New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Regaining a sense of belonging

Email user
johannes.pointner@enerquent.at

Basic information
Initiative title
Energy and Building EXPO

Full initiative Title
{Empty}

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
The EXPO is at the center of a model region for sustainable housing and quality of life, taking into account the architectural and social needs of all sections of the population.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
Regional

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Austria

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Leaderregion Kernland

Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
It addresses urban-rural linkages

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
Yes

Which fund(s)?
ERDF : European Regional Development Fund

Here you can provide more details about the name of the specific programme, strand/action line as relevant, and the year
Leader Kernland 2016

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organization, in partnership with other organisations
If you are submitting this intiative as part of a group, please provide the contact details of the other individuals or organisations
- Name of the organisation(s): Energieplaner Netzwerk KG
  Type of organisation: For-profit company
  First name of representative: Johannes
  Last name of representative: Pointner
  Gender: Male
  Nationality: Austria
  Function: CEO
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Reitern 1
  Town: Unterweitersdorf
  Postal code: 4213
  Country: Austria
  Direct Tel: +43 7235 2210011
  E-mail: johannes.pointner@enerquent.at
  Website: http://www.enerquent.at
- Name of the organisation(s): Gemeinde Unterweitersdorf
  Type of organisation: Public authority (European/national/regional/local)
  First name of representative: Hannes
  Last name of representative: Matzinger
  Gender: Male
  Nationality: Austria
  Function: Mayor
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Gusentalstraße 1a
  Town: Unterweitersdorf
  Postal code: 4213
  Country: Austria
  Direct Tel: +43 7235 630140
  E-mail: gemeinde@unterweitersdorf.ooe.gv.at
  Website: https://www.unterweitersdorf.at/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/enerquent
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
Buildings and living spaces are becoming the core economic problem in order to maintain the high level of prosperity in the European community and to significantly increase the quality of buildings. Our financial strength must be used in a highly efficient and sustainable/lifecycle-oriented manner. Regional circular economy, the digitization of construction processes and serial production are the supporting pillars.

The dilemma is that although people are interested in this, there is a lack of knowledge across the board, which means that the options for action are greatly reduced. Unfortunately, this cannot be remedied with the known political tools.
The solution is practical and interactive AWARENESS EDUCATION, as a common foundation, which has a strong influence on the secondary planning and decision-making processes.

For this transformation, people need a common place where interests and knowledge can be networked and made fit for the future.
The EXPO is therefore at the center of a model region for sustainable housing and quality of life, taking into account the architectural and social needs of all sections of the population.

Every citizen (regardless of social class; whether administration/mayor/local councillors, from education, people at risk of poverty or entrepreneurs) finds solutions and support for their individual or collective problems there. It is essential that the added value of very high quality standards is always the focus for investors and is brought into line with the level of knowledge of the trade.

All in all, solving "small" individual and large social problems creates a new regional awareness, which forms and strengthens regional ties.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
awareness raising

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
test environment

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
simulation room

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
learning platform

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
building network

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
BUILDING EFFICIENCY IS A KEY ECONOMIC PROBLEM
The main problem in our society is the lack of awareness of regional energy, resources and added value, because energy and regional resources in general are plentiful if we use them properly.
SITUATION OF REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO
With the exception of a few lighthouse projects, the Austrian real estate portfolio is only managed. Potentials for a sustainable upgrading remain untapped by the different social classes within the framework of their financial ability to act and existing knowledge.
Politics, science and business agree that building efficiency must be significantly increased, but there are completely different views on the question of how this should be achieved.
BASIC PROBLEM OF CURRENT FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS
The views on the topic of overall efficiency of buildings are so far apart from trade, industry and energy service providers that good solutions in the interest of property owners seem impossible or are only possible in certain cases through existing market mechanisms.
On the one hand, our society wants cheap energy, our economy needs cheap energy (cheap energy is an important factor in global and European competition), on the other hand, ecology and sustainability are becoming an important economic factor.

It is about solving this fundamental contradiction.

The building stock is the key sector for a sustainable change in our energy system. The key to this lies in the awareness of efficiency, quality and regionality, which in turn is the basis for regional and national value creation, a lively working environment with corresponding social effects.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
EXPO FOR CREATIVE QUALITY AWARENESS
The solution to the social problem leads to an individual social and economic life cycle analysis of real estate and a pronounced awareness of quality. People need to be able to see the problems and opportunities of buildings themselves, with this new one
Solutions with professional support are then possible.

WITH WHICH OFFER CAN YOU REACH A HIGH QUALITY AWARENESS FOR LIVING COMFORT, ECOLOGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO?
A completely different, completely new method is required for this, the property owners themselves have to research and understand the possibilities of intelligent solutions.
A targeted transfer of knowledge to property owners can then provide the regional economy with the necessary impetus.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
EXPO WORKS IN DIVERSE AND POINTING THE WAY …
A comprehensible and tangible increase in comfort enables maximum energy efficiency.
Efficient use of valuable resources is the order of the day. Many solutions are available, but they all fit together and must also be understood by people.

