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ACE INFO
[April 2008]
# 39

Editorial: Welcome to the new look ACE Info, which we hope you will find more attractive and accessible. It marks the end of a particularly busy period of time for the ACE, the highlight of which was the highly successful conference on the topic of Designing the Future: The Market and Quality of Life that was held in Brussels on the 10^th April (see article below). The year has also seen some further evolutions in the way the work of the ACE is organised that should, it is hoped, permit the ACE to be more outwardly visible (see article on the reform of Thematic Area 3). Your comments and suggestions about ACE Info are always welcome.

This edition is also available in French.

CONTENTS/SUMMARY:

Core Issues

The Architects Brussels Statement for the Future Launched after the ACE Conference

On the 10^th April last, the ACE Conference entitled Designing for the Future: The Market and Quality of Life took place at The Flagey Building (see image to the left) in Brussels. It was attended by about 400 participants, the majority of whom were non-architects. The feedback that the ACE has received to date has been entirely positive and the success of the Conference has given added momentum to the policy objectives of the ACE and greatly enhanced its reputation. In the General Assembly of the ACE that immediately followed the Conference, a set of conclusions, known as the Architects Brussels Statement for the Future was adopted. This stresses, to mention just a few elements, that “…there is a need to better understand why the market does not fully respond to the desire of citizens for a high quality built environment – and to address these constraints one by one”. It also affirms that “The true needs of citizens must be anticipated and long-term viable solutions devised to respond to them for which economic aspects are decided on the basis of life cycle costing”. Furthermore it advocates that a “…reform of the public procurement process must be devised in which quality outcomes become the main goal over and above lowest cost” and it stresses that “…it must be recognised by all built environment professionals that sustainability is an absolute. A challenge that waits to be faced is the need to retrofit our cities, devising policies and techniques at the scale of the challenge faced that will lead our existing cities to a sustainable future”. Finally the statement also underlines that “…cultural quality and diversity provide dynamism, identity and real attractiveness to places resulting in economic, social and environmental benefits”.

A short report of the proceedings has been prepared and circulated to participants and more widely disseminated. Documents relating to the Conference including the full text of the Statement mentioned above and the report of the proceedings can be downloaded from the ACE website at the following address:

http://www.ace-cae.org/MemberN/Content/EN/toc/toc/mytoc.html?id=1-1-3

ACE Campaign to Raise the European Legal Minimum Level of Architectural Qualifications

At its General Assembly, the Member Organisations of the ACE agreed to launch a concerted campaign to seek a revision of the relevant section of the Professional Qualifications Directive (PQD) (2005/36/EC) in order to increase the legally required minimum duration of studies from four to five years. This campaign is built on the fact that the vast majority of courses that lead to a qualification as architect within the EU are already of five years duration and that it is the official policy of the ACE and its Member Organisations that the minimum duration of studies should be five years. This position is consistent with international practice as both UNESCO and the UIA also have official policies that require a minimum duration of studies of five years. The ACE position has been worked out in cooperation with the European Association for Architectural Education, which fully supports the campaign. Furthermore, and most importantly, the Slovenian Presidency of the EU supports the campaign and it has brought the matter to the official level by putting the question on the agenda of the recent Member States Coordinators Group (Qualifications) meeting (held on the 22^nd April) at which architectural qualifications were discussed. First indications are that the Member States present broadly support the proposal, but believe that it may be pre-mature to revise the Directive as it has not yet been fully transposed into national laws across the EU. However, the Commission must present a report in 2012 on the implementation whereby, in effect, it means that the process of assessing the PQD must start as early as 2009 and so the ACE remains convinced that the timing of the start of the campaign is timely.

