Unpacking Europe’s Housing Transition – Pathways to a Sustainable Future

01 juli 2025 10:00 t/m 12:30 - Locatie: TU Delft Aula - Door: Urban Energy Institute |

On Tuesday 1 July, TU Delft will host a seminar on the future of sustainable housing from European perspective. Organized by the Management in the Built Environment (MBE) Department of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment in collaboration with the Urban Energy Institute, the event will explore the challenges and opportunities of energy renovation and transition at the building level.

The seminar also marks the opening of the Summer School on Sustainable Housing from a European Perspective, a two-week program where ~30 international students will work on a Delft-based housing case study. While the Summer School is a closed program, the seminar is open to a broader audience.

The seminar will place these issues within the wider context of policy frameworks, technological innovation and market developments, offering insights from local to international perspectives. Bringing together diverse perspectives on housing, urban development and energy transition, it will examine how Europe’s housing stock can evolve to meet climate goals, while ensuring affordability, equity, and social inclusion.

Location: TU Delft Aula

Agenda

• 09:45 - 10:00: Walk in and Coffee
• 10:00 - 10:20: Welcome and introduction to the seminar and Summer School by Henk Visscher and Queena Qian
• 10:20 - 11:20: Short keynotes: Perspectives on Europe's Housing Transition
  • Prof. Ellen van Bueren, Professor of Urban Development Management at TU Delft
  • Dr. Frank Wassenberg, Housing Market Specialist at Platform31
  • Heerd Jan Hoogeveen, Energy Transition Programme Manager at Municipality of Delft
  • Dr. Ad Straub and Ragy Elgendy, Summer school Co-coordinators.
• 11:20 - 11:50: Panel discussion with speakers
• 11:50 - 12:00: Wrap-up & Reflections by Henk Visscher and Queena Qian
• 12:00 - 13:00: Networking Lunch

Speaker Bios

Prof. Henk Visscher is the Director of the Urban Energy Institute and holds the Chair of Housing Quality at TU Delft. His work centres on sustainable housing and energy-efficient renovation, particularly emphasising integrating technical innovation, policy frameworks and social considerations.

Dr. Queena Qian is an Associate Professor in the Management in the Built Environment Department at TU Delft’s Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. Her research focuses on green building promotion, building energy efficiency, energy retrofitting, and sustainable age-friendly urban development, employing transaction costs and behavioral economics theories.

Prof. Ellen van Bueren is Professor of Urban Development Management and Head of the Management in the Built Environment Department at TU Delft’s Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. Her research centers on governance, administration, and collaborative decision-making in sustainable urban development, emphasizing integrated, area-specific approaches to complex urban challenges.

Dr. Frank Wassenberg is a housing market specialist at Platform31, where he focuses on housing policy, market dynamics, and energy transition within the built environment. His expertise encompasses the analysis of housing affordability, social inclusion and sustainable renovation strategies across European contexts.

Heerd Jan Hoogeveen is Program Manager for Energy Transition, working with a team of experts to make the energy transition happen in Delft.  He is responsible for a program covering all aspects of the energy transition, from the technicalities of heat networks and net congestion, to co-creation together with Delft's inhabitants, companies and other organisations.

Dr. Ad Straub is Associate Professor of Public organizations and Public Procurement in Construction, Department Management in the Built Environment (MBE) at the Faculty Architecture and the Built Environment. His research focuses on methods and instruments for asset and property management, supply chain integration and collaborative relationships, circular public procurement strategies and business models for sustainable transformation.

Ragy Elgendy is an architectural engineer and PhD researcher at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at TU Delft with a specialization in upscaling energy renovations for residential buildings across the European Union. He focuses on identifying viable business models for integrated home renovation service providers targeting homeowners' associations.

Registration link here.