Catanzaro at the Heart of the New European Bauhaus
13 June 2026 — Official Satellite Event of the NEB Festival in Brussels
The New European Bauhaus: A Movement for Europe’s Future
The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is an initiative of the European Commission that redefines how we conceive and build the environments we live in: beautiful, sustainable and inclusive. It is not only a policy — it is a cultural movement involving architects, designers, businesses, communities and governments across Europe, with the aim of translating the European Green Deal into tangible, everyday experiences rooted in places and people.
Its most visible expression is the NEB Festival, which in 2026 reaches its third edition. The event takes place in Brussels from 9 to 13 June 2026, bringing together thousands of participants from across the continent and beyond, united by a shared vision of a future built with more beauty, greater care for the environment and more attention to people.
Alongside the central Brussels event, the European Commission promotes and officially recognises a network of satellite events, organised independently by selected organisations throughout Europe. These are not just ordinary local initiatives: they form an integral part of the official programme of the NEB Festival 2026, carrying the European conversation into local territories.
Catanzaro is One of Those Places
AARCH – Alfieri Architecture submitted its application and the European Commission officially accepted it, recognising the event as “an important part of the Festival programme, connecting participants to NEB-aligned initiatives across Europe”.
The Catanzaro Satellite Event
Democratic Placemaking by Nature
Healthy Materials and Nature-Based Solutions: Affordable Housing for Well-Being and Belonging
📅 13 June 2026 — closing day of the NEB Festival in Brussels
🕙 10:00–17:00 CET
📠Via dei Conti Falluc 70/A, Catanzaro, Italy
👥 40–60 multidisciplinary participants
ðŸŽŸï¸ Free of charge, registration required
🤠Organised by AARCH – Alfieri Architecture srl in partnership with iMED – Istituto Mediterraneo del Design APS ETS
Programme of the Day
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 10:00–10:30 | Opening Plenary — Welcome, NEB Festival 2026 context, Keynote “Why Democracies Must Reimagine Affordable Housing” |
| 10:30–11:30 | Material Experience Workshop — Four stations: timber, clay & earth materials, cork & natural insulation, Nature-based Solutions |
| 10:30–13:00 | Co-Design Lab — Co-design of affordable housing prototypes with healthy natural materials, NBS and a 30-year life-cycle perspective |
| 13:00–14:30 | Lunch & Networking — Sustainable, locally sourced catering; informal peer dialogue |
| 14:30–15:45 | Film Screening — “Our Future: Built by Nature” with guided Q&A |
| 15:45–17:00 | Policy Round Table “From Vision to Reality” — Policymakers, professionals, businesses, researchers and community |
The Film: Our Future: Built by Nature
During the event, we will screen “Our Future: Built by Nature” — narrated by Kevin McCloud and featuring Sir David Attenborough and Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. The docufilm follows the six winners of the Built by Nature Prize 2025, exploring how construction can address the climate crisis through timber and bio-based materials. Its world premiere was held at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
Who Should Attend?
- Architects, engineers, surveyors and design professionals
- Municipal and regional administrators
- Natural material manufacturers and construction companies
- Researchers and academics
- Community associations, NGOs and civil society
- Engaged and curious citizens
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