Three international projects involving male and female researchers from the Faculty of Architecture at Wrocław University of Technology have won funding in the prestigious New European Bauhaus competition organized by the European Commission. The grants were awarded under the Horizon Europe program, and nearly €1.5 million will go to Wroclaw. This is a significant achievement, given the huge competition. In this year's edition of the competition, only 25 projects were selected from 367 submissions, meaning that the success rate was only 6.81%.
What is the New European Bauhaus?
The New European Bauhaus is a European Commission initiative under Horizon Europe from 2025 to 2027, which aims to support projects that help transform cities and neighborhoods into more environmentally friendly, accessible and aesthetically pleasing spaces.
The program combines science, architecture, technology and social action. Funding is provided for projects on topics such as the closed-loop economy in construction, new materials, revitalizing urban spaces or strengthening local communities.
This is the first multi-year funding mechanism devoted entirely to the New European Bauhaus idea of designing spaces that respond to contemporary climate and social challenges.
Projects with the participation of Wroclaw University of Technology
Among the 25 winning projects are three international consortia in which teams from the Faculty of Architecture at Wrocław University of Technology play a significant role.
The total value of funding for these projects is nearly €13 million, of which nearly €1.5 million will go to teams from the Wroclaw University of Technology.
This success is in line with the university's strategic research areas, including the "Smart Cities and Future Society" priority, which includes the design of human-friendly cities and settlements.
RE-GROWTH
The RE-GROWTH project has received maximum evaluation from the European Commission's experts. The substantive leader at the Wrocław University of Technology is Dr. Eng. arch. Barbara Widera, prof. of the university, in cooperation with Prof. Katarzyna Chojnacka of the Faculty of Chemistry.
The project is coordinated by the Greek company DRAXIS Research Ventures, and the consortium includes partners from the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Belgium, Germany and Spain. The total funding is nearly €5 million, of which €730,000 will go to the team from Wroclaw.
RE-GROWTH focuses on biofabrication, or the creation of building materials using biological processes.
Our project will combine biotechnology, architecture and engineering to create a new generation of materials that are safe, resistant to climate change and simply beautiful, explains Prof. Barbara Widera of the Architecture Department.
The project will develop, among other things, mycelium-based composites with high insulation properties, biofabricated polymers for fireproof coatings, and biopolymers reinforced with natural fibers.
A Living Lab and technology demonstrator will also be set up in the courtyard of the Architecture Department to test and demonstrate new materials.
This is where we will test and demonstrate technologies that can revolutionize the construction market," stresses Prof. Barbara Widera.
NuBau
The second project is NuBau (Reverse Local Construction Supply Chains for the Beautiful Re-Assembly of Reclaimed Construction Products).
The substantive leader on the PWr side is Dr. Kajetan Sadowski, and Prof. Barbara Widera and Dr. Jakub Onyszkiewicz are also on the team. The consortium is led by Queen's University Belfast, and the project includes partners from Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Spain and Finland.
The project's budget is nearly €4 million, of which nearly €354,000 has been allocated to the team from Wroclaw.
The project focuses on the reuse of building materials, primarily recycled concrete.
The planned tasks, carried out jointly with ARUP, will focus on research into beauty and aesthetics in the spirit of the New European Bauhaus, as well as methods of co-creating space with residents, says Dr. Kajetan Sadowski of the Department of Architecture.
Researchers will also analyze the emotional and sensory experiences of space users.
We will analyze the sensory and emotional experiences of users in order to define aesthetic parameters that allow us to design reclaimed elements in a harmonious and space-enriching way, explains Dr. Kajetan Sadowski. - We want reclaimed concrete elements to become carriers of cultural and social values.
REVAIL
The third project is REVAIL, whose leader at PWr is Prof. Magdalena Baborska-Narożny in cooperation with Aleksandra Kręt-Grześkowiak.
The project is implemented by a consortium led by the Italian institution Eurac Research, with partners from Belgium, Denmark, Austria, France, Greece and Spain.
The project's budget is nearly €4 million, of which €343,000 has been allocated to the Wroclaw team.
The goal of the project is to reuse wood, aluminum and ceramic elements when retrofitting buildings.
This will make it possible, for example, to create prefabricated façade panels from reclaimed ceramic tiles," describes Prof. Magdalena Baborska-Narożny of the Architecture Department.
Researchers will also analyze the social acceptance of architecture created from recycled materials.
Through co-creation processes, we will ensure that new reassembly techniques are not only functional, but also understandable and attractive to users, Prof. Baborska-Narożny emphasizes.
