The European Conferences on Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Architecture and Planning, raise, in its third edition, the topic “Crisis and Architecture” from the point of view of:

- Sustainable Architecture and Energy Efficiency

- The city and the Sustainable Planning

- Evaluation, Monitorization  and Managment with IT (Information Technology) Technologies.

These three topics will be raised from a integrative visión, considering that in this moment, in which we all are called to actuate with parsimony, when “Green bussiness” and “Sustainable Construction”, should be boosted, as measures to fight the crisis.

One of the most affected groups because of the present crisis is the construction and the real-station sector, that in 2008represented in Spain the 10,6% of the national GDP and provided work to the 12% of the population. To the seriousness of the current economic situation, is added the concern about the environment, the buildings are responsable of the 40% of the CO2 emissions to the atmosphere and the 30% of the power consumption. In this situation the architect plays a very important role taking the opportunity to propose products that make the difference in the market and that could give an specific response to the crisis and the environmental problem, favoring a more sustainable social development. In this context is important that the architect devotes its efforts to think about eco-efficient constructions, that use respectful materials and technologies with the environment, and that uses efficiently, the available natural sources. All that with the feedback of information about the results obtained, provided by the monitoring and intelligent management systems, to provide foundations to future decisions about constructive solutions.

The conferences are adressed to researchers, graduates, engineers, architects, and all kind of students interested in the energy efficiency and the sustainability in architecture and planning fields. The purpose of these conferences is to exploit the produced synergy from the intervetion of speakers and participants with different profiles to analize and propose responses to the current problems in depth and specificity in a general integrated atmosphere.

The purpose of the conferences, at the same time, is to strengthen the investigation lines in energy efficiency and sustainability, of the research and education groups of the Basque Country University (UPV/EHU), involved with this proposal, with the purpose of collaborating in the reinforcement of the I+D+i in its knowledge field, and support the specific raising of the Central and Basque Goverment, as well as other national and international institutions related to the I+D+i activities in the related fields of the climate change, energy efficiency and enviromental sustainability.