How do we tackle the climate emergency and the housing crisis at the same time? At the 5th edition of Decarbonizing Architecture in Barcelona, architects, policymakers and practitioners from across Europe set out to move from ambition to action.
The time to act is now!
The 5th edition of Decarbonizing Architecture opened on Thursday 5 November 2026 to a full room at the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC) in Barcelona. This year’s theme, The Future of Housing in Europe: From Policy to Implementation, looked at the enablers of change: the policies, tools and partnerships that can deliver more and better homes, with a special focus on renovating and reusing the buildings we already have.
The conference was organised by COAC and the Architecture and Sustainability Association (AUS), in collaboration with the Council of Architects’ Associations of Spain (CSCAE) and the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE).
One crisis, not two
The opening session brought together:
- Sandra Bestraten, Dean of the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC)
- Elena Guijarro, Treasurer and coordinator of the Sustainability Working Group of the Council of Architects’ Associations of Spain (CSCAE)
- Daniel Fügenschuh, President of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE)
- Greta Tresserra, Chair of the ACE Sustainable Architecture Work Group and President of the Architecture and Sustainability Association (AUS)
Presidente de la ACE Daniel Fügenschuh made it clear that climate and housing are not two separate crises: they are one. The way we build drives the climate and biodiversity emergency, while too many Europeans still lack a decent, affordable home. “Europe has made climate a political priority. Housing now deserves the same ambition.” He stressed that architects are ready to lead this transformation, and set out three priorities for the European agenda.
Three priorities for Europe
- Transform, don’t demolish. Millions of vacant and inefficient buildings are waiting for a second life. As the ACE exhibition La forma sigue a la transformación shows through 36 inspiring projects, renovation must come first and demolition last.
- Build faster, without building worse. The upcoming Housing Simplification Act must speed up housing delivery and renovation while protecting design quality.
- Choose quality over lowest price. The revision of the EU public procurement rules is a once-in-a-generation chance to put quality, social and environmental value at the heart of every tender. This is what the Luxembourg Declaration, co-signed by ACE and seven European partners, calls for.
From European vision to local delivery
After a keynote by Albert Cuchí (ETSAV-UPC) and Dolores Huerta (GBCe) on the homes we need: affordable, decarbonised and resilient, the programme followed the path from policy to the building site.
- Agendas for change. Matthew Baldwin, Head of the European Commission’s Housing Task Force, presented the European agenda, alongside the WIKIhousing Barcelona initiative (Straddle3 and Societat Orgànica). Ciarán Cuffe moderated the debate.
- From existing buildings to better homes. Nordic Sustainable Construction, Brussels Chief Architect Lisa de Visscher, the Sant Ildefons neighbourhood renovation and Sampling’s Augustine’s Garden (Ghent and Riga) showed how today’s stock can become tomorrow’s homes.
- From ambition to action. Speakers looked at public procurement as a design tool (AMB and Peris+Toral Arquitectos), making reuse work (Sara Baldasano) and Germany’s Gebäudetyp E, the “simple building” standard.
- Europe’s next chapter starts at home. UIA Secretary General Teresa Táboas and Ciarán Cuffe closed the day.
ACE voices across the programme
Session 2, “More and better homes with what we already have: the existing stock, the great opportunity”, at the Decarbonising Architecture 2026 conference, COAC, Barcelona. Keynote by Lisa de Visscher, Chief Architect of the Brussels-Capital Region, on “Reuse to inhabit: transforming buildings as a housing and decarbonisation strategy”. Credit: COAC.
- Daniel Fügenschuh, ACE President, set out the ACE priorities in the opening session.
- Greta Tresserra, Chair of the ACE Sustainable Architecture Work Group and President of AUS, opened the conference as curator.
- Judit Kimpian, ACE Executive Board Member, moderated From existing buildings to better homes, the session on turning the existing building stock into quality, affordable homes.
- Ruth Schagemann, Head of the Brussels Liaison Office of the German Federal Chamber of Architects (BAK) and former ACE President, presented Gebäudetyp E as a way to build simpler, cheaper and still well. [
- Eugen Panescu, ACE Executive Board Member.
From words to action
On Friday 6 November, the conversation moved from words to action. Participants joined guided visits to exemplary new-build and renovation projects across Barcelona. In parallel, ACE held a policy workshop at COAC with members of its working groups and invited experts: From European Policy to Local Delivery – Transforming the existing building stock for affordable, sustainable and high-quality housing. More to follow soon.
ACE held a policy workshop at COAC with members of its working groups and invited experts: From European Policy to Local Delivery – Transforming the existing building stock for affordable, sustainable and high-quality housing. Credit: ACE.
Turning ambition into action
Barcelona showed that the tools to tackle the climate and housing crises together already exist. What we need now is the political will to use them, from Brussels to every city hall. ACE will carry the conclusions of the conference and the workshop into its work on the Housing Simplification Act, the revision of the public procurement rules and the European Affordable Housing Plan.
Let’s turn ambition into action and build an inclusive, resilient Europe, together.
Find out more about the conference on the COAC website.
Some members of ACE delegation at COAC, Barcelona, for Decarbonizing Architecture 2026. From left: Wacław Szarejko, Elena Laina, Gearóid Carvill, Rūta Leitanaitė, Corinne Girard Young, Katharina Erdmenger and Daniel Fügenschuh. Credit: ACE.
