Solar air heating is among the most cost-effective applications of solar thermal energy. These systems are used for space heating and preheating fresh air for ventilation, typically using glazed or unglazed perforated solar collectors. The collectors draw in outside air, heat it using solar energy, and then distribute it through ductwork to meet building heating and fresh air needs. In 2024, Canada led again the world for the at least seventh year in a row in solar air heating adoption. The four key suppliers – Trigo Energies, Conserval Engineering, Matrix Energy, and Aéronergie – reported a combined 26,203 m2 (282,046 ft2) of collector area sold last year. Several of these providers are optimistic about the growing demand. These findings come from the newly released Canadian Solar Thermal Market Survey 2024, commissioned by Natural Resources Canada. Canada is the global leader in solar air heating. The market is driven by a strong network of experienced system suppliers, optimized technologies, and a few small favorable funding programs – especially in the province of Quebec. Architects and developers are increasingly turning to these cost-effective, façade-integrated systems as a practical solution for reducing onsite natural gas consumption. Despite its cold climate, Canada benefits from strong solar potential with solar irradiance in many areas rivaling or even exceeding that of parts of Europe. This makes solar air heating not only viable, but especially valuable in buildings with high fresh air requirements including schools, hospitals, and offices. The projects highlighted in this article showcase the versatility and relevance of solar air heating across a range of building types, from new constructions to retrofits. Figure 1: Preheating air for industrial buildings: 2,750 m2 (29,600 ft2) of Calento SL solar air collectors cover all south-west and south-east facing facades of the FAB3R factory in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The hourly unitary flow rate is set at 41 m3/m2 or 2.23 cfm/ft2 of collector area, at the lower range because only a limited number of intake fans was close enough to the solar façade to avoid long ventilation ductwork. Photo: Trigo Energies Quebec’s solar air heating boom: the Trigo Energies story Trigo Energies makes almost 90 per cent of its sales in Quebec. “We profit from great subsidies, as solar air systems are supported by several organizations in our province – the electricity utility Hydro Quebec, the gas utility Energir and the Ministry of Natural Resources,” explained Christian Vachon, Vice President Technologies and R&D at Trigo Energies. Trigo Energies currently has nine employees directly involved in planning, engineering and installing solar air heating systems and teams up with several partner contractors to install mostly retrofit projects. “A high degree of engineering is required to fit a solar heating system into an existing factory,” emphasized Vachon. “Knowledge about HVAC engineering is as important as experience with solar thermal and architecture.” One recent Trigo installation is at the FAB3R factory in Trois-Rivières. FAB3R specializes in manufacturing, repairing, and refurbishing large industrial equipment. Its air heating and ventilation system needed urgent renovation because of leakages and discomfort for the workers. “Due to many positive references he had from industries in the area, the owner of FAB3R contacted us,” explained Vachon. “The existence of subsidies helped the client to go for a retrofitting project including solar façade at once instead of fixing the problems one bit at a time.” Approximately 50 per cent of the investment costs for both the solar air heating and the renovation of the indoor ventilation system were covered by grants and subsidies. FAB3R profited from an Energir grant targeted at solar preheating, plus an investment subsidy from the Government of Quebec’s EcoPerformance Programme.   Blue or black, but always efficient: the advanced absorber coating In October 2024, the majority of the new 2,750 m² (29,600 ft2) solar façade at FAB3R began operation (see figure 1). According to Vachon, the system is expected to cover approximately 13 per cent of the factory’s annual heating demand, which is otherwise met by natural gas. Trigo Energies equipped the façade with its high-performance Calento SL collectors, featuring a notable innovation: a selective, low-emissivity coating that withstands outdoor conditions. Introduced by Trigo in 2019 and manufactured by Almeco Group from Italy, this advanced coating is engineered to maximize solar absorption while minimizing heat loss via infrared emission, enhancing the overall efficiency of the system. The high efficiency coating is now standard in Trigo’s air heating systems. According to the manufacturer, the improved collector design shows a 25 to 35 per cent increase in yield over the former generation of solar air collectors with black paint. Testing conducted at Queen’s University confirms this performance advantage. Researchers measured the performance of transpired solar air collectors both with and without a selective coating, mounted side-by-side on a south-facing vertical wall. The results showed that the collectors with the selective coating produced 1.3 to 1.5 times more energy than those without it. In 2024, the monitoring results were jointly published by Queen’s University and Canmat Energy in a paper titled Performance Comparison of a Transpired Air Solar Collector with Low-E Surface Coating. Selective coating, also used on other solar thermal technologies including glazed flat plate or vacuum tube collectors, has a distinctive blue color. Trigo customers can, however, choose between blue and black finishes. “By going from the normal blue selective coating to black selective coating, which Almeco is specially producing for Trigo, we lose about 1 per cent in solar efficiency,” explained Vachon. Figure 2: Building-integrated solar air heating façade with MatrixAir collectors at the firehall building in Mont Saint Hilaire, south of Montreal. The 190 m2 (2,045 ft2) south-facing wall preheats the fresh air, reducing natural gas consumption by 18 per cent compared to the conventional make-up system. Architect: Leclerc Architecture. Photo: Matrix Energy Matrix Energy: collaborating with architects and engineers in new builds The key target customer group of Matrix Energy are public buildings – mainly new construction. “Since the pandemic, schools are more conscious about fresh air, and solar preheating of the incoming fresh air has a positive impact over the entire school year,” noted Brian Wilkinson, President of Matrix Energy. Matrix Energy supplies systems across Canada, working with local partners to source and process the metal sheets used in their MatrixAir collectors. These metal sheets are perforated and then formed into architectural cladding profiles. The company exclusively offers unglazed, single-stage collectors, citing fire safety concerns associated with polymeric covers. “We have strong relationships with many architects and engineers who appreciate the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of transpired solar air heating systems,” said President Brian Wilkinson, describing the company’s sales approach. “Matrix handles system design and supplies the necessary materials, while installation is carried out by specialized cladding and HVAC contractors overseen by on-site architects and engineers,” Wilkinson added. Finding the right flow: the importance of unitary airflow rates One of the key design factors in solar air heating systems is the amount of air that passes through each square meter of the perforated metal absorber,  known as the unitary airflow rate. The principle is straightforward: higher airflow rates deliver more total heat to the building, while lower flow rates result in higher outlet air temperatures. Striking the right balance between air volume and temperature gain is essential for efficient system performance. For unglazed collectors mounted on building façades, typical hourly flow rates should range between 120 and 170 (m3/h/m2), or 6.6 to 9.4 cfm/ft2. However, Wilkinson suggests that an hourly airflow rate of around 130 m³/h/m² (7.2 cfm/ft2) offers the best cost-benefit balance for building owners. If the airflow is lower, the system will deliver higher air temperatures, but it would then need a much larger collector area to achieve the same air volume and optimum performance, he explained. It’s also crucial for the flow rate to overcome external wind pressure. As wind passes over the absorber, air flow through the collector’s perforations is reduced, resulting in heat losses to the environment. This effect becomes even more pronounced in taller buildings, where wind exposure is greater. To ensure the system performs well even in these conditions, higher hourly airflow rates typically between 150 and 170 m³/m² (8.3 to 9.4 cfm/ft2)  are necessary. Figure 3: One of three apartment blocks of the Maple House in Toronto’s Canary District. Around 160 m2 (1,722 ft2) of SolarWall collectors clad the two-storey mechanical penthouse on the roof. The rental flats have been occupied since the beginning of 2024. Collaborators: architects-Alliance, Claude Cormier et Associés, Thornton Tomasetti, RWDI, Cole Engineering, DesignAgency, MVShore, BA Group, EllisDon. Photo: Conserval Engineering Solar air heating systems support LEED-certified building designs Solar air collectors are also well-suited for use in multi-unit residential buildings. A prime example is the Canary District in Toronto (see Figure 3), where single-stage SolarWall collectors from Conserval Engineering have been installed on several MURBs to clad the mechanical penthouses. “These penthouses are an ideal location for our air heating collectors, as they contain the make-up air units that supply corridor ventilation throughout the building,” explained Victoria Hollick, Vice President of Conserval Engineering. “The walls are typically finished with metal façades, which can be seamlessly replaced with a SolarWall system – maintaining the architectural language without disruption.” To date, nine solar air heating systems have been commissioned in the Canary District, covering a total collector area of over 1,000 m² (10,764 ft2). “Our customers have many motivations to integrate SolarWall technology into their new construction or retrofit projects, either carbon reduction, ESG, or green building certification targets,” explained Hollick. The use of solar air collectors in the Canary District was proposed by architects from the Danish firm Cobe. The black-colored SolarWall system preheats incoming air before it is distributed to the building’s corridors and common areas, reducing reliance on natural gas heating and supporting the pursuit of LEED Gold certification. Hollick estimates the amount of gas saved between 10 to 20 per cent of the total heating load for the corridor ventilation of the multi-unit residential buildings. Additional energy-saving strategies include a 50/50 window-to-wall ratio with high-performance glazing, green roofs, high-efficiency mechanical systems, LED lighting, and Energy Star-certified appliances. The ideal orientation for a SolarWall system is due south. However, the systems can be built at any orientation up to 90° east and west, explained Hollick. A SolarWall at 90° would have approximately 60 per cent of the energy production of the same area facing south.Canada’s expertise in solar air heating continues to set a global benchmark, driven by supporting R&D, by innovative technologies, strategic partnerships, and a growing portfolio of high-impact projects. With strong policy support and proven performance, solar air heating is poised to play a key role in the country’s energy-efficient building future. Figure 4: Claude-Bechard Building in Quebec is a showcase project for sustainable architecture with a 72 m2 (775 ft2) Lubi solar air heating wall from Aéronergie. It serves as a regional administrative center. Architectural firm: Goulet et Lebel Architectes. Photo: Art Massif Bärbel Epp is the general manager of the German Agency solrico, whose focus is on solar market research and international communication. The post Op-ed: Canada’s leadership in solar air heating—Innovation and flagship projects appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Here's what we looked at this week:When marketing trumps product design: A digital camera with fake analog controls becomes a crowdfunding