Between December 14–17, 2023, the Lisbon Architecture Triennale hosted the first Annual Summit of Open House Europe—an international cooperation project co-funded by the European Union.

Public debate ‘Sustainability in Urban Planning’ featured presentations on diverse research projects concerning water scarcity, heat islands and supply systems, followed by an open discussion with the audience. Manuel Banza presented his work on data science projects linked to mobility, cities and political issues, including case studies of climate shelters in Lisbon. Mariana Sanchez Salvador, an architect, shared her comprehensive research on food supply systems within urban environments.

The session was moderated by Mustafa Sherif, an urbanist and the founder of the ‘Urbanistica’ podcast. The discussion provided valuable insights into the challenges and solutions at the intersection of sustainability and urban planning.

The Annual Summit gathered the community of Open House festivals’ organisers, architecture enthusiasts, students, and professionals. Hosted in Palácio Sinel de Cordes, an 18th-century palace transformed into a cultural centre, the first Open House Europe Annual Summit featured a lively public and internal programme.

Dedicated to the theme of sustainability, the Public Programme of the summit covered three scales: the macro scale, which aims to reflect on how cities can become more sustainable through public policies; the urban scale, focusing on concrete cases reflecting the outcomes of such policies; and the scale of a building. ‘Building Futures Together’ served as the motto for the Annual Summit programme.

The Annual Summit aimed to facilitate cross-regional exchange, bringing together perspectives and expertise from diverse fields of knowledge. It was a unique opportunity for the Open House community—including anyone planning to launch an Open House festival in their city—to come together, learn, exchange knowledge, and share experiences.

The event was organised by the Lisbon Architecture Triennale, Associazione Open House Milano, Asociación Open Urbanity from Bilbao, and Open House Europe coordinators, together with the support of Open House Worldwide.

Coordinator: Architektūros fondas;
Financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture;
Annual Summit Host: Lisbon Architecture Triennale;
Annual Summit Partners: Lisbon City Council, Público;
Video Production: Disaster;
Co-funded by the European Union.