EAAE 4th Deans’ Summit hosted by Amsterdam Academy of Architecture, 25-26 April 2024

We face enormous critical developments in many contexts and at all scales as well as accelerating changes of all kinds: The questions of resources – of energy consumption, climate change, and sustainability –, of economic dislocations, environmental disruptions, conflict and war, demographic shifts and migration and of disruptive new technologies like artificial intelligence are of primary concern. The pace of change shows no sign of slowing down. However, these challenges must be transformed into opportunities for moving forward – not easily, one has to admit.

Our sector – building and construction – has an immense impact on our ecosystem, our lives. Almost two thirds of global carbon emission is produced by this sector – that includes not only the construction of the built infrastructure but also its use. We design and we build, and we use land: almost two thirds of world’s population live today in urban areas, the ratio constantly raising. And the cities are responsible for more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
We can rise to the occasion and help bringing solutions to these problems! What an impressive task… it is our duty to contribute to fighting climate change, finding solutions for its effects and overall help improve sustainability.
As schools of architecture, we are responsible to serve – the needs of society and to empower the next generations for their huge task in transforming the challenges into chances!

Thank you all: director of Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Madeleine Maaskant and her team with keynotes from Floris Alkemade, Janna Bystrykh, Peter van Assche, Maike van Stiphout.