Nicholas Nouri’s Post

"𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺? 𝗜𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼?" Yes—and it’s making a comeback. 🌍✨ Why? Because our world needs more than just business-as-usual. #CorporateUrbanism —where companies actively invest in their communities—is not just a legacy; it’s becoming essential in the age of #ESG and #CSRD frameworks. Here are three inspiring examples from the past💡

ESG & #CorporateUrbanism – Part 1: The Origins Corporate urbanism — the idea of companies actively shaping communities —has deep historical roots. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, visionary businesses understood that investing in worker wellbeing and community development wasn’t just ethical, it was strategic. 🧪 Take 𝗔𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗳𝘁, developed in 1881 by Agneta Matthes and Jacob Cornelis van Marken. Designed by Louis Paul Zocher, this garden village offered quality housing, green spaces, and community amenities—a progressive effort years ahead of the Dutch Housing Act of 1902. Today, Agneta Park still thrives, adjacent to the DSM biotech campus, standing as a landmark of corporate leadership. 💡 A few decades later, 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻 built Philipsdorp, a neighborhood enriched with housing, schools, daycare, and community facilities. In 1929, the company launched the Netherlands’ first company school, educating nearly 4,000 students of all ages. This initiative, championed by Anna de Jongh—wife of Anton Philips—highlighted the transformative role education could play in corporate-community relationships. 🍫 Similarly, 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, created by Cadbury, envisioned not just housing but an environment fostering health, happiness, with one-tenth of the estate "laid out and used as parks, recreation grounds and open space. It set a benchmark for how companies could foster both individual wellbeing and community resilience. These early examples remind us of the enduring potential of corporate urbanism to create environments where businesses and communities thrive together—a principle that remains profoundly relevant today 🌟 💬 What examples of historical corporate urbanism inspire you? Let’s discuss! At Blossity, we help companies create meaningful social impact through corporate urbanism - transforming #ESG from a pet project to a powerful strategy for lasting change. #stickycities #socialimpact #futureofcities

🥳 2024 ended with highly satisfactory news: the Circular Building Convert project is approved by the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) programme. ❓ What is it about? 🏢 ➡️ 🏠 Developing solutions to transform office building into affordable housing, introducing circularity in the working habits and methods of social landlords and housing developers. Please pay attention to the word "affordable": the challenge is indeed to develop a sustainable business model to massify the production of affordable and social housing. Well, let's say that it is one of the many challenges of this project, because there are also technical ones that will be tackled... To make the project sucessful, there is a great team involved: - Lille Métropole Habitat (FR) as lead partner - Wonen Limburg Accent (NL) - Commune d'Etterbeek / Gemeente Etterbeek (BE) - Gemeente Heerlen (NL) - Delft University of Technology (NL) - RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau (DE) - Green Transformable Building Lab (NL) - CD2E (FR) - RetroKit (IE) - and Métropole Européenne de Lille (MEL) (FR)   And to support the team, the project will also receive useful advising from: - ICLEI - Housing Europe - ACE Architectes - Carbery Housing Association - CSTB - perspective.brussels - Stadsregio Parkstad Limburg   📢 Stay tuned for future news on Circular Building Convert! 😊And as we start 2025, I wish you a happy new year, full of happiness and successin your professional and personal projects. 😊   Gabriel Buisine, Constance Bigot, Benjamin Plard, Hilde Remøy, Angela Greco, Christian Glock, Saad Almahmoud, Xavier Dubuisson, Twan De Bruijn, Elma Durmisevic, Paul Consten, Sylvia Gottgens, Lars Rompen, GUINA Sabine, François Xavier Ollivry, Kenneth Stulens, Jean-François Maljean, Frans Drummen