In a related move, recalling in particular that architectural education is not harmonised throughout Europe and having regard to the importance of professional practical experience, the ACE has been advocating for the establishment of a sub-group of the Coordinators that will provide expert advice on whether or not notified qualifications meet the requirements of the PQD. ACE Info will give regular updates over the coming issues on the progress of the campaign. It may be of interest to consult the list of contact points for the PQD in order to contact the Coordinators from the various EU Member States. It can be accessed at:

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/qualifications/docs/contact-points/info-points_en.pdf

ACE Declaration on Architecture and Sustainability

During its last meeting the ACE General Assembly adopted the ACE Declaration on Architecture and Sustainability as a working document for the 2008 UIA Congress scheduled to be held in Turin from the 29^th June to the 3^rd July. The theme of the Congress is “Transmitting Architecture” and it is intended that the ACE document will serve as a basis for a discussion during a Workshop that will be organised during the third day of the Congress, whose focus will be on “Hope”, and it is anticipated that the ACE Declaration may eventually become a substantial contribution to the final Declaration of the Congress (see also below).

http://www.uia2008torino.org/

ACE Matters

Changes in the ACE Member Organisations

Since the last edition of ACE Info, the Secretariat has received notifications about changes in two of its Member Organisations as follows:

The Union of Estonian Architects (UEA) has announced that Ike Volkov was recently appointed Chairman for the next two years and that his term of office commenced on the 14^th February last. Two new Vice-Chairmen, Inga Raukas and Indrek Allman were also recently elected. The mandate for each office is two-years.

The Kamra Tal-Periti (KTP) of Malta has also confirmed its new Council for 2008. David Felice was ratified as President and two new members were co-opted onto Council. The full list can be seen at:

www.ktpmalta.com/aboutKTP/organization.php

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. Since the last report in ACE Info, the following events were particularly relevant to the dissemination of ACE Policy:

ACE-UIA Cooperation

In February the President and Secretary General of the ACE attended meetings of the Region I and Region II of the UIA (International Union of Architects) that took place in Torino and in Istanbul respectively. It provided opportunities to review the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the ACE and the UIA in 2006. Notably in that context a joint cooperation project in connection with the upcoming 2008 UIA World Congress scheduled in Torino this Summer (29 June-3 July) was reviewed.

Housing Solutions for an Ageing Population

The Secretary general, Alain Sagne, attended a conference on the 16^th April 2008 in the European Parliament organised by the Inter-Group Urban-Logement in partnership with CECODHAS, the European Liaison Committee for Social Housing. The aim the conference was to have a state of the art on ageing and housing needs through European expertise and presentation of innovative practices in the field of housing and ageing.

50th Anniversary of the UEPC

Alain Sagne participated in the celebrations of the 50^th year of the European Union of Developers and House Builders (UEPC), that was held on 24^th April at the headquarters of the KBC Bank in Brussels. Noteworthy was the presence of Mr Guy Verhofstadt, former Prime Minister of Belgium who was among the speakers to address the event. It is recalled that the President of the UEPC, Mr Jaroslaw Szanajca (Poland) was a speaker at the ACE Conference Designing for the Future: The Market and Quality of Life held on the 10^th April 2008 in Brussels.

Urban Development Group (UDG) – Member States Officials

Alain Sagne attended, by invitation, the last meeting of the UDG organised by the Slovenian Presidency in Brdo, Slovenia, on the 19^th March 2008 where he represented both the European Forum for Architectural Policies (EFAP) and the ACE. On that occasion he reported on various activities carried out by the EFAP as a follow up to the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities. He also informed the participants on the programme of the ACE Conference in Brussels (that was distributed), at which notably the Slovenian Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning and President-in-Office of the EU Council of Ministers, Mr Janez Podobnik, was going to be a speaker. (See lead article above)

ACE Events and Meetings in May and June 2008:

Eleventh meeting of the ACE-EAAE Joint Working Party – Brussels – 23^rd May

Work Group Insurance meeting – Brussels – 5^th June (tbc)

Work group Education meeting – Brussels – 6^th June

Fourth Executive Board meeting in 2008 – Ljubljana – 14^th June

Other Matters

Transposition of the Services Directive – Meeting of the ESP

During its last meeting, the European Services Platform (ESP) - co-sponsored by the European Services Forum and BusinessEurope and currently Chaired by Alain Sagne of the ACE – Mr Martin Frohn, Deputy-Head of the Services Unit at DG Markt, European Commission, reported on the state of play of the implementation of the Services Directive by the Member States. This showed that progress is varied across the EU with some countries making significant progress and others not very active at all. Of note is the fact that the Commission is pro-actively assisting Member States in the transposition process and is engaged in a series of bi-lateral meetings with each of them over the three-year transposition period. An interesting exchange of views took place with the participants after his presentation.

