"The potential of existing buildings to shape cities and communities in flux through reuse and adaptation is the key focus of HouseEurope! and their activism: addressing the pressing challenge across much of Europe, where it is often easier, cheaper, and faster to demolish buildings than to renovate."
"For decades, construction policies, industrial practices, and market systems have favored new development, often undervaluing the cultural, social, and environmental significance of existing structures."
"For their work advocating systemic change in architecture, HouseEurope! received the 2025 OBEL Award under the theme "Ready Made.""
HouseEurope! focuses on preserving and repurposing existing buildings to influence urban change through reuse and adaptation. Much of Europe faces a pattern where demolition is easier, cheaper, and faster than renovation. Construction policies, industrial practices, and market systems have long prioritized new development and marginalized the cultural, social, and environmental value of standing structures. HouseEurope! advocates systemic change in architectural practice, policy, and market incentives to reverse these biases. The collective's work was recognized with the 2025 OBEL Award under the theme "Ready Made." The organization emphasizes collective action to integrate reuse into planning and regulation.
Read at ArchDaily
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]