HouseEurope!
Yes to Renovation! No to Demolition!
Type: European Citizens’ Initiative
Project Team: Islander, Irish Architecture Foundation, HouseEurope!
Location: Europe Wide
Stage: Ongoing
Watch the full film here
Alongside the Irish Architecture Foundation, Islander Architects / Demolition Take Down are the Irish National Organising Members for HouseEurope! a European Citizens Initiative.
So what is the HouseEurope! campaign about:
Today, buildings are treated as investments rather than spaces for people to live in. Due to financial speculation, millions of square meters sit empty and ruined or are demolished and replaced: from functioning family homes to abandoned industrial and office spaces. For real estate speculators, every building is up for demolition!
By 2050, we will have demolished 2 billion square meters of existing space in Europe. This is the equivalent of half of Germany's building stock and more than Paris or Berlin in their entirety. Instead, we will have built billions of square meters of new space as a replacement for what was already there.
This practice creates social, economic, environmental, and cultural problems as demolition comes with a loss of homes, jobs, energy, and history.
The current system is designed to demolish and build anew. This approach is driven by a lack of regulations and incentives that favour new construction. Existing buildings are replaced with high-end developments, putting profit over people. However, the relation between speculation and redevelopment, with the needs of communities and ecosystems, is complex.
While development is essential for our society, it's equally crucial to ensure that it doesn't come at the expense of existing communities, local economies, our planetary ecosystem, and history. Thus, our aim is to shed light on the harmful practices of speculative real estate development that are the reason for demolition and that impact each and every one of us.
The building industry’s impact on our lives is significant, and it is therefore urgent that it becomes part of our daily conversations. It stands as one of the most profitable and vital markets within the EU, yet it is also one of the most significant contributors to CO2 emissions and energy consumption.
Yet, we maintain a system in which buying something new is cheaper than caring for the old. This system prioritises financial profit over the well-being of the people and the planet. A system in which renovation and adaptation have taken a backseat to demolition and new construction.
This may have worked in the past, when resources seemed in endless supply and new construction was cheaper, faster, and easier than dealing with existing buildings. But current material and energy shortages show us that this system no longer works. Therefore, the building sector is pivotal in the social and ecological transformation, and all the parties involved – from the real estate sector to architects to the construction industry – must recognise the risks of demolition and the potential of renovation.
Many people, groups, and organisations are already engaged in the social and ecological transformation of our buildings. We at HouseEurope! want to support these local and national initiatives and bring them together on a European level.
This is why we launched the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI). An ECI is a tool for direct democracy that enables citizens across the EU to propose new or improved legislation. If one million EU citizens from at least seven countries support a cause, the European Commission must consider the proposal and form a working group. This process allows citizens to have a direct voice in shaping EU policy and addressing critical issues.
Together, we aim for new EU laws that prioritise renovation and adaptation over demolition and reconstruction. To achieve our goal, we need your support, so sign up for the newsletter, support the initiative, and spread the word!
