The rise of ‘Merzoni’: How an alliance between Germany’s and Italy’s leaders is reshaping Europe. #BREXIT #EmmanuelMacron #EUeconomy #EUpolitics #Europe #EuropeanUnionEU #FriedrichMerz #Germany #GiorgiaMeloni #Italy #TrumpAdministration
https://iwpost.com/the-rise-of-merzoni-how-an-alliance-between-germanys-and-italys-leaders-is-reshaping-europe/?fsp_sid=2756

Five reasons Trump’s plan for Ukrainian elections and a peace referendum will only prolong the war. #DonaldTrump #EuropeanUnionEU #Russia #Ukraine #Ukraineinvasion2022 #VladimirPutin #VolodymyrZelensky
https://iwpost.com/five-reasons-trumps-plan-for-ukrainian-elections-and-a-peace-referendum-will-only-prolong-the-war/?fsp_sid=2746

Brexit is "one of history's great own goals" say architects

Brexit is a "disaster" that is leading to less overseas work and a loss of talented workers, according to leading UK architects.

Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thistleton Architects spoke of the "sense of isolation" his studio has felt since the UK left the European Union, while Sarah Wigglesworth of Sarah Wigglesworth Architects said her business is struggling to recruit and tender contracts.

A senior partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners said it is causing "friction and asymmetry", while a Glasgow-based studio claimed pressure on the architecture industry means smaller practices are "struggling to compete with lowball fee offers from direct competitors".

One year on from the end of the transition period when the EU's rules ceased to apply in Britain, Dezeen spoke to six UK architects about how Brexit has impacted their work.

While some pointed to the widely reported surges in building material and labour costs, they also acknowledged that it is difficult to separate the role Brexit has played from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Others said the challenge is encouraging innovative and collaborative approaches to designing buildings.

"We would opt to return to how things were before in a heartbeat"
Stephen Barrett, partner and head of Paris office,Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

"In short, it's still too soon to have a complete and accurate picture.

"Two words do immediately spring to mind, however: friction and asymmetry. Firstly, contrary to the promises being made by those advocating the United Kingdom's departure from the EU, processes that were fluid and straightforward are now more complicated and expensive, requiring significant additional time, energy and administration.

"Secondly, and it's an obvious point, the impacts of Brexit on the UK are much deeper than the corresponding impacts on the UK's EU neighbours. Whilst we eagerly await evidence to the contrary, to date nothing suggests that Brexit isn't anything other than one of history's great own goals.

"Brexit has prompted us to invest in our Paris office, to formalize and expand our presence in Europe. Brexit undermines longstanding arrangements in relation to mutual professional recognition, significantly affecting the ability of UK-based practices to qualify and compete for work across the EU.

"Furthermore, without an EU presence, obtaining the required professional insurance, and notably decennial cover is also more difficult, if not impossible.

"Were we to have a choice, as a practice I suspect we would opt to return to how things were before in a heartbeat."

"The real issue for us is that sense of isolation"
Andrew Waugh, director,Waugh Thistleton Architects

"We still have our European flag flying at Waugh Thistleton Architects – literally hung on the wall. It's the first thing you see when you enter the studio.

"Pre-Brexit about a third of the office were from the EU. Now we have only two real Europeans left with us in the UK. We do have satellite offices in Venice and Madrid, so that's a small positive. But we still miss them all – the diversity, panache and breadth of knowledge that they brought.

"The real issue for us is that sense of isolation that we are supposed to embrace. So while really progressive legislation and research is happening in Europe and an actual effort being made into lowering carbon and promoting timber construction, here it's not really happening.

"And then of course there's the labour shortages, material shortages, inflation, all for what? Singapore-on-Thames? And so one man could obtain power? Party on Johnson!

"Our cunning plan is to move the office back to Europe."

"Brexit is turning into the disaster that many who voted Remain predicted"
Sarah Wigglesworth, founder,Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

"Brexit is turning into the disaster many who voted Remain predicted. Shortages of staff, higher prices, loss of exports, loss of students in our universities and so forth.

"As a business we are finding it hard to recruit, construction price hikes are making tender difficult and we are finding materials shortages.

"Cancelling large infrastructure projects will not help the building economy. With high inflation, the nation will be poorer but will it make us more humble?"

"It's difficult to isolate the impact of Brexit"
Nick Fairham, chief executive,BDP

"At BDP, we have always embraced the inclusive studio environment that the barrier-free EU environment allowed. Some of our projects stalled due to Brexit jitters but with the pandemic affecting the entire sector, it's difficult to isolate the impact of Brexit alone.

