ACE Info 5.07
The electronic note from the Architects' Council of Europe
Issue 5-07
English version
Introduction
Welcome to the fifth issue of ACE Info in 2007. The ACE welcomes feedback and comments on the content of this publication, so please feel free to write to us at [email protected]
This issue is also available in French.
Core Issues
The Services Directive – Commission Handbook Published
The European Commission has published a Handbook on the implementation of the Services Directive. Readers will recall that this horizontal directive is aimed at stimulating cross-border provision of services in all fields by easing barriers that currently exist between countries of the EU and that it is expected to have a significant positive impact on growth and jobs. The directive is due to be implemented in national laws by the 28th December 2009 and, in order to assist Member States in the task of transposing the Directive, the Commission services has produced this useful handbook that gives guidance and helpful clarifications on the provisions of the directive.
It is available for download (in English only) at:
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/services/docs/services-dir/guides/handbook_en.pdf
Bologna Accord – London Communique
The Ministers responsible for Higher Education in the countries participating in the Bologna Process (47 in all) met in London in May 2007 and issued a Communique at the end of their meeting. The document contains some statements of potentially significant impact for the process and for the architectural profession itself. In particular, the Communique states that Ministers “… underline the importance of curricula reform leading to qualifications better suited both to the needs of the labour market and to further study” thus indicating a shift in emphasis and consolidating the work of earlier Bologna meetings on the subject of lifelong approaches to learning. In the list of priorities that the Ministers have set themselves for 2009, there is a commitment to “… communicate more with employers and other stakeholders on the rationale for their reforms” and they will “… work, as appropriate, within our governments to ensure that employment and career structures within the public service are fully compatible with the new degree system.” This means that persons with 3-year qualifications in architecture can look forward to finding employment and professional experience within the public services of participating governments and to a career path that could potentially, in due course, lead to full recognition as architects.
To read the full text of the communique, go to:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/londonbologna/uploads/documents/LondonCommuniquefinalwithLondonlogo.pdf
ACE Matters
New President for the Ordem Dos Arquitectos
The Portuguese Member Organisation of the ACE, Ordem Dos Arquitectos (OA) has announced that it has a new President, Manuel M Vicente who succeeds Helena Roseta in the post. Mr. Vicente runs an international architectural practice that has built works in several Asian States as well as in his native Portugal. He has also served as Vice-President of the OA since 2001 and is an experienced University lecturer, having lectured in Hong Kong, Lisbon, India and the USA.
New President and Vice-President for the Union of Architects in Bulgaria
One of the two Bulgarian ACE Member Organisations, the Union of Architects in Bulgaria (UAB), has announced that its recent General Assembly elected a new President and three Vice-Presidents, all architects, as follows:
President Spiridon Ganev
Vice-Presidents Todor Boulev
Zdravets Haitov
Lilo Popov
SAFA Appoints New Secretary General
The Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA) has announced that it has appointed Paula Huotelin as its new Secretary General and that she will take up the post as from the 1st September 2007. Paula is well known to the ACE and its Member Organisations as she was a member of the Executive Board in 2004 and 2005 and is the rapporteur in the ACE Work Group on the Procurement of Architectural Services responsible for the topic of the integration of architectural design competitions in private and public procurement procedures.
The ACE at External Events
The ACE is frequently represented at external events and conferences by its President, Members of its Executive Board, Chairmen of Work Groups and/or the Secretariat. These activities often go unnoticed, but are very important to the pursuit of the policies of the ACE. It has therefore been decided to start a new regular article for ACE Info in which a selection of recent, relevant activities of these representatives will be reported upon.