For information on the transposition see the recent report by Eurochambres at:

http://www.eurochambres.be/Content/Default.asp?PageID=146

PQD - Infringement Proceedings Launched Against Member States

In relation to the transposition of the Professional Qualifications Directive (PQD) (2005/36/EC), the European Commission has sent reasoned opinions to three Member States – Belgium, the Czech Republic and Spain – and it has referred eight countries – Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg – to the Court of Justice. This is a clear indication of the slow process of transposition of this important directive and of the Commissions’ determination to see that it fully and completely transposed into national law.

BEAR – Built Environment Action Register

Readers of ACE Info will recall the idea for BEAR was initiated at the General Assembly of the ACE in 2006 during a special session on architects’ humanitarian organisations. The concept is to develop and maintain a database of qualified professional volunteers to work with humanitarian and development NGOs as and when a need arises. Now that BEAR is moving from the idea to implementation, readers are urged to consider whether or not they wish to register and thus volunteer their services for times of need. For full information please go to:

http://www.a-4-a.org/bear.htm

Kallenbach Report on Follow-up to Territorial Agenda and the Leipzig Charter Adopted

On the 21^st February last, the European Parliament adopted, by a large majority, the own-initiative report prepared by Gisela Kallenbach (Greens/EFA, Germany) on behalf of the Committee on Regional Development on the follow-up to the Territorial Agenda of the EU and the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities. The report takes a stance in favour of “… holistic solutions adjusted to the specific situations of the regions.” It also stresses that an integrated approach to regional planning is necessary to allow regions and towns to adjust to the current challenges of European regional development such as repopulation of rural areas, urban sprawl and energy consumption. To read the full report, go to:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2008-0069+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN

Ten New Eurocode Standards to Improve Competitiveness of Building Sector

The European Commission held a conference in Brussels on the 19^th and 20^th February last that aimed to transfer background knowledge and expertise on ten new Eurocode Standards that have been published by the CEN on the design of buildings, to national trainers. These ten standards (EN1990-EN1999) will provide a common approach for the design of buildings and other civil engineering works as of 2010. The aim is to boost business by removing technical barriers to trade in construction products and services. The Eurocodes cover matters such as fire endurance, bridge design, security, ease of maintenance, strength, durability etc. A system of nationally set parameters, which take account of geographical, geological and climatic differences, leaves scope at national level for determining the appropriate level of security. For more information, go to:

http://eurocodes.jrc.ec.europa.eu/showpage.php?id=332

EU Opens Free Trade Talks with Ukraine

On the 18^th February last, the EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson and the Ukrainian President Vicotr Yushchenko, opened negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between the EU and Ukraine. This followed the decision, taken by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the 5^th February, to let Ukraine join the WTO. These negotiations are important and may open the door for the accession of Ukraine to the EU. The ACE will be tracking developments in order to see if architectural services will be specifically mentioned during the negotiations so as take appropriate steps to follow up with profession-to-profession talks as it has done in the past with countries such as Mexico, the USA and Canada.

Amendment of ERDF on Eligibility of Energy Investment Expenditure on Housing

On the 6^th February last, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, announced an amendment to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) regulation that responds to requests that the rules for the eligibility of funding for energy investment in housing be extended beyond the EU-12 countries. Given the high political priority that is being given to climate change across the EU, it is argued that extending the eligibility rules would assist all of the EU to achieve its ambitions in this area. The announcement made was that the Commission intends to bring forward a proposal, but that its final shape has to account for the complexity of the situation and for the fact that the ERDF can be used for a range of issues already including giving support to research and innovation actions, the construction of infrastructure and in areas of sustainable transport etc. In the meantime the Commission encourages Member Sates to co-finance energy efficiency and renewable energy uses for buildings as these can make a large contribution to realising the Lisbon and Gothenburg objectives.