"We have adapted our design approach to meet the challenges. The widely reported shortage of materials and labour in the construction market have undoubtedly increased prices and as such, we have invested in digital technology and continue to design to accommodate for off-site manufacture.

"Ultimately, it all points to a more careful post-Brexit approach to design, where off-site manufacture, local sourcing and employment are pre-eminent and the exciting possibilities of re-using rather than throwing away are explored.

"Necessity is the mother of invention -- we hope that through the need to adopt new ways of working, using digital design and manufacture to carefully mitigate environmental impact and promote efficiency and wellbeing, we are entering the era of careful, not careless, design."

"Despite Brexit, our studio has remained delightfully mixed"
Naila Yousuf, partner,Wright & Wright Architects

"Industry-wide materials shortages have been a recurring theme this year, as have extraordinary inflationary costs, though whether those are a product of Covid-19 uncertainty or Brexit is up for debate.

"Material shortages could have hindered the delivery of our projects, particularly the procurement of innovative materials like cross-laminated timber, certified Passivhaus glazing, or specialist mechanical and electrical kit.

"However, the challenge experienced by many did not negatively impact our attitude to design, or the progress of projects on-site, which is a testament to the client, design team and contractors with who we have been working.

"Despite Brexit, our studio has remained delightfully mixed [with] 30 per cent from the EU and further afield, and our studio culture is all the richer for it."

"We have seen the already challenging project budgets we're working to slashed"
Marc Cairns, managing director,New Practice

"A key area of focus for New Practice is community-led development delivered in partnership with the public sector, local organisations and community groups.

"As the impacts of our exit from the European Union take hold we have seen the already challenging project budgets we're working to slashed and, unfortunately, in some cases projects have been scrapped completely due to increasing material costs and supply-chain risk.

"Critically, this is resulting in often the most disadvantaged communities missing out on meaningful schemes.

"Similar situations across the industry have also created greater competition between peers vying for these opportunities, with micro-practices struggling to compete with lowball fee offers from direct competitors and much more established practises willing to take a hit on 'loss leader' projects.

"However, there is a glimmer of a silver lining in all this. We've also seen an increase in collaboration between firms of all scales looking to innovate and offer something different in this challenging transition and we hope that this is a trend that continues to build across the industry in years to come."

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Mies van der Rohe Award 2022 shortlist revealed

David Chipperfield's restoration of Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie, a memorial park on the site of a former synagogue and a visitor centre by Dorte Mandrup are among the 40 European projects shortlisted for this year's Mies van der Rohe Award.

The biannual European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award is named after modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

It is usually given by the European Union and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe to the best European architecture project completed within the past two years. However, the 2022 edition will feature works from the past 2.5 years as the coronavirus pandemic has delayed the award.

Above: Kingston University – Town House by Grafton Architects is on the shortlist. Photo is by Dennis Gilbert. Top image: as is the Wadden Sea Centre by Dorte Mandrup. Photo is by Adam Mørk

This year, the shortlisted works can be found in 18 different European countries. Austria, France and Spain have the most shortlisted projects – five each – followed by Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom, with three projects each.

Denmark, Finland, Poland and Portugal have two shortlisted works and the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Slovenia have one project each.

Prague riverside revitalisation by Petr Janda is on the list. Photo is by BoysPlayNice

The projects located in the UK are currently still on the shortlist – as are two projects in the EU designed by UK studios – despite the country having left the EU through Brexit, which means they are no longer eligible for the award.

"As the [EU Mies Award/YTAA ] is an EU-funded initiative, we are in the process of updating some of the content on this website in the light of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union," a statement on the Mies van der Rohe Award's website says

"If the site contains content that does not yet reflect the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, it is unintentional and will be addressed."

Dezeen has contacted the award for clarification.

[

Read:

Social housing revamp in Bordeaux wins Mies van der Rohe Award 2019

](https://www.dezeen.com/2019/05/08/mies-van-der-rohe-award-2019-winners/)

The majority of the shortlisted works this year are collective housing projects, with nine schemes of this typology.

There are seven cultural buildings shortlisted and six mixed-use buildings on the list.

Enrico Fermi School by BDR Bureau is the only Italian project shortlisted. Photo is by Simone Bossi

The shortlist was chosen by a jury consisting of architect Tatiana Bilbao, journalist and curator Francesca Ferguson, architect Mia Hägg, art historian Triin Ojari, architect Georg Pendl, former Thessaloniki deputy mayor Spiros Pengas and architect Marcel Smets.

Five finalists for the award will be announced on 16 February, with the architecture and emerging winners revealed in mid-April. The EU Mies Awards Day, when the awards ceremony will be held, will take place at the Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Pavilion in May.

Turó de la Peira's Sports Center by Arquitectura Anna Noguera and J2J Architects. Photo is by Enric Duch

Sustainability and inclusivity were among the things the jury looked at this year.

"One of the main elements in architectural sustainability is the long life of buildings," Smets said. "If we build new buildings, we must envision their next life, allow their next life."

"The pandemic has further changed our view on architecture and how we live. I personally think it is extremely important to highlight something whereby collective life is central and, maybe, where there is also some sense of local in it. Not only the global but also the local, because people have recently rediscovered the importance of their close environment."

High-profile projects that are up for the award include the David Chipperfield renovation of the Mies van der Rohe-designed Neue Nationalgalerie gallery in Berlin, Petr Jandr's revitalisation of the Prague waterfront and Grafton Architects' Kingston University London, which won the 2021 Stirling Prize.

Read on for the full list of all 40 finalists sorted by country:

Austria:
› Atelierhaus C.21, by Werner Neuwirth
› School Campus Neustift, by Fasch & Fuchs Architekten
› Reviltalization of a Town House, by Mia2 Architektur
› Gleis 21, by Einszueins Architektur
› New Gallery and Casemates / New Bastion, by Bevk Perovic Arhitekti

Neue Galerie und Kasematten is one of three German projects shortlisted. Photo is by David Schreyer

Belgium:
› Gare Maritime, by Neutelings Riedijk Architects
› Melopee Multipurpose School Building, by Xaveer de Geyter Architects
› Z33 House for Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture by Francesco Torzo

Czech Republic:
› Prague Eyes – Riverfront Revitalization, by Petr Janda

Denmark:
› Wadden Sea Centre, by Dorte Mandrup
› Malt Factory, by Praksis, VMB Restoration Architects, Kirstine Jensen Landscape Architecture, Morten Skovmand Artist and Henry Jensen Engineers

Finland:
› Tikkurila Church and Housing, by OOPEAA Office for Peripheral Architecture
› Helsinki Olympic Stadium Refurbishment and Extension, by KS2 Architects Ltd and Arkkitehdit NRT

Five French projects were shortlisted including the Student Residence and Reversible Car Park. Photo is by Maxime Delvaux

France:
› Nursery and Primary School, by Atelier Julien Boidot
› Pierres Blanches Cultural Centre, by RAUM
› Railway Farm, by Grand Huit and Melanie Drevet Paysagiste
› Vertical Farm, by Ilimelgo and Secousses Architectes
› Student Residence and Reversible Car Park, by Baukunst and Bruther

Germany:
› Frizz 23, by Deadline (Britta Jürgens + Matthew Griffin)
› Housing Rack/Pre-fab House in Berlin, by FAR frohn&rojas
› Neue Nationalgalerie, by David Chipperfield Architects

Greece:
› Dexamenes Seaside Hotel, by K-Studio

Hungary:
› Extension and Reconstruction of the Vizafogó Kindergarten, by Archikon

Italy:
› Enrico Fermi School, by BDR Bureau

LocHal Public Library was also shortlisted. Photo is by Stijn Bollaert

The Netherlands:
› LocHal Public Library, by Civic Architects, Braaksma & Roos architectenbureau and Inside Outside/Petra Blaisse

Norway:
› Vindmøllebakken, by Helen & Hard

Poland:
› Local Activity Centre, by Marlena Wolnik MWArchitekci
› Great Synagogue Memorial Park, by Narchitektura/Bartosz Haduch

Portugal:
› Marquês de Abrantes' Palace, by Ateliermob
› Portas do Mar - public space and car parking, by Carrilho da Graça Arquitectos

Romania:
› Apartments building Mumuleanu 14/Urban Spaces, by ADN Birou de Arhitectura

Slovenia:
› Market Square Ptuj, by Arhitektura Krušec and Studio AKKA

Spain:
› Turó de la Peira's Sports Center and Layout of the Interior Urban Block, by Arquitectura Anna Noguera and J2J architects
› Recovery of Merola's Tower, by Carles Enrich Studio
› La Borda - Cooperative Housing, by Lacol
› Fabra & Coats & Social Housing, by Roldán + Berengué Arquitectes
› 85 Social Housing Units in Cornellà, by Peris + Toral Arquitectes

Despite no longer being part of teh EU, three UK projects were shortlisted including Hill House Box. Photo is by Johan Dehlin

United Kingdom:
› Hill House Box, by Carmody Groarke
› Second Home Offices in Holland Park, by SelgasCano
› Town House, Kingston University, by Grafton Architects

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European Commission prioritises cyclists and pedestrians in cities for "first time in history"

The European Commission has proposed an overhaul of urban infrastructure to encourage more walking and cycling as part of the EU's aim to become a net-zero continent by 2050.

If passed, the Efficient and Green Mobility package would require the 424 largest cities in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) to hash out sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs) centred on these kinds of "active mobility" modes by 2025.

Supported by increased funding, this would help the EU wean its cities off fossil fuel vehicles, ease congestion and noise pollution as well as working towards the decarbonisation goals set out in the European Green Deal, which require emissions from cars to be cut by 55 per cent come 2030.

The EU has already tripled its spending on cycling and walking projects in recent years, investing €2 billion between 2014 and 2020.

But the Efficient and Green Mobility package is unprecedented, according to the European Cyclists' Federation, in that it elevates walking and cycling to an EU-wide policy priority.

"This is the first time in history that the European Commission prioritises investment in these modes as the backbone of urban mobility," the federation said.

Proposals could cut emissions by 90 per cent

The package includes four proposals aimed at decarbonising the European transport system.

These focus on overhauling the TEN-T system of interconnected railways, waterways and roads across the continent, increasing long-distance and cross-border rail traffic, updating and developing smart mobility services such as mobility apps, and improving urban mobility by focusing on public transport, walking and cycling.

By moving people and goods from fossil fuel-powered cars and trucks onto a cleaner "multimodal transport network", the European Commission says these measures could cut transport emissions by up to 90 per cent.

As part of the proposed legislative overhaul, the SUMPs originally introduced as a voluntary initiative in the EU's 2013 Urban Mobility Package would be made mandatory for hundreds of large and medium-sized cities in the TEN-T.

[

Read:

London, New York, Paris and Milan give streets to cyclists and pedestrians

](https://www.dezeen.com/2020/05/07/london-new-york-paris-milan-cyclists-pedestrians/)

In addition, the guidelines for formulating these plans would be revised to prioritise expanding and improving infrastructure for bikes, pedestrians, e-bikes, scooters and public transport.

This would include creating quality road infrastructure that protects users from fatal accidents, maintaining the "continuity and accessibility of cycling paths" and, eventually, formulating rules to improve the safety of micro-mobility vehicles, which have been responsible for a growing number of accidents in recent years.

Local and regional authorities would be supported by targeted funding in order to implement their plans.

Cycle lanes save money

According to the EC, this would not just generate emissions reductions but also help to improve the health of local residents.

"Active mobility modes such as walking and cycling are low-cost and zero-emission forms of mobility which can also bring about health co-benefits associated to more active lifestyles," reads the Urban Mobility Framework of the Efficient and Green Mobility package.

"In order to develop their full potential, they should be properly addressed in urban mobility policies at all levels of governance and funding, transport planning, awareness-raising, allocation of space, safety regulations and adequate infrastructure."

Installing bike paths can even lead to economic benefits for cities as medical costs and travel times are reduced, the EC argued.

In Helsinki, for example, a study found that for every euro invested in cycle lanes, the city saved €3.60.

[

Read:

COBE's undulating public square in Copenhagen contains parking for 2,000 bikes

](https://www.dezeen.com/2019/11/13/karen-blixens-plads-cobe-copenhagen-bicycle-park/)

Later this year, the EC is set to recommend that member states roll out a national programme for all their cities to adopt a SUMP "with public transport and active mobility at its heart".

The news comes after a number of cities including Paris, Milan and London took street space away from cars and reallocated it to cyclists and pedestrians in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, while New York established cycle paths on its Brooklyn and Queensboro Bridges.

The top image shows theKaren Blixens public square in Copenhagen as photographed by Rasmus Hjortshøj.

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EU to set minimum energy standards for existing buildings

Existing buildings in EU countries will be legally required to meet minimum energy standards for the first time by 2027 under draft regulations set to be published next week.

From 2027, buildings will need to meet energy performance class E to be sold or rented out, and class C by January 2033.

The proposed laws are laid out in a draft European Union directive scheduled for publication on 14 December, which was leaked to Euractiv.

"Each member state shall establish minimum energy performance standards which lead to the renovation of existing buildings," said the document.

"The standards shall apply at the latest from 2027. By [2035], the entire national building stock shall be covered by minimum energy performance standards," it added.

The draft directive also demands that by 2030 all new structures must be "zero-emission" – with public buildings required to hit this standard by 2027.

If passed, the directive would replace existing long-term building renovation strategies with new strengthened action plans aimed at getting building stocks to hit zero-emission standards by 2050.