Since the last report in ACE Info, the following presentation was particularly relevant to the dissemination of ACE Policy:
KTP (Malta) Business Breakfast Briefing on the Services Directive
On Tuesday 29th May 2007, the Maltese Member Organisation of the ACE held a Business Breakfast Briefing on the impact of the Services Directive on the profession. The event was attended by over 60 local architects who came to hear the many personalities that spoke about the Directive. First among these was Evelyne Gebhardt, MEP, who was the rapporteur in the European Parliament during the Co-decision process of the adoption of the Directive. She was joined by the Maltese Minister for Competitiveness, Censu Galea and several officials who are directly responsible for the transposition of the Services Directive in Malta. Adrian Joyce, Senior Adviser of the ACE also addressed the Breakfast meeting concentrating on the impact that the implementation of the Directive is likely to have on the profession.
To read a fuller account of the event, go to:
http://www.ace-cae.org/MemberN/Content/EN/toc/toc/mytoc.html?id=6-4-5
The ACE Response to the Commission Consultation on Codes of Conduct
As readers will recall, the Commission ran a public consultation on the question of Codes of Conduct over the summer period (see ACE Info 4/07). The Commission decided to hold the consultation in order to better understand the types of Codes of Conduct that are in existence across the EU and in order to better prepared for the actions on the topic that are envisaged by the Services Directive. The ACE, which developed and adopted a European Deontological Code as a reference document for Member Organisations at the end of 2005, responded via the online questionnaire, expressing its dissatisfaction at the manner in which the consultation was conducted. Specifically it expressed its concern that the use of limited options for answering questions would mean that all variations in Codes would be shoe-horned into two or three types in the analysis to be carried out by the Commission, thus potentially missing some important aspects that are essential to professions such as architects who carry specific individual liability for the consequences of the work they carry out. The relevant Work Group of the ACE is to prepare a further statement on the issue as a complementary submission to the Commission.
If you wish to read the ACE response, then e-mail a request for a copy of the document to:
[email protected]
ACE Events and Meetings in September and October 2007:
Work Group Education – 10th September – Brussels
Work Group Insurance – 13th September – Brussels
Work Group Trade in Services – 20th September – Brussels
Work Group Services in the Internal Market (SIM) – 20th September – Brussels
General Coordination meeting – 21st September – Brussels
Work Group Cost Information Systems – 27th September – Brussels
CEO’s and ACE Correspondents – 4th October – Brussels
Finance Committee – 5th October – Brussels
Executive Board – 5th and 6th October – Brussels
Forum on Administrative Cooperation – 19th October – Bucharest
Other Matters
BEUC Announces Appointment of a new Director General
The European Consumers Association, BEUC, has recently announced the retirement of its Director General, Jim Murray and his replacement by a new Director General. She is Monique Goyens, who has an extensive background in consumer advocacy and was senior legal adviser to the BEUC from 1989 to 1993. Ms. Goyens will take up the post later in this year and will be assisted by Willemien Bax, who is to be promoted to the new post of Deputy Director General at the time that Ms. Goyens takes up her new responsibilities. The ACE looks forward to fruitful dialogue, on matters of joint concern, with the BEUC after Ms. Goyens takes up her new post.
Infringement Procedures Against Several States over Energy Performance of Buildings
On the 28th June, the Commission launched court proceedings against Greece for failure to notify its implementing measures on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Reasoned opinions – the last step before a formal complaint to the Court of Justice – were sent to Estonia and Poland for failure to notify the necessary measures. It is possible to subscribe to an informative newsletter on the process of the implementation of the EPBD through the following link:
http://www.buildingsplatform.org/cms/index.php?id=46
Consultation on Adaptation to Climate Change
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on its Green Paper entitled “Adapting to Climate Change in Europe: Launching a public debate on options for EU action”, published on the 3rd July last. The European Commission is convinced that the EU has no choice other then to adapt to the phenomenon of climate change to try to lessen its adverse effects on people, the economy and the environment. Among the adaptation measures being considered and that are set out in the Green Paper are better use of water resources, assistance for vulnerable persons, preparation for the arrival of tropical diseases in Europe and the strengthening of dikes to counter flooding.
