Karel Verstraeten
Karel Verstraeten is co-founder and partner architect of FELT, a 12-person architecture office based in Ghent (Belgium). With Villa Kameleon, FELT won the EAE Award in 2023-2024, one of several recognitions for the office’s work. Since its founding in 2014, FELT has become known for rigorous, socially engaged architecture across all scales, from private housing to complex public commissions.
Karel holds a Master of Science in Engineering: Architecture from Ghent University and gained experience at 51N4E in Brussels before co-founding FELT. His notable projects include Villa Kameleon, the Provinciaal Hof renovation in Bruges, and De Linde school, which was nominated for the Belgian Building Award and the EU Mies Award. He also lectures at universities and institutions across Belgium and the Netherlands.
Adrian Joyce
Adrian Joyce is the Campaign Director of the Renovate Europe Campaign, which was initiated by Efficient Buildings Europe in 2011, and enjoys the support of 53 partners from industry, civil society, city networks, research, financing, and trade unions. The partners include 18 National partners active at member state level. The Renovate Europe Campaign has a clear call: to accelerate the deep energy renovation of buildings in the EU to 3% per year by 2030. It is the only EU-wide campaign that focuses exclusively on ambitious renovation of the building stock in the EU and is the voice that ‘bangs the drum’ for energy efficient renovations, taking a technology neutral, integrated and holistic approach to energy efficient renovations.
Adrian Joyce is a professionally qualified architect who, having graduated from University College Dublin in 1984, spent 17 years in private practice (working in the UK, France, and Belgium and in his native country, Ireland) before getting involved full-time in architectural policy.
Prof. Zuzana Sternova
Prof. Zuzana Sternova is EAE‘s Vice President, Director of Building Testing and Research Institute (TSUS), NPO in Bratislava and Chairwoman of the Slovak Association for ETICS (OZ ZPZ). Her main focus is on research, design, consulting and diagnostics in the area of energy performance of buildings, renovation of existing buildings and improvements of thermal protection. She supported the implementation of the EPBD. Prof Sternova is an author of some national technical standards (thermal protection of buildings, performance of ETICS). She is Chairwoman of national TC 58, minor to CEN/TC 89.
The publication activities of Prof Sternova are related to building energy performance of buildings, indoor climate, thermal protection, ETICS and renewal existing buildings. She started in 1978 as lecturer on technical universities. From 2007 she has been lecturer in offcial trainings for energy certification of building (EPBD). She participates in different research projects at national and international level. She was the leading person of several pilot and demonstration projects in Slovak Republic for the renovation of buildings. The last of which was awarded as the best renovated apartment building at the NZEB level.
Dr. Clemens Hecht
Dr. Clemens Hecht is EAE board member for Technical Affairs. Since 2012 he is spokesman of the Austrian ETICS association. In this role he is responsible for technical guidelines (e.g. the Austrian application guideline VAR), Austrian representation in the CEN working group ETICS; training and certification of craftsman (ZFV), PR and cooperation with national and international associations. Main topics are the quality of systems and the execution on site.
Furthermore, the Austrian ETICS association awards the ETHOUSE award every two years,for outstanding thermal renovation, considering both architectural and technical aspects.
Picture credit: Lukas Lorenz
Diego Marcucci
Diego Marcucci is spokesman of EAE’s Italian ETICS member association Cortexa; he was its President from 2016 to 2020. Diego Marcucci became EAE board member for Marketing Affairs in 2022 after holding the role of a chairman of the Marketing Committee for many years.
Diego Marcucci has been working for almost 20 years in Cromology, an Italian ETICS manufacturer. He has a strong focus on sustainability, innovation processes and product development. He has followed several communication and marketing projects and now makes available all his experience for the development and dissemination of ETICS throughout Europe.
