Europe’s built environment is at a crossroads: the intersecting crises of housing affordability, climate change, and public health demand a radical renewal. As Member States implement the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the EU Commission rolls out its Affordable Housing Plan, a holistic design philosophy is essential, not just for individual buildings, but for entire cities, districts, and communities.

This transformation requires embedding the New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles – sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics – alongside Whole Life Carbon approaches into both professional practice and regulatory frameworks. High-quality architecture plays a pivotal role as a bridge between innovation, sustainability, social cohesion, cultural values, and economic prosperity. By embracing circularity, climate-responsive design, and a focus on health and well-being, we can create a built environment that is regenerative, adaptable, and equipped to meet the needs of future generations.

As part of the 2026 European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) is hosting a public seminar to explore how innovative architectural solutions can address these challenges and how the regulatory framework must evolve to enable them.

This is a unique opportunity to connect policy with practice, ensuring that the architectural community’s expertise directly shapes the future of EU initiatives affecting housing and the built environment.

·       When: Thursday, 11 June | 14H45 – 16:15 CEST

·       Where: COMET Brussels & Online via Zoom

·       Agenda is available here.

Free – Registrations are closed but join us on site or via zoom via this link.

This session is part of the ACE X ARV NEB Satellite event– “Delivering Affordable and Climate-Resilient Housing for All” conference.

What to Expect:

The session brings together architects, policymakers, and construction stakeholders to showcase exemplary housing projects and discuss regulatory bottlenecks. The program will consist of two interlinked sessions:

• A curated series of case studies demonstrating climate-resilient housing and innovative building repurposing;
• A moderated discussion deconstructing the barriers and enablers for design excellence.

The seminar will conclude with actionable policy recommendations for EU institutions, ensuring the architectural community’s expertise directly shapes the future of the EU initiatives affecting housing and the built environment.

Agenda:

14h45 Welcome by the moderators & introduction

• Daniel FÜGENSCHUH, Præsident for ACE 
• Greta TRESSERRA, Co-Chair of the ACE Sustainable Architecture Work Group

15H00 Case studies presentations

• Luca VOLPI, Societat Organica, presentation of the, WikiHousing Barcelona project
• Mellis HAWARD, Director at Archio Ltd
• Niki GAITANI, Associate Professor at the Dept. of Architecture and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) 
• Lorenzo PAGLIANO, Professor at Politecnico di Milano, representative of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

15H40 Panel discussion

With all speakers and presenters, moderated by:

Gearoid CARVILL, Co-chair of the ACE Sustainable Architecture Work Group 

16H10 Closing remarks

Judit KIMPIAN, Member of ACE Executive Board, Coordinator of  the ACE “Achieving Quality in the Built Environment” Thematic Area

16H15 End of the seminar

An event co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.