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It is a great pleasure to be with you at the 34th General Assembly of the Cyprus Architects' Association. In accordance with the invitation, I am here in my capacity as Commissioner for the Environment. However, I maintain my identity as an Architect and Environmental Engineer, especially considering how much impact our profession, or rather our profession, has on everything that surrounds us - the urban fabric, rural settlements, nature, the traditional man-made landscape, society and people's quality of life.
Our projects and visions do not remain in our minds or on paper. Our responsibilities are as great as the satisfaction of creation. Our works shape the space in which we live, the way we live, move, and absolutely influence the way we interact with the environment around us. The role of architecture is therefore a leading one.
The climate crisis is the greatest challenge for architects (and for environmental engineers, of course) today. We may not be part of the problem but we can certainly be part of the solution with our projects and designs.
Green/sustainable development, the circular economy, the need to preserve and enhance biodiversity, the protection and management of cultural heritage (built and intangible), the avoidance of land sealing, the natural regeneration of the landscape, bioclimatic architecture and the use of sustainable materials, together with modern and innovative technologies and natural building, need to become priorities in order to reduce the carbon footprint of our designs.
However, I would like to add that sustainable architecture goes beyond the technical dimension, and integrates in a single framework environmental sensitivity and culture as well as a social role. Every sustainable architectural project must be subject to an integrated analysis, which makes every technical choice we make part of a broader effort for active social participation and environmental responsibility.
The whole philosophy of sustainable architecture is not limited to the construction of buildings with a minimal ecological footprint, but also actively shapes and presents a way of life and an attitude against the climate crisis.
From my position as Commissioner for the Environment, I look forward to the close cooperation with the Cyprus Association of Architects and the ETEK, and to their interventions, which over the years have greatly helped to determine political decisions and address various issues in the field of architecture, engineering and urban planning.
I wish the 34th General Assembly of the Association every success.
Thank you.
(ASP)
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