[

Read:

EU proposes emissions controls for buildings and transport in drive to become "world's first climate-neutral continent"

](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/07/15/emissions-controls-eu-fit-for-55/)

"Each member state shall establish a building renovation action plan to promote the renovation of the national stock of residential and non-residential buildings, both public and private, into a highly energy efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050, with the objective to transform existing buildings into zero-emission buildings," the directive said.

Plans must reduce life-cycle emissions

Action plans would need to be submitted to the European Commission for approval by 2025 and every five years after that.

They would need to set out "a roadmap with domestically established targets and measurable progress indicators [for different building types], with a view to the 2050 climate neutrality goal".

Nations would set targets on the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from buildings for 2030, 2040 and 2050.

[

Read:

Foster + Partners sustainability lead calls for more refurbishments and fewer basements to help fight climate change

](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/12/01/foster-and-partners-refurbishments-basements/)

The document does not focus on embodied carbon, but proposes that action plans must include measures aimed at "the reduction of whole life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions in the construction, renovation, operation and end of life of buildings".

A study published by the European Commission last year found that around 75 per cent of buildings in the EU are energy inefficient.

Buildings are responsible for approximately 40 per cent of the bloc's energy consumption and 36 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions, with the EU committing to reducing emissions to net-zero by 2050.

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EU proposes emissions controls for buildings and transport in drive to become "world's first climate-neutral continent"

The European Commission has unveiled sweeping proposals to reduce carbon emissions across the continent that include caps for buildings and transport for the first time.

Named Fit for 55, the package unveiled yesterday includes 12 policy proposals aimed at reducing EU greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent before 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

"Achieving these emission reductions in the next decade is crucial to Europe becoming the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050," the commission said.

The proposals aim to help deliver the European Green Deal, an ambitious policy to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

"The fossil fuel economy has reached its limits"

"The fossil fuel economy has reached its limits," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "We want to leave the next generation a healthy planet as well as good jobs and growth that does not hurt our nature."

"Europe was the first continent to declare to be climate neutral in 2050, and now we are the very first ones to put a concrete roadmap on the table," she added. "Europe walks the talk on climate policies through innovation, investment and social compensation."

Among the proposals are plans to expand the EU's Emissions Trading System (ETS), which for the first time would require companies to pay for the emissions associated with heating buildings with fossil fuels, effectively imposing a tax on polluters.

In addition, the plan proposes that three per cent of public sector buildings should be renovated each year to make them more energy efficient. The commission also proposes to set a benchmark of 49 per cent renewables in buildings by 2030.

Member states would also be required to increase the use of renewable energy in heating and cooling by an additional 1.1 percentage points each year until 2030.

By 2030, 40 per cent of the EU's energy should come from renewable sources, with the plan proposing specific targets for not just buildings but also transport, heating and cooling, and industry.

The announcement comes ahead of the COP26 climate conference in November, where a day will be dedicated to discussing the built environment's contribution to global warming after the sector has so far largely been sidelined in efforts to reduce emissions.

Emissions Trading System for buildings and transport to be established

If the Fit for 55 proposals are passed, other new sectors that would become subject to emissions controls include freight shipping and road transport, while the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars in the EU would be banned in 2035.

The ETS, also known as the EU carbon market, requires companies to pay for their emissions by purchasing carbon credits while setting the price for carbon, which hit a record high of €50 per tonne in May.

Since being established in 2005, the system has put a cap on overall emissions associated with specific sectors such as heavy industry and electricity.

This means that there is a limited number of CO2 permits available at any given time, which companies can buy and sell amongst themselves.

In order to avoid disturbing the existing balance of the carbon market, Fit for 55 proposes setting up a new, separate ETS that would require companies to pay for the emissions associated with the fossil fuels used to heat buildings and power cars from 2026.

In addition, emissions from marine shipping would be subject to charges under the existing ETS for the first time, while the current programme of free emission allowances for aviation would be phased out. The EU's overall emissions cap would also be lowered as part of the plan.

Reforms need to be agreed by all EU countries

Before they are passed, the Fit for 55 reforms will need to be negotiated by all 27 EU member states and the European Parliament in a process that could take up to two years.

The independent European Climate Foundation previously raised concerns that including transport and buildings in the ETS would have a negligible impact on emissions while increasing living costs for poorer households.

To combat this, the European Commission has proposed using €72.2 billion of the revenues from the new transport and building ETS to provide income support for those most at risk of being affected by "energy and mobility poverty".

Also included in Fit for 55 is a so-called border carbon adjustment tax that would require importers in the EU to pay for the embodied emissions of products such as cement, steel and iron produced abroad, effectively imposing tariffs on countries with less stringent emissions rules such as Russia and Turkey.

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