E2ARC ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH FOR CITIES

Their core work

E2ARC is a Belgian research centre specializing in architecture and building technology for climate-resilient cities. They develop advanced building envelope solutions — from energy-smart glass and switchable façade technologies to nature-based urban interventions that address air quality, heat islands, and environmental justice. Their work sits at the intersection of building physics, urban design, and climate adaptation, translating material science innovations into practical architectural applications for European cities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

E2ARC entered H2020 in 2019 with a clear building-technology focus — smart windows, electrochromic and thermochromic cells, and energy-efficient glass façades. By 2021, their work had shifted decisively toward nature-based urban solutions, climate adaptation, environmental justice, and data-driven policy tools. This evolution shows a research centre moving from component-level material innovation toward systems-level urban resilience thinking, integrating social equity dimensions along the way.

E2ARC is moving toward integrated urban climate resilience — combining building technology, nature-based solutions, and social justice — making them a strong fit for future Green Deal and Mission-driven projects.

How they like to work

E2ARC operates exclusively as a participant, never as coordinator, which is typical for a smaller, specialized research centre contributing domain expertise to larger consortia. With 77 unique partners across 22 countries in just 4 projects, they consistently join large Innovation Action consortia — suggesting they are valued for specific architectural and urban design expertise rather than project management. Their broad partner network indicates openness to new collaborations and low barriers to entry for potential partners.

Despite only 4 projects, E2ARC has built a remarkably wide network of 77 partners across 22 countries, reflecting the large-scale Innovation Action consortia they join. Their reach spans most of Europe with no narrow geographic concentration.

What sets them apart

E2ARC occupies a rare niche bridging building-level technology (smart materials, façades) and city-level climate strategy (nature-based solutions, urban design, environmental justice). Most research groups specialize in either materials or urban planning — E2ARC connects both scales. For consortium builders, this means a single partner who can contribute across the building-to-city continuum, particularly valuable in Horizon Europe missions on climate-neutral cities.

Highlights from their portfolio

• JUSTNature
  Their largest project (EUR 597K) and most ambitious in scope — combining nature-based solutions with environmental justice, ICT, and policy governance for low-carbon urban transitions.
• Switch2save
  Demonstrates their deep building-technology roots in electrochromic and thermochromic switchable glass — a highly specific materials expertise that differentiates them from pure urban-planning groups.
• iclimabuilt
  Bridges their two focus areas — advanced insulating materials meet climate-adaptive building design — and involves both digital and manufacturing sectors.