Zeetopia reimagines Zeebrugge’s coastline as a seamless interaction between natural forces and urban life. Anchored in the movement of wind, water, and sand, the design translates the essence of the Belgian coast into a built environment that enhances its surroundings rather than competes with them. A raised waterfront promenade becomes the spine of the project, offering uninterrupted views, access to the marina, and public spaces layered with greenery. On the ground level, a vibrant mix of functions—including markets, dining, and educational facilities—ensures the area thrives as a cultural and social hub. This commitment to context extends into Zeetopia’s sustainability ethos. Green roofs define the project’s visual and ecological identity, combining biodiversity with climate resilience. Elevated ground levels safeguard against flooding, while underground parking balances utility with adaptability, offering room for future transformations as mobility evolves. A shift towards renewable energy, supported by offshore wind partnerships, underscores the project’s ambition to align architecture with environmental responsibility. Through its sculpted volumes, rotated masses, and integrated public spaces, Zeetopia blurs the boundaries between the built and natural world. It is a development rooted in place yet forward-looking, redefining how coastal cities can adapt and grow while remaining true to their identity.

On World Green Roof Day, we celebrate the innovation of green roofs that bring nature back to urban spaces. These green refuges improve air quality, conserve energy, support biodiversity, and offer beautiful, serene retreats amidst our bustling cities. Our 'Growing Up' green roof was the world’s first fully funded, competition designed, retro-fitted green roof. 'Growing Up' was initiated by the Committee for Melbourne's 'Future Focus Group' in response to their 'Future Map 2030 Climate Change Taskforce' recommendation to increase Melbourne's resilience to climate change by installing green roofs on city buildings. An open design competition, chaired by the Victorian Government Architect, was held in 2009, and industry leaders and suppliers were called upon to provide financial and in-kind support. The Committee for Melbourne intend for this project to become a "blueprint to green-roof Melbourne," enhancing the city's livability and its reputation as a centre for biotechnology, creativity, research and development, and culture. 'Growing Up' explores the environmental, social and spatial potential of a green roof. The scheme proposes a central landscaped hill, around which a singular circulation zone expands and contracts to create a number of gathering spaces of various scales and orientations. Bound by edges of seating and planting, inhabitants are to be completely surrounded by greenery along a continuous experience of the roof. Traditional garden structures, such as a folly, gazebo and terracing, create diversity along the journey. 'Growing Up' aims to showcase the environmental, social and economic benefits of green roofs through the creation of an oasis within the city – a place that is both connected to and protected from its surrounds. In addition to the recreational functions of the roof design, the project also performs a research function. Monitoring equipment, a centralised roof water collection and irrigation system and a micro-weather station will allow researchers from The University of Melbourne to collect green roof performance data. 📷 @diannasnape #wgrd2024 #greenroof #growingup

EN 🤩 As for many of you, the new year is bringing many good news to B.Link... like the new Linkedin BARRIO_EU page!   🏘️ BARRIO is a LIFE Programme project aiming at renovating #neighbourhoods for a decarbonized future through the development of a #matchmaking tool connecting the demand for energy-efficient renovations with the supply of innovative, scalable solutions.    🌱 As project partners, we invite you all to #follow our LinkedIn page to never miss news, updates and campaigns on sustainable renovation practices! CAT 🤩 Com per a molts de vosaltres, el nou any porta moltes bones notícies a B.Link... com la nova pàgina de Linkedin de BARRIO_EU ! 🏘️ BARRIO és un projecte #LIFE que té com a objectiu renovar els #barris per a un futur descarbonitzat mitjançant el desenvolupament d'una eina de #matchmaking que posa en contacte la demanda de renovacions energèticament eficients amb l'oferta de solucions innovadores i escalables. 🌱 Com a socis del projecte, us convidem a #seguir la nostra pàgina de LinkedIn per no perdre cap notícia, actualització ni campanya sobre pràctiques de renovació sostenible! Certimac | Materials. Energy. Sustainability. Instituto Valenciano de la Edificación (IVE) IRI UL - Institute for Innovation and Development of University of Ljubljana Econoler Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect Ubik Geospatial Solutions Housing Europe CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency

🌍 The Future of Living: Where Regeneration Meets Technology 🏘️ Imagine designing sustainable, thriving communities with the precision of SimCity—but in real life. 🖥️ VillageOS, a groundbreaking platform, merges urban planning, technology, and regenerative principles to create living spaces that are not just functional but sustainable and community-driven. In an era where climate-conscious solutions are a priority, tools like VillageOS can empower architects, planners, and organizations to rethink how we build and live. 🏡💡 #Sustainability #Innovation #UrbanPlanning #FutureOfWork #HRTrends

🌍 Good news for sustainable housing in Brussels! 🏗️ As a real estate investment fund dedicated to developing and managing affordable and sustainable housing, Vicinity's commitment to sustainability is reflected at every stage of the process, from design to construction and beyond. 💡 Let's look at the Milcamps project Located in Schaerbeek, this project, including 31 residential units, is a great example of how circular materials can transform construction into a more responsible practice. Thanks to the expertise and collaboration of Democo and Coliseum Construction, this project features materials sourced from reuse, construction surplus, and production surplus: ✔️ 35% of the floor tiles: 906 m² ✔️ 75% of the roof insulation: 581 m² ✔️ 100% of the shared wall insulation: 250 m² ✔️ 100% of the basement doors: 15 doors ✔️ 100% of the terrace blue stone slabs: 275 m² We are also sourcing circular lighting for the staircases. 🤝 A big thank you to our partners, Democo and Coliseum Construction, for making this possible. Together, we’re proving that sustainable housing isn’t just an idea—it’s a reality. 🌱 🎉 Cherry on the cake The Milcamps project aims for an A+ energy performance rating, with a targeted average primary energy consumption of just 13 kWh/m²/year. For comparison, the current standard for new constructions in Brussels is around 45 kWh/m²/year, making Milcamps nearly three times more efficient. #BCorp #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #AffordableHousing #RealEstate #Brussels #ImpactInvesting Barthelemy de Callatay Marc-Antoine de Callatay Réginald Oers Francis Heeb Jean Baptiste Van Ex David Vanbegin

🌿🌍 As we rethink the way we live, the question arises: How can we create communities that are not only sustainable but also adaptable and deeply connected to nature? Modular construction is redefining this vision—offering a future where homes are built faster, with less environmental impact, and more flexibility. Imagine neighborhoods that seamlessly blend modern living with eco-conscious design, creating spaces where people thrive in harmony with their surroundings. 🌱 Discover how with Technoblox's modular technology the communities of tomorrow are possible. 💡 Read the full article here: #SustainableLiving #ModularHomes #GreenCommunities #Technoblox #FutureOfHousing #EcoFriendly #SustainableTechnology #Construction

#Germany is ginormous! Sat on a 10-hour train ride just to get through it. Plenty of time to research some cool community projects that came out of the mind of a German. I stumbled on #HeidelbergVillage! A fascinating project with all the elements necessary for success. Except one thing: The project website sucks (https://lnkd.in/exjX7yHq)! Feels like a website built in the 80s. It’s a pitty, because the project has great elements to connect the viewers emotion. (Need help with that? Visit conceptsbyjones.com) Back to the project 😅 Here are some fun facts about this it and why I believe its next level: 🌿 Green Buildings: Homes here use solar panels and green roofs to save energy, blending modern design with nature. 🌱 Community Gardens: Residents grow their own veggies in shared gardens, promoting local food and community spirit. 💧 Water Recycling: The village has systems to recycle water, conserving this precious resource. 🚶♂️ No Cars Needed: The area is designed for walking and biking, reducing the need for cars. It's healthier and greener. Built in 2017, Heidelberg Village shows us how we can make cities greener and better for everyone. Any project developers or architects in #Copenhagen interested in chatting about innovative real estate ideas? Let’s connect! #SustainableLiving #UrbanDevelopment #GreenArchitecture #EcoFriendly #HeidelbergVillage #RealEstateInnovation #CommunityLiving #Sustainability #FutureOfHousing