Metka Cernelc – New President of the URBACT II Monitoring Committee

Metka Cernelc, representing Slovenia (where she works at the Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning) and who is very active in the work of the European Forum on Architectural Policies, recently took the reins of the URBACT II Monitoring Committee. She is an expert in town planning and urban development. During her term in office (2008), she is keen to represent the interests of all cities across the 29 States involved in URBACT II, irrespective of where they are based. It is expected that this period will be a crucial one for the EU-12 Member States as they become fully integrated into the URBACT programmes and so it is symbolic that it is Slovenia that holds the Presidency for 2008. For more information on URBACT II, go to:

http://urbact.eu/towards-urbact-2.html

Publications

Pour un nouvel urbanisme: Le ville au cœur du développement durable

Written by Claude Chalon, Denis Clerc and Hervé Vouillot and only available in French, this new publication treats questions that relate to why the current means of producing cities are not sustainable and how to transform urban design so that its approaches will result in cities that are adapted to expected future conditions. The book can be ordered online from the publishers website at:

www.yvesmichel.org/admin/espace-societe/vers-un-nouvel-urbanisme

A Tribute to Jørn Utzon

A new book on the work of this world-renowned architect who will turn 90 this year has been published by The Danish Architectural Press. It is a collection of essays on the impact of the ideas and work of Utzon written by some of the great writers on architecture and many well-known architects such as Juhani Pallasmaa, Steven Holl, Rafael Moneo, Glenn Murcutt, Tadao Ando and others. To order the book go to:

www.arkfo.dk

opus C – Concrete Architecture and Design

A new trade magazine for architects and engineers, known as opus C, has recently been launched. It has been around for some time as a German-language publication, but it is now available in English too. It acts as a showcase for the architectural use of concrete and to inform the reader on the latest advances in concrete technology. To get more information go to:

www.opusC.com

Call 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:

Fondation Le Corbusier – Grants for 2008

For the coming academic year of 2008-2009, the Fondation Le Corbusier is offering grants to young (under 35) architects who are working towards a master’s or post-graduate degree. In order to be eligible for a grant a paper of 20-pages must be submitted for consideration and each grant amounts to €10,000. The deadline for submissions is the 31^st May. More details see page 13 of the latest newsletter at:

www.fondationlecorbusier.fr/fondationlc_us.htm

Events

IEE Open Day – Brussels 6^th May

The call for proposals for the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) funding in 2008 is now open. A series of national information days is currently being organised up and down the EU to give essential information and advice on how to develop a good project proposal. The next European Information Day will be held on the 6^th May in Brussels. All information, including presentations and videos from previous Information Days can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/events/infodays_en.htm

Tailor Made Concrete Structures – fib symposium, Amsterdam 19^th to 22^nd May

This event will present the most recent developments in concrete and concrete structures, touching on both civil engineering and architectural uses of concrete. For full details go to:

www.fib2008amsterdam.nl

Corporations and Cities: Envisioning corporate real estate – The Flagey, Brussels 26^th-28^th May

Initiated by the Faculty of Architecture at the Delft University of Technology in collaboration with the Berlage Institute (Rotterdam), this event will bring together many related disciplines, including architects, to consider the relationship between urban planning and the accommodation of large-scale organisations. For full details, got to:

www.corporationsandcities.org

European Neighbours’ Day – 27^th May

This community-based initiative brings neighbours together to interact and join in the construction of a closer and more human Europe. It was first started in 1990 in France when it mobilised about 10,000 persons. Last year it brought together over 7,000,000 in more than 725 European cities and towns. To get information on how to be involved this year, go to:

http://www.immeublesenfete.com/index.php4?coe_i_id=43

SBS Centre Workshop and Project Tour – 3^rd to 6^th July

The Sustainable Building Support centre has organised its 2008 Workshop and Project Tour for the days of the 3^rd to 6^th July. It provides an opportunity to visit projects, attend presentations and workshops and to meet colleagues. This year’s tour will take in four countries. For details go to:

www.sustainablebuilding.info/workshops/

EIRE – Expo Italia Real Estate, Milan from the 10^th to the 13^th June

A major international exhibition covering Italian and Mediterranean real estate, this event will take place at the astonishing new Fiera Milano exhibition centre designed by Massimiliano Fuksas and full details can be found at:

www.italiarealestate.it/web/public/index.php?action=home&idLang=2

EFAP Conference– Ljubljana – 15th-17th June

It has become common practice since a few years that each EU Presidency undertakes to organise an Event in the context of the European Forum for Architectural Policies. The next Conference organised by the Slovenian Presidency will be held in Ljubljana with as a theme Urban Regeneration and Climate Changes.

