Insulate, insulate, insulate…
That’s all you hear. At least as a consulting architect at Homegrade (= the advice and support center for private housing in the Brussels-Capital Region).
“I own a house and I want to insulate it. How do I do that?”
“Can you help me apply for my planning permit to insulate my facade?”
“What grants am I entitled to for insulating my home?”
“I read in the press that I need to have an EPC certificate C (by 2050). And on top of that, I can’t index the rent because I have a G certificate. What should I insulate to achieve that?”
The vocabulary for housing renovation is not very extensive: insulation, R-value, thermal performance, EPC certificate, greenhouse gas emissions, …
Insulating is important, no doubt about it, but it is high time for the Brussels public to hear other words related to construction and renovation: heritage, ventilation, dismantling, reuse, bio-based, responsible behavior, rationality, architectural quality, healthiness, flexibility, rainwater… we could write an entire dictionary.
The Ecobuild.brussels cluster is an infinite source of inspiration thanks to all its talented members acting at various scales in the Region. From the architect who will talk about the ventilation system to be provided to prioritize healthy indoor air, to the contractor who will create a reuse inventory and benefit from the advice of the material trader who will highlight bio-based materials, to the real estate developer who will promote respect for heritage.
We all have something to learn from each other. The advantage of the cluster is that it brings together field actors with diverse and complementary skills.
Let’s meet, share our ideas, our skills, and our qualities to make Brussels an exemplary Region in terms of construction and renovation.
Anne COSTA
Consulting Architect at Homegrade – Chairwoman ecobuild.brussels
