In 2024, the design studio of station.plus interviewed professors, teaching assistants and diploma students as part of the HouseEurope! Initiative at the Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich. Featuring leading voices in contemporary architectural discourse, the series “Renovation Voices” captures the state of architectural education in the light of the climate crisis. The episode focuses on ecological sustainability in the context of the architectural discipline.
“Renovation Voices” shows that to the new generation of architects the value of the existing is evident, as is the need to engage with it when adapting the built environment of today for the needs of tomorrow. Renovation is not merely about improving efficiency or property value; it engages with the social, environmental, and economic fabric of our urban landscapes. It is essential for preserving the cultural and historical narratives that define our communities, preventing architectural heritage from being exploited for profit-driven gentrification, and protecting our environment from further degradation. The three parts of the series focus each on one of the three components of sustainability: ecological, economic and social. Exploring each aspect in its relation to building serves to define the agency of the architect to design what is truly sustainable. The collective understanding of the “Renovation Voices” proves that it is the imperative of architects to initiate the broader cultural shift needed to make renovation the new norm.