http://www.efap-fepa.eu/

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

The next triennial UIA (International Union of Architects) Congress is to be held in Turin from the 29^th June to the 3^rd July 2008 at the Lingotto, once the main factory and trial centre for Fiat, it was converted in recent times to a convention centre by the world-renowned architect Renzo Piano. See the website for the Congress at:

http://www.uia2008torino.org/

MACE (Metadata for Architectural Contents in Europe) – Venice 12^th and 13^th September

In the context of this EU-Funded project, a two event has been organised on the 12^th and 13^th September in Venice during the period of “La Biennale di Architettura 2008” by the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE). There are to be three themes that will be explored following a call for papers that closed on the 30^th April last. For more information go to:

www.mace-project.eu

Competitions

Urban Design Competition, Rue de la Loi, Brussels

The authorities of the Brussels-Capital Region, in close partnership with the European Commission and the City of Brussels, have launched a major international, two-stage competition aimed at defining a new urban design for the European Quarter in Brussels. The competition was officially announced by Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas during his Opening Speech at the ACE Conference on 10^th April and it was explained in more detail by Charles Picqué, Minister-President of the Brussels Capital Region during his own intervention (see lead article). The objective is to develop an urban design proposal that will give the European Quarter a strong symbolic identity giving priority to non-motorised transport and providing buildings of high environmental and architectural value. Entries for the first stage must be submitted by the 30^th May 2008 and details can be found (on the left hand side of the page) at:

http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/

Contest Lodz, Poland – Special Art Zone

Seeking to write a new page in the history of this 19^th Century Industrial City, Lodz has launched a competition to design a “Special Art Zone” in the centre of a major urban regeneration zone in the city. The deadline for submission of designs is the 6^th June 2008 and the website for the competition is:

www.ec1.org.pl

Velika Plaza, Montenegro – A sustainable waterfront community

Velika Plaza (Long Beach) will be an exemplar of sustainable seafront community to be developed on 1,450 hectares of prime land along 14km of one of the most beautiful stretches of the Adriatic coastline. Competition entrants will be selected on the basis of pre-qualification submissions that are due by the 20^th June 2008. Full details can be found on the website of the competition at:

www.vlada.cg.yu/eng/minekon/

DETAIL Prize 2009

This competition is open for entries until the 14^th July 2008 and prizes will be awarded to buildings that feature especially well-designed, groundbreaking and technically innovative details within an outstanding overall design. Full details of the competition and of a series of special prizes, go to:

www.detail.de/detailprize2009

Living Steel – Third international architecture competition

The aim of this regular competition is to increase the use of steel in construction and this edition of the competition has as a theme the subject of extreme housing. Full details can be found at:

www.livingsteel.org/extremehousing

Practical Information

Selection of Useful and interesting 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

The European Parliament Homepage:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu

Website of the Slovenian Presidency

http://www.eu2008.si/info/en/

European Forum for Architectural Policies

http://www.efap-fepa.eu/

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

Website of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPED) Platform:

http://www.buildingsplatform.org

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

Passive and Downdraught Cooling in Buildings – The website of an EU-funded project that shows the way towards a pragmatic alternative to conventional air conditioning in buildings:

www.phdc.eu

Database of Digital Architecture – A new, subscription based website that contains several sections including one that provides images of the works of the great masters of architect and videos of talks by famous architects has been set up. For full information go to:

www.pidgeondigital.com

Interactive Database for Architects – Launched in March 2008, this site provides an opportunity for all architectural practices to become globally recognised. Check it out at:

www.worldarchitecture.org

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

The editorial board for the compilation of ACE Info is:

The ACE President: Juhani Katainen

The ACE Vice-President Jordi Querol

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 eight 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 adrian.joyce@ace-cae.org. 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 the EBC, the EUKN, the Euractiv website (www.euractiv.com), the URBACT Newsletter and Bulletin Quotidien Europe.

adrian.joyce@ace-cae.org - Comments and contributions welcome


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ACE INFO [April 2008] # 39