Open House Europe is a new partnership between 12 Open House festivals across the continent, launched on 1 March. This 3-year programme will embrace a more inclusive debate about architecture and strengthen the role of architecture as a positive change-maker by addressing relevant social and environmental challenges: sustainability, accessibility and inclusion, and future heritage.

Focusing on these themes, Open House Europe aims to shape the agenda for a debate about contemporary and heritage architecture, its values and quality. The objectives of the project are to introduce collaborative modes of knowledge exchange, strengthen the position of cultural architecture organisations in the sector, promote education about exceptional examples of architecture and urban environments, engage audiences, and increase cultural accessibility.

Open House Europe also enhances existing festivals by bringing new opportunities to visitors and volunteers – including the Volunteer Exchange programme. Twice a year, experienced local volunteers can apply to participate in the exchange, lending their expertise and enthusiasm to another Open House festival in the partnership, with expenses paid.

On the weekend of 13-14 May, we sent our first cohort of Open House Dublin exchange volunteers off to Europe!

• Nick Taaffe to Open House Brno (Czech Republic)
• Natalie de Róiste to Open House Lisboa (Portugal)
• Tereza Godói to Open House Milano (Italy)

Check out their amazing photos and highlights on Instagram @openhousedublin, and watch this space for the second Open House Europe Volunteer Exchange call, coming soon!

Open House Dublin is a programme of the Irish Architecture Foundation. Open House Europe is coordinated by Architektūros fondas in Vilnius and co-funded by the European Union through Creative Europe.

Photo: Tereza Godói on the top floor of the Grattacielo Pirelli Tower, Milan. Courtesy of Tereza Godói.