Building development in line with the future. Building development in line with the future.
When it comes to new construction or renovation, it is not primarily a question of how much thermal insulation or which energy source, but which components allow for the best overall value retention far into the future.

Valuable food strengthens regional ties.
Nothing connects a region more than enjoyment and lifestyle. Real food from the region, tastefully prepared, is the basis of a healthy lifestyle and also for regional added value.

Construction projects strengthen the regional economy. Construction projects strengthen the regional economy.
A high-quality building development always brings higher living comfort, a sustainable reduction in operating costs, significantly reduces the risk of structural damage and thus brings a clear increase in the value of the building overall.

METHOD IN 4 STEPS WITH BARRIER-FREE ACCESS FOR CITIZEN
1. Virtual simulation ... of various construction and building technologies
2. Evaluation of the simulation results
3. Practice confirmation ... in a real simulation room (after project phase 1), using a weather chamber, any weather can be programmed 365 days a year!
4. Contacts to the regional economy (craftsmen can use the facility for individual advice)

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
HOW GOOD/BAD DO DIFFERENT AWARENESS-RAISING MEASURES WORK IN GENERAL?
New services work when the benefits for people are recognizable.

Already in the implementation phase, interested citizens, the educational institutions and above all the regional craftsmen should be involved in the design of the knowledge transfer. It is about special target groups that expect concrete answers in a short time (people at risk of poverty, energy communities, investors, ...).

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
The project was conceptually set up by the Enerquent planner network in 2013 and began with the exchange of ideas between 243 local craft businesses and 43 industrial product manufacturers. In the course of a leader project, the regional policy was then informed and technically examined.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
All planning fields from landscape planning, energy space planning, traffic planning, architecture, building physics, building biology, building chemistry, building technology to software development were integrated through the planner network. As a result, a consistent scheme for building simulation and building evaluation could be developed.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
WHAT MAKES THIS METHOD DIFFERENT?
The method of raising awareness does not exist anywhere in the world in this quality. The previous method for the social problem was, as a rule, a free consultation.
It is not possible to create an awareness of the diverse possibilities and complex issues in a correspondingly short time by means of advice.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
The simulation space can easily be transferred to other regions (a comprehensive offer would be extremely useful), perhaps with a different focus (depending on regional characteristics). The online simulation room can be accessed internationally without barriers (e.g. from elementary schools to universities).

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
THE EXPO MAKES BUILDING QUALITIES VISIBLE FOR CITIZEN
In a simulation room, visitors can playfully and methodically:
- Identify problem/qualities
- Get to know solutions
- Assess qualities (air quality, light quality, comfort, building physics, building biology, efficiency, ...)
- Optimize qualities (compare, test, check)
- Evaluate and discuss measurement results
- Experience effects (test living)

The operating software enables the clarification of simple to scientific questions.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
THE FUTURE WILL BE DETERMINED MAINLY BY FINANCIAL STRENGTH AND KNOWLEDGE
Financial strength and knowledge are not freely available to real estate owners and real estate users of all social classes.

Real estate owners are currently acting according to short-term and unecological priorities, because 16 percent put saving money first when choosing a product. Another 16 percent see energy-efficient product properties as sustainable. For 15 percent it is the longevity of the product. Ecological materials in a building material or its recyclability play an absolutely subordinate role for builders as long as they cannot see any real financial advantage.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
The project is technically mature and can be implemented at any time. For this purpose, an initial spark is to be given by setting up a real laboratory and thus networking and deepening the interests of the local partners. Then the detailed planning can be started (a suitable location already exists).

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
PDF
PDF
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
EXAMPLES OF EXPO IMPACT
The increased awareness of quality stimulates regional value chains, which generally has a positive impact on many social problems, especially in the areas of (energy) poverty, health and regional jobs.

Examples:
1. Low-income households can research energy-efficient modes of operation individually or in groups
2. Through a conscious and efficient operation of a building technology, air hygiene problems are reliably avoided, allergic reactions to
House mold can be significantly reduced.
3. Sustainable investments in a building lead to a strong regional economy with many jobs for people with a migration background or
low level of education.
4. The craft with its innovations at a glance! Break down barriers and build relationships through demonstrations.

regional networking
Strengthening of the regional economic structure

qualification effect
Potential for qualified jobs in the region

dynamic effect
Technology leadership, export opportunities through early innovations

ecological effect
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental impacts

foreign trade effect
Technology exports, improvement in the trade balance due to less dependence on imports of fossil energy

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM REGIONAL QUALITY AWARENESS?
The EXPO is diverse on all areas of life of the people in a region. In the short term on the users of the virtual building simulation, in the medium term on the visitors of the real simulation room and in the long term on multipliers/copycats.
In addition, we expect the development of a certain creative momentum in the different sectors.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes