When Ursula von der Leyen introduced the idea of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) in 2020, it was only a matter of time before the Nordic countries adopted the initiative and began developing their own interpretation of NEB. Sharing a long, intertwined history, a common climate, and a strong building culture, we Nordics also have a long tradition of governmental collaboration, with the Nordic Council of Ministers serving as the administrative structure. These factors, combined with a shared ambition and leadership in climate action, formed the foundation of the Nordic Carbon Neutral Bauhaus.
Collaboration among the Nordic countries based on NEB began as early as 2021, and in the spring of 2022, the Nordic Bauhaus was launched as a NEB Hub at the NEB Festival. That same autumn, the Into the Woods event in Espoo, Finland, brought the Nordics into the very core of NEB. The project shared a strong environmental focus, with significant connections to two other Nordic collaboration projects: Nordic Sustainable Construction (2022–2024) and Nordic Networks for Circular Construction (2022–2024). The work has been coordinated by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, co-chaired by Boverket from Sweden, and has included representatives from all Nordic countries as well as Estonia.
“Using Nordic solutions in low-carbon and circular construction – results of our front-running policies and climate ambition – as a benchmark for the Bauhaus community.” This is how the Nordic Carbon Neutral Bauhaus target was described in the project plan. How did we succeed? Despite remaining somewhat fragmented throughout its duration, the project still managed to embody the NEB spirit with a distinctly Nordic flavor on many levels and in various aspects.
Its foremost achievements – the Design Challenge architectural student competition and the Beyond Zero exhibition – clearly illustrate the high level and maturity of Nordic architectural and environmental thinking. However, perhaps the biggest impact of the project lies in the many discussions held at different levels during all NCNB activities, aiming to identify the true essence of Nordic NEB while striving for the optimal integration of low-carbon circularity, architecture, and social inclusion. In the end, the final interpretation of Nordic NEB will likely vary significantly between Nordic countries and even among individuals.
One of the key findings of the project was the recognition of the existing building stock as a major area of interest. Since most of the buildings that will exist in Europe in 2050 have already been built, we must increasingly focus on how we utilize, maintain, and repair them. Extending their service life through conversions and ensuring that their components are properly circulated at the end of their lifespan will significantly reduce the need for new buildings and the carbon peaks associated with their construction. This also has a profound impact on the people living in and using these buildings, as well as on the visual quality of our neighborhoods. We need feasible processes to guide us through this challenge – architecture is an essential part of the solution.
The legacy of the Nordic Carbon Neutral Bauhaus will continue, at the very least, through the New European Bauhaus Academy Alliance and its hubs, which aim to establish a European-wide network of NEB capacity-building academic centers. NEBA Alliance North Hub has already been established in the Nordics. Even stronger potential actors in implementing NEB’s heritage are the Nordic architectural policies, which share a similarly holistic approach, have permanent organizational structures, and maintain strong linkages to national policies.
As the project coordinator and representative of the leading country, Finland, I warmly thank all collaborators of the Nordic Carbon Neutral Bauhaus project. Special thanks go to Sweden’s Boverket and RISE for preventing crises at critical phases of the project. Another key contributor has been Archinfo – The Information Centre for Finnish Architecture which also made this final report possible.
Harri Hakaste
Senior Architect, chair of NCNB steering group
Ministry of the Environment Finland