Claudio Lucchin - How to raise the number of nZEBs in Europe? Experts provide their insights into probing questions

DIRECTION's second replication workshop took place in September, organised by Eurac in Bolzano, Italy. This is one of three workshops organised as part of DIRECTION's outreach aimed at maximising replicability potential as the project enters its final months.

Claudio Lucchin

An architect with a great experience in architectural planning, specialised in the creation of great public works: Bolzano/Bozen Exhibition Center, Olympics Ice Arenas for Turin 2006, Bolzano/Bozen new incinerator and the first hypogeum school in Europe.

Do you think there is a real market for nZEBs in Europe in the short term?

The market is already out there, especially due to the urgent need for reducing consumption and emissions to achieve real sustainability in buildings. It would help if the EU imposed legal requirements in the same way it did for car emissions for example.

Which governmental initiatives (regulation, public funding, etc) could ensure the growth of the nZEB market, making nZEBs more appealing to public and private developers and end users? Or does the private sector need to take the lead? Why?

Local administrations should set specific standards for granting planning permission, which has been the case over the last ten years in South Tyrol with the introduction of ClimateHouse protocol for the efficiency of buildings. But alongside this obligation, the efficiency and savings of nZEBs should be clearly demonstrated.

Do you believe your company would benefit from a higher market share of nZEBs compared to traditional buildings?

No, because it is the customer who gives specifications about the building. In addition, our work is not focused on energy savings.

How could the design of nZEBs be integrated into public tendering processes?

If nZEB standards were compulsory starting from a certain date, they would be automatically integrated into public tendering processes. I don't think these standards could become the main criteria for evaluating a project though. Sustainability standards have to be imposed, they cannot be evaluated by a commission.

Integrated design process of nZEBs with SMEs and craftsmen: is it possible? How?

I don't see any difficulties. Training craftsmen to the new standards and the related technologies like in South Tyrol with the ClimateHouse protocols would be enough.

Notes and comments:

The issue of building sustainability should go from being a technical issue, reserved to a few experts, to a cultural problem which affects the whole population. For this reason, information about it should be clear and comprehensible to all. It is also necessary that concepts and practices about sustainability are shared already at school, in order to educate the next generation.

Buildings' sustainability should shift from being a technical issue accessible only to a few experts, to a cultural trend affecting the population as a whole. Therefore, information about it should be clear and comprehensible to all. The concepts and practicies about sustainability should feature in schools in order to ensure the next generation is fully conversant with the topic.

More information:
www.direction-fp7.eu/Contacts/Contacts.kl
DIRECTION is a four-year EU-funded project that aims at demonstrating how the use of very innovative and cost-effective energy efficiency technologies can lead to the achievement of very low energy new buildings