New European Bauhaus: Europe’s Sustainable, Inclusive Design Vision

The New European Bauhaus: Europe’s Vision for Sustainable Transformation

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is a forward-looking initiative originated by the European Union, combining the transformative power of design, sustainability, and inclusivity to reimagine the built environment across Europe. Connecting the aims of the European Green Deal with practical projects, it brings about a paradigm shift in how Europeans live, work, and engage with their communities.
Launched in 2020 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NEB is inspired by the original Bauhaus movement’s blend of art, science, and everyday life, updated for the urgent sustainability and inclusivity challenges of the 21st century .

Origins and Philosophy: Bridging Past and Future

Introduced in October 2020 during the State of the Union address, the New European Bauhaus draws from the legacy of Walter Gropius’s 1919 Bauhaus movement, which merged artistic expression with functional everyday design. Today, NEB seeks to blend those ideals with the European Green Deal for tangible impact on people’s lives .

• Inspiration: The original Bauhaus revolutionized architecture and design by uniting art and function.
• Modern Vision: NEB merges sustainability and aesthetics, emphasizing beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive spaces.
• EU Green Deal: NEB translates high-level climate and ecological goals into community-driven transformations.

Objectives: What NEB Aims to Achieve

The initiative aspires to:

• Create sustainable and beautiful neighborhoods.
• Promote inclusion by involving diverse communities in project design and implementation.
• Drive innovation at the intersection of environmental care, social wellbeing, and creative design.
• Connect cultural heritage and cutting-edge technology to revitalize urban and rural environments.

A New Financial Backbone: The NEB Facility (2025-2027)

To accelerate its ambitions, the EU launched the New European Bauhaus Facility 2025-2027, a unique funding instrument supporting NEB-aligned projects . This facility:

• Provides crucial financial support for scaling transformation initiatives.
• Helps neighborhoods become more sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful.
• Connects research, innovation, design, and cultural projects under the NEB banner.

Rather than a standalone research ‘mission’, NEB will integrate with the Horizon Europe Programme as a ‘destination’ in its collaborative research pillar, ensuring structured support and visibility. A €20 million budget will fund multiple calls for projects around topics such as neighborhood transformation, bio-based materials, regenerative design, community governance, and knowledge sharing tools for NEB .
This approach builds on the successful €1 billion Green Deal call, ensuring NEB’s continuity and impact.

Why Not a Standalone Mission?

Although initially considered as a new Horizon Europe Mission, member states preferred a more traditional structure, allowing NEB to grow steadily alongside established EU funding frameworks .

• Member State Consensus: After the positive assessment of existing missions, states chose consolidation—focusing on proven programs.
• Structured Growth: NEB will have greater stability and visibility by being integrated into a dedicated work programme beginning in 2025.

Community-Led Innovation: Local Change, Continental Impact

True change stems from people. NEB puts communities at the heart of transformation by supporting citizen-driven projects through Connect NEB and Co-create NEB programs .

• In 2025, 18 new initiatives will receive funding, each rooted in local needs and ambitions.
• Projects range from reclaiming green spaces, revamping pedestrian access, designing climate-adaptive solutions, and turning schoolyards into food-growing hubs.
• The NEB approach empowers the bottom-up creativity necessary to foster resilience and inclusion.

This process elevates the idea that collective action can shape neighborhoods into beautiful, healthy places to live—cities and towns redesigned through consultation, co-creation, and shared ownership .

Showcasing Success: The NEB Prizes and Real-World Solutions

The NEB Prizes, launched in 2021 and entering their fifth edition in 2025, recognize outstanding achievements in sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful design .

• Over 5,000 applications received to date; €1.5 million awarded to 72 winners.
• The 2025 awards emphasize affordable housing solutions, with four dedicated prizes for projects that exemplify NEB values.

President von der Leyen underscored the urgency: “Affordable housing solutions are one of the most urgent challenges of our time. These initiatives demonstrate how small, smart efforts can create meaningful, lasting change” .
Winners showcase successful community-driven transformations and foster a vibrant pan-European network of designers, architects, technologists, and residents.

Key Achievements from NEB Prizes

• Improvements in housing affordability across Europe.
• Innovations in sustainable materials, co-designed public spaces, and circular economy solutions.
• Exemplary integration of cultural heritage with cutting-edge ecological technologies.
• Collaborative partnerships spanning urban and rural environments.

Education, Academy, and Festivals: Building a Sustainable Culture

In April 2024, the NEB Academy was inaugurated, providing essential education and skill-building opportunities, especially in the construction sector .

• The Academy supports professionals in sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusiveness.
• It is foundational for accelerating the fair and green transformation of the built environment.

The Second Festival of the New European Bauhaus, held in April 2024, brought together policymakers, designers, and citizens to celebrate achievements, share best practices, and showcase hundreds of inspiring projects .

• Festival Structure: Forum, Fair, Fest, and Satellite events held across Europe.
• The 2024 edition added sustainable fashion as a forum topic, including a dedicated fashion show.

Connecting Sustainability, Design, and Cultural Heritage

The NEB places equal emphasis on sustainability, innovation, and cultural heritage. Its projects blend traditional practices with bio-based materials and contemporary design philosophies for holistic regeneration .

• Regenerative Design: Projects use renewable resources and integrate circular economy principles.
• Cultural Heritage: Revitalization efforts respect local history while embracing innovation.
• Beautiful Places: NEB’s philosophy prizes not only ecological and social health, but the aesthetic quality that fosters wellbeing.

Table: NEB Values in Action

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the New European Bauhaus?

A: The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is an EU initiative merging design, sustainability, and inclusion to transform urban and rural environments, bring the Green Deal to life, and inspire beautiful, sustainable spaces .

Q: Who can participate in NEB projects?

A: NEB encourages participation from local communities, architects, designers, artists, residents, and municipalities. Its bottom-up structure means anyone with a creative solution can contribute .

Q: How will the NEB Facility 2025-2027 fund projects?

A: The Facility supports projects through structured funding calls under Horizon Europe, focusing on neighborhood transformation, regenerative design, bio-based materials, and knowledge sharing .

Q: What are the core values of NEB?

A: NEB is grounded in sustainability, beauty, and inclusion—values reflected in every project from affordable housing to community gardens and public festivals .

Q: How impactful has NEB been so far?

A: Since 2021, NEB has inspired thousands of participants, awarded over €1.5 million to innovative projects, and created a Europe-wide network tackling environmental and social challenges .

Looking Ahead: Transforming Europe, One Neighborhood at a Time

The New European Bauhaus continues to expand its reach. As neighborhood transformation, skill-building, regenerative design, and cultural innovation take root, NEB shapes a legacy of sustainability for generations to come. It demonstrates that beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive places are central to Europe’s future—and that every citizen can be a co-creator in this movement.

• New calls for projects and expanded funding mechanisms
• Greater focus on cross-cultural and intergenerational approaches
• Continued alignment with the European Green Deal and the 2025-2027 roadmap
• Opportunities for international partnerships and knowledge exchange

The New European Bauhaus is not just a policy. It is a creative movement—a network of voices, visions, and projects that together chart the path toward a healthier, more inspiring Europe.