Within the presidency, there will be a conference on architecture policies

Prague - An international conference aimed at presenting architecture policy as a useful tool for public administration as well as raising awareness among everyday users and clients of construction will take place in April in Prague as part of the Czech EU Presidency. Through architecture policy, European countries are striving to enhance social awareness of architectural quality, its significance for the environment, and even sustainable development. In the Czech Republic, there is currently no architecture policy.
The conference is organized by the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA) and the Ministry for Regional Development. Many EU member states have their architecture policies approved. The ČKA has also prepared such a document, which was completed early this year.
"It has been handed to the Ministry for Regional Development, which currently does not consider it strategic to present a proposal to the government. On the contrary, it believes, as does the ČKA, that during the Czech EU presidency, this theme will be more relevant. And the conference will further support the approval," said ČKA spokesperson Markéta Pražanová to ČTK today.
The creation of the Architecture Policy document is not mandated by law; thus, it will only serve as a kind of recommendation. It's not just about making people feel better – construction and maintenance are among the main consumers of energy and significant pollutants of the environment. Buildings in the EU use approximately 40 percent of all energy and account for the same share of total waste production. Therefore, the concept of architecture policy aims to appeal to the quality of architecture in terms of efforts to save energy resources and improve today's practices and technologies.
The need for quality architecture in the Czech Republic is often discussed only based on contrasting examples - the phenomenon of new suburban colonies of family houses is frequently debated. The proposal for a new National Library building has sparked discussions about architecture in connection with public budgets. There has been a call for greater responsibility from politicians and civil servants primarily for the quality of the environment, of which architecture is a part - both in terms of cultural heritage and the buildings that are yet to be created.