Meeting summary for Brussels Chapter - get together (13/01/25)

Quick recap

The participants discussed the New European Bauhaus initiative and the first 2025 meeting of the Brussels Chapter, with a focus on networking, exchanging ideas, and potential collaborations. They also explored the activities of the New European Bauhaus Chapter in Brussels, a bottom-up methodology for proposal submissions, and the creation of a list of training opportunities related to the initiative. The core of the meeting was the round of presentation from all the participants. The meeting ended with discussions on potential collaborations, the possibility of starting a local chapter in Split, Croatia, and plans for future in-person meetings.

Participants

• Alberto Cottica - thereef Brussels 
• Alessandro Rancati - livepods
• Alexandre d'Angelo - Solar Solidarity International
• Almut Jirku - International Federation of Landscape Architecture
• Clio Brzakala - Wallonie Design
• Dagmar Croes - Idea Consult
• Egbert Roozen - European Landscape Contractors Association
• Jacques Timmerman - Architects' Council of Europe
• Masha Smirnova - Eurocities
• Radojka Tomasevic - independent consultant, Split

Next steps

• Alessandro to screen upcoming calls and identify potential opportunities for the chapter or members.
• Alessandro to publish a summary of the meeting conversation on the chapter website.
• All members to send a message through the contact box on the website if interested in subscribing to the chapter newsletter.
• Alessandro to share the concept note on the textile-related proposal with Clio.
• Clio to send information about the upcoming workshop on sustainable textile and packaging for designers.
• All members to consider meeting in person at a future event, possibly at the MAD Museum exhibition.
• Alessandro to follow up on organizing a potential in-person meeting for the chapter members.

Summary

New European Bauhaus Chapter Update and Proposal

In the meeting, Alessandro provided an update on the activities of the Chapter in Brussels over the past couple of years. He highlighted two main projects: "Beautiful Together," a collection of stories from citizens about their experiences with art in public places, and NEBWISE, a proposal for a Horizon Europe project that was unsuccessful but led to the development of a rich network among local chapters and other members of the New European Bauhaus ecosystem. The methodology developed to write the call will be shared in the next few weeks. Both projects are available on the official website.

Presentations

Alexandre d'Angelo introduced Solar Solidarity International, a nonprofit organization based in Brussels, which is an official partner of the new open Bauhaus. SSI focuses on raising awareness of the potential of renewable sources of energy (and in particular the potential of the sun) for mankind and for the environment, and on raising funds to support projects using renewable technology in particular solar photovoltaic technology to provide energy to the developing world. He mentioned the works of the organization, including the publication of an encyclopedia titled "From a Dream to Deeds," which presents the evolution of the New European Bauhaus from 2021 to 2024.

Egbert Roozen, Secretary General of the European Landscape Contractors Association, discussed the association's focus on creating and maintaining greenery and nature-based solutions in urban areas. He highlighted their involvement in the Nature Restoration regulation in Brussels and their role in the Green Alliance, a corporation of 8 European associations of urban green professionals. Egbert expressed interest in networking with organizations working on urban topics and research innovation, particularly in relation to the New European Bauhaus. 

Alberto Cottica, an economist and advocate for open knowledge, represented a co-housing group called the Reef, which is in the process of building a 20-units residential complex. He expressed interest in collaborating with academic institutions and innovation institutions for building-related research and innovation, and also mentioned the group's need for a sustainability expert. To this extent Alessandro introduced BC Materials, a workers' cooperative with the mission to spread & grow earth construction as one of the most important solutions to counter the enormous environmental impact of the construction sector.  Alberto showed interest in this, and Alessandro suggested a potential collaboration. 

Almut Jirku, representing IFLA Europe, expressed uncertainty about their participation in large projects but showed interest in contributing to climate change adaptation. 

Masha Smirnova, representing Eurocities, discussed their early involvement in New European Bauhaus related projects, and their work on sustainable rebuilding in Ukrainian cities and their interest in the upcoming European Bauhaus calls. She also mentioned their work on urban agenda, cohesion policy, metropolitan areas, citizens engagement, and just transition.

Clio Brzakala discussed the evolution of Wallonie Design, which initially focused on social innovation and design, but now emphasizes sustainable design and collaboration between designers and craftspeople. She mentioned Duos en Résonances, an exhibition at MAD that aims to strengthen the dialogue between craft and design. She expressed interest in working with partners on projects and sharing experiences.

Dagmar Croes, representing Ideaconsult, expressed interest in collaborating with the New European Bauhaus initiative, given their expertise in regional development, lifelong learning, labor markets, international competition, sustainability, culture, and real estate. 

Jacques Timmerman, an architect and representative of the Architect Council in Europe, discussed his involvement in various initiatives and organizations, including the Belgian Federation of Architects, and the Belgian Alliance for Sustainable Construction. He highlighted the importance of collaboration and sharing methodologies among architects, engineers, and urbanists in the construction process. Jacques also mentioned his work in the Ace work groups, aiming to improve crossover on steering policy, the European Procurement Directive, affordable housing, and urban policies. He emphasized the need for financial modeling to understand the long-term carbon footprint of urban scenarios and the importance of respecting cultural heritage in the face of the Green Deal Directive.

Radojka Tomasevic  commented on the possibility of starting a local chapter in Split, Croatia, and shared her interest in learning from other colleagues and potentially developing further activities. She discussed the potential for raising awareness about the concept of Neb Neb in Croatia and connecting with architects, designers, and local authorities. 

To conclude, Alexandre suggested meeting in person at events related to the New European Bauhaus. Participants agreed to meet in person in the future and to share ideas and updates.