To consult the Green Paper, go to:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm
Inquiry into Discriminatory Restrictions in Ireland’s Planning Procedures
The European Commission has sent an official request to Ireland for information on certain Irish county development plans that require specific criteria to be fulfilled before a building permit for a dwelling can be granted. For example, most counties require local employment in specific activities linked to the land or the presence of family members in the area. The Commission wishes to verify whether the measures in question are compatible with Articles 43 and 56 of the EC Treaty, which guarantee the freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital respectively. If the case succeeds and Ireland is found to be in breach of the provisions of the EC Treaty, it could have implications for other countries where similar restrictions are imposed.
UNEP Conclusions on Climate Change and Buildings published
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recently published is conclusions on climate change and buildings in a report that investigates the links between the construction sector and climate change. It is a well-known fact that, in Europe, buildings account for 40%-45% of energy consumption and that they therefore contribute to significant greenhouse gas emissions. The study identifies energy saving opportunities and concrete solutions, exploring policy aspects and possible ways of integrating the energy efficiency of buildings into the instruments of the Kyoto protocol.
To download the report, go to:
http://www.unep.fr/pc/sbc/publications.htm
WHO – Urban Planning Should Promote Active Lifestyle
As obesity rates in Europe increase, the World Health Organisation (WHO) deplores the fact that only very few residential environments meet the recommended criteria to promote an active lifestyle. A study, published in June 2007, entitled “Tackling Obesity by Creating Healthy Residential Environments” comes after two earlier WHO reports highlighted evidence of the link between physical activity and health and the need to create opportunities for active living in urban environments. The study argues that several characteristics of the residential environment such as access to physical activity facilities, land-use mix, active transport opportunities and perceived safety in the neighbourhood, all have an impact on peoples physical activity level. The report contains a number of specific recommendations that are modulated according to the demographic profile of the targeted group and it highlights the need for national and local-level political commitment for successful and sustainable implementation of its recommendations.
To download the report, go to:
http://www.euro.who.int/Housing/Activities/20060427_1
Global Project to Develop Statistics on Quality of Life
A world statistics forum that brings together major international organisations ranging from the UN and the EU to the Islamic Conference has decided to launch a global project to measure societal progress – beyond conventional economic measures – in individual countries. The commitment was outlined in the Istanbul Declaration on the 30th June last at the close of the second OECD World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy. The objective of the project is to strengthen citizen’s capacity to influence the goals of the societies they live in through debate and consensus building and to increase the accountability of public policies. Key indicators to be used in the study will include health, education, environment, employment, productivity and purchasing power.
To download the Istanbul Declaration, go to:
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/14/46/38883774.pdf
European Citizens’ Consultations (ECC)
With the aim of revitalising democracy in all of Europe, the Commission has launched an initiative to provide to the members of the public from all 27 Member States the opportunity to debate the future of the European Union across the boundaries of geography and language. The consultations bring citizens together at European events that are simultaneously linked to national debates on a shared agenda of ideas set by the citizens themselves. The ECC process is driven by partners in all Member States – independent and non-political European foundations and civil society organisations.
To discover more, including how to get involved, go to:
http://www.european-citizens-consultations.eu/
One Year Search for Innovative Urban Development Projects
The journalists that are responsible for the production of the URBACT Newsletter have recently completed a one-year search throughout Europe for innovation urban development projects. The work started in September 2006 and has identified successful – and unsuccessful – initiatives implemented by various European Cities. In this way the journalists hope to highlight the best of new urban developments as examples of best practice.
To see the results of the journey, go to:
http://urbact.eu/index.php?id=1149&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3747&L=0&nl_id=47
Online Video on Sustainable Cooling
The Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) has released a new, informative video on the topic of sustainable cooling of buildings. It demonstrates that there are many innovative approaches that can be employed for the cooling of buildings without the need to rely on energy consuming air-conditioning equipment, thus bringing us one step closer to the realisation that, for most building types, heavily engineered cooling solutions are probably not necessary in the EU. The video will shortly be available in six languages on the website of the EACI.
In the meantime, you can view the video, in English, at:
http://www.tvlink.org/viewer.cfm?vidID=255&strID=178
Energy Training for European Buildings (ET4EB) Presents its Results
The European Project, known as ET4EB, has recently completed its work on the preparation of new training modules on the social and behavioural aspects of energy management in buildings to supplement the material on technical and legal aspects developed by the original TREN project. The new material focuses on the use of stakeholder involvement between energy managers (technical experts), building owners or occupiers (managers) and building users (workers, students, patients, tenants) to improve energy management plans and to change the behaviour of users. The project involved 13 partners from 10 countries and all material produced by the project is freely available at the following site:
http://www.energytraining4europe.org
Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign
The European Commission – Directorate General Energy and Transport has launched the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign to promote, showcase and reward outstanding projects and programmes in the field. It has issued an invitation, with a deadline of the 19th October 2007, to all organisations that undertake actions in the field of sustainable energy to join the campaign as a partner. If you are interested, then go to the following site for further information:
http://www.sustenergy.org/tpl/page.cfm?pagename=award_competition
Nouveaux Albums des Jeunes Architectes et des Paysagistes 2007-2008
The French Ministry of Culture and Communication has issued an open call for architects and landscape architects to apply for inclusion in the “Nouveaux Albums des Jeunes Architectes et des Paysagistes 2007-2008”. Applications may be from individuals or from teams and there are specific criteria that must be respected, including recognition of qualifications held by the French State and/or examples of completed work carried out in France. Those who are chosen for inclusion will be monitored over a two-year period and will receive support of various kinds from the French Government.
To read the rules and make an application, go to:
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/nouveaux-albums
Publications
Intelligent Energy News Review
The Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) plans to publish the second edition of the Intelligent Energy News Review this September. It carries all the news on Intelligent Energy – Europe Programme and its projects. The News Review is published in 6 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish and can be accessed at:
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/library/publications_en.htm
State of European Cities Report
This recently published report (DG REGIO) is now available for download from the Internet. The web page also permits an overview of a “Survey on perceptions of quality of life in 75 European cities” to be downloaded. To download go to:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/themes/urban/audit/index_en.htm
Leipzig Charter Available in all Official EU Languages
The Committee of the Regions has translated the recently adopted Leipzig Charter on Sustainable Cities and the Territorial Agenda into all the Official EU Languages. We recall that these two important political documents were agreed by the competent EU Ministers on the occasion of the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Urban Development and Territorial Cohesion (see ACE Info 4-07).
These versions can be requested from the Secretariat of the ACE by writing to:
[email protected]
Events
Oslo Triennial 2007
The 3rd International Architecture Triennial is to be held in Oslo from the 27th September to the 5th October 2007. There will be a series of architecture related events taking place during the Triennial, notably a conference on the Culture of Risk scheduled for the 28th September. Full details on the Triennial and on the Conference can be accessed at:
http://www.oslotriennale.no/?lcid=1033
International Exhibition on Eco-building Performance
Oriented towards the objectives of energy efficient building, the forum will bring together experts who will provide advice on investment strategies and technical solutions in response to the challenges faced in new buildings and construction. It takes place in Paris from the 18th to the 20th September. More information at:
http://www.ecobuilding-performance.com
Revaluing Construction – 3rd International Conference – Crossing Boundaries
To be held in Copenhagen-Malmo from the 8th to the 10th October 2007, this Conference will address the question of how the construction industry can face the challenges of globalisation, increased client expectations and how it can create more value for all stakeholders. More information at:
http://www.rc2007.org
Reflections on Practice – RIBA Research Symposium 2007
Organised by the RIBA, one of the UK Member Organisations of the ACE, this symposium will seek to understand how an architect becomes a creative practitioner capable of capturing innovation and creativity for the benefit of future work. The symposium is to be held on the 19th September 2007. Full information can be found at:
http://www.architecture.com/Whats%20on/Conferences/Events/2007/RIBA%20Research%20Symposium%202007.aspx
