Fire Safe Europe
20 Jan 2021
On 18 January, the European Commission launched the New European Bauhaus (NEB) as announced by President von der Leyen in her 2020 State of the Union address.
It is described as crucial to bring the European Green Deal closer to European citizens and enable them to be involved in framing a greener European Union. This human-centred project rests on five core values: design, sustainability, accessibility, affordability and investment. A variety of channels are available for stakeholders to engage and open to those interested in “develop[ing] an innovative framework to support, facilitate and accelerate the green transformation by combining sustainability and aesthetics.” Artists, students, architects, engineers, researchers, innovators are all invited to join this design movement based on three key dimensions – aligned with the EU Green Deal:
Sustainability (including circularity);
Quality of experience (including aesthetics),
Inclusion (including affordability).
The European Commission also announced the creation of a New European Bauhaus prize that will recognise initiatives that “embody the core values of the NEB”. 10 awards will be attributed in different categories and winners will receive a 30000 euros prize as well as support to develop communication materials.
As a Community dedicated to Fire Safety in buildings, we were delighted to hear Commissioner Ferreira stress that after a challenging year that “so many spent locked at home, this will be an impetus to improve where and how we live, to start the process of building back better“. We hope that as announced, the NEB will embrace a truly holistic approach and that the role fire safety can play in this “environmental, economic and cultural project” will be recognised. As a Community, we will keep monitoring the process and do our best for fire safety to be included.
With the launch of the NEB, we enter its “co-design phase” which will last until summer 2021 and will be followed by a “delivery phase” (Sept. 2021 to Dec. 2022) and a “dissemination phase” (Jan. 2023 – onward).
In the co-design phase offers various possibilities to become involved in the project:
Organising conversations and events around the NEB and submitting the conclusions to the website. Those ideas will be mapped and analysed to feed the concept of the NEB.
Sharing an example of inspiring materials, products, services, buildings etc. on the NEB website.
Sharing your visions and ideas for the NEB on the website.
Becoming “Partners of the New European Bauhaus” by answering to the call on the dedicated website. The call will be opened throughout the design and implementation of the initiative. You can find out more on the criteria here.
Being one of the 12-15 thinkers/practitioners of the high-level roundtable that will take place later on. These persons will be selected through a series of semi-structured interviews.
Participating in the calls for proposals to bring to life the NEB ideas in five EU Member States (Autumn 2021).