Agathón (Jun 2021)

The shift from new build to regeneration. Can the New Bauhaus transform architecture and design to meet global challenges?

  • David Ness

DOI
https://doi.org/10.19229/2464-9309/922021
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. online

Abstract

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The New European Bauhaus forms part of a Renovation Wave and complements the EU Green Deal – a commitment to tackling climate and environment related challenges by ‘decoupling’ economic growth from resource use, while leading to a ‘fair and prosperous’ society. After arguing that the Green Deal does not go far enough to achieve the dramatic transformation required, a new agenda is put forward where needs are met with less consumption and carbon, less new building, and more regeneration. The New Bauhaus, intended to ‘match sustainability with style’, is seen as the ‘engine room’ and inspiration for this agenda, which may radically disrupt and transform current approaches to architecture. Thus, constraints imposed by regeneration of existing buildings, with their ethical and cultural dimensions, can inspire greater creativity and imagination while conserving carbon, cost, and character.

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