Architecture and Digital Archives
To be held in Paris from the 8th to the 10th November 2007, this colloquium on architecture and digital archives is being organised by the City of Architecture and Patrimony and the National Institute of the History of Art. Further information on the event can be requested from:
[email protected]
New Road Construction Concepts (Nr2c)
To be held in Brussels on the 16th November 2007, this is the final conference of the EU-funded project of the same name. It will bring together representatives from road related industry and concerned stakeholders to focus on innovations in the fields of urban, peri-urban and inter-urban roads and bridges. For further information go to:
http://www.fehrl.org/index.php?m=32&mode=download&id_file=1392
Renewable Heating and Cooling
To be held in Brussels on the 20th and 21st November 2007, this Conference will concentrate on innovative developments in renewable heating and cooling technologies and will take a broad-based look at how to mainstream these technologies. Full information can be found at:
http://www.greenpowerconferences.com/renewablesmarkets/renewable_heating_and_cooling_book.html
Shrinking Cities Exhibition
After a break over a year, the Shrinking Cities exhibition returns to Europe with shows scheduled for the UK, Germany and Russia. The two-part exhibition “Shrinking Cities I – International Research” and “Shrinking Cities – Interventions” will be adapted to suit each of the locations at which it will be shown. Full details can be found at:
http://www.shrinkingcities.com/ausstellungen.0.html?&L=1
From a Good Idea to Practical Implementation…
Due take place in Brussels on the 28th November 2007, this event is being organised by the Belgian National Construction Technology Platform and it is seeking to attract all those who have a good idea for a research topic related to the construction sector. All information can be found at:
http://www.ti.kviv.be/mooibedachtnuttigtoegepast
Design Excellence – Design-Build Conference
Due take place in London from the 27th to the 29th September, this Conference is organised by the American Institute of Architects and will take place at the RIBA Offices. The Conference will permit participants to learn from leaders in the industry through educational sessions and project tours about design excellence through design-build in the international marketplace. For more information go to:
http://www.aia.org/eventsdetails_template.cfm?pagename=ev%5Fintl%5Fdb%5Fconf07
Listing of events relating to Urban Issues
The European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN) maintains a very good listing of events that relate to urban issues on its website, many of which are interest to architects. It can be accessed at:
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/meetings/index.html
UIA Turin 2008 – Congress Website Opens
The next triennial UIA (International Union of Architects) Congress is to be held in Turin from the 29th June to the 3rd July 2008 at the Lingotto, once the main factory for Fiat and converted in recent times to a convention centre by the well-renowned architect Renzo Piano. The website for the Congress has now been opened at:
http://www.uia2008torino.org/
Calls for Papers
The ACE frequently receives notifications of “Calls for Papers” for conferences and seminars worldwide. You may have written a thesis or doctorate paper that you would like to present or you may have an idea that you wish develop and to share with a wider audience – here is your chance:
50 Years On – Resetting the Agenda for Architectural Education
This event will be held in Oxford (UK) on the 22nd and 23rd July 2008, the 50th anniversary of the first Oxford Conference on architectural education. The conference is to be comprised of visionary keynote lectures and a series of forums. A call for papers and poster presentations is currently open with a deadline of the 28th September 2007 for the submission of abstracts. For full details go to:
www.oxfordconference2008.co.uk
Competitions
Ugo Rivolta European Architecture Award
The Ugo Rivolta European Architecture Award was created by the Chamber of Architects of Milan to promote and recognise the best social housing projects built in Europe in recent years. The ACE is one of the patrons of the award and hopes that it will encourage a resurgence of interest in the design of social housing in the profession. The deadline for submission of projects for consideration is the 28th September 2007 and full details can be found at:
http://www.ordinearchitetti.mi.it/concorsi/premiougorivolta.html
Daejeon Urban Renaissance
This is an open, international, single-stage, ideas competition for the Daejeon Urban Renaissance Development Project in Korea. It aims to invite excellent planning ideas that fit into the social and cultural context of the site. Full details can be found at:
http://www.djure.kr
The Best European Neighbourhood Award
The Fondation Pour l'Architecture in collaboration with A Vision of Europe University of Ferrara Civicarch has announced that it intends to present a prize to the Best Urban Neighbourhood built in Europe in the last 25 years. There is to be a pre-selection procedure followed by the submission of additional documents by those projects admitted to the competition. Applications for pre-selection are in an open format with a deadline of 30th October 2007.
For further information go to:
http://www.avoe.org/prixrotthier2008.html
Useful links
European Commission homepage
http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm
Search page for Commission documents
http://europa.eu/documents/comm/index_en.htm
The Barroso Commission:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/index_en.htm
Website of the Portuguese Presidency
http://www.eu2007.pt/UE/vEN/
European Forum for Architectural Policies
http://www.architecture-forum.net
URBACT Hous-Es Network website:
http://urbact.eu/projects/hous-es.html
Sustainable building website
www.sustainablebuilding.info
Collegi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) international relations database:
http://www.coac.net/international/
Consiglio Nazionale degli Architetti, Pianificatori, Paesaggisti e Conservatori (CNAPPC) database - ArchiEuro:
http://www.archieuro.archiworld.it
Website of the European Construction Technology Platform:
http://www.ectp.org
EU Impact Assessment in Practice
Consult a list of impact assessments that the EU has carried out on various legislative packages at:
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/secretariat_general/impact/index_en.htm
Register of Expert Groups of the European Commission:
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/secretariat_general/regexp/
ArchiEuropa website – comparative information on practice of architecture:
http://www.arvha.net/selectionlang.php?s=AXMIG1FZFB
Archi-Student website – a wealth of information on schools and students of architecture in Europe:
www.archi-students.org
Link to the Newsletter of the International Union of Architects (UIA):
http://www.uia-architectes.org/texte/england/Menu-2/4-lettre.html
Website of the UIA Practice Commission – contains useful information on the work of the global architectural association, UIA, on practice related issues:
www.aia.org/about_uia
ACE Website:
http://www.ace-cae.org
Useful tip:
In the website addresses given in ACE Info for the documents of the EU, you will frequently see the following near the end of the address: “_en”. These two letters define the language of the document (English in the case of “en”) and you can usually change these two letters in order to bring you to a different language version as follows:
French _fr German _de Danish _da Swedish _sv
Italian _it Spanish _es Greek _el Dutch _nl
Portuguese _pt Finnish _fi Czech _cs Maltese _mt
Estonian _et Latvian _lv Lithuanian _lt Polish _pl
Hungarian _hu Slovene _sl Slovak _sk Bulgarian _bg
Romanian _ro
Editor’s note
The editorial board for the compilation of ACE Info is:
The ACE President: Jean-Francois Susini
The ACE Vice-President Luciano Lazzari
The Secretary General of the ACE: Alain Sagne
Senior Adviser to the ACE: Adrian Joyce
ACE Info is issued on a regular basis, with about ten editions per year. You are free to circulate the document as widely as you wish, to translate its contents for use in your publications and to refer to the information it contains once you credit the ACE as the origin.
If you wish to receive ACE Info regularly and you are not on the mailing list, you can register online at: http://www.ace-cae.org/MemberN/Content/EN/sub/sub/subscribe.asp
If you have information that you wish to have included in the next edition then e-mail it (in English or French please) to [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is the first Friday of each month.
Acknowledgements
The editorial board wishes to acknowledge the sources of information for this edition of ACE Info which include BEUC, URBACT Newsletter, Jean-Marie Fauconnier, the Euractiv website (www.euractiv.com) and Bulletin Quotidien Europe.
[email protected] - Comments and contributions welcome