Lithuania and abroad. Read more

CSCAE Gold Architecture Medal and CSCAE Medals 2016

The Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España (CSCAE) awarded its 2016 Medals in a joint ceremony held at the Senate Palace in Madrid on the 24t November 2016. Read more   

PUBLICATIONS

• Energy Transition of the EU Building Stock - Unleashing the 4th Industrial Revolution in Europe
• Global ABC 2016 Global Status Report
• CNOA - Mini-guide: architect and design team selection
• Scaling up deep energy renovation through innovation and industrialisation

AWARDS

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Prize 2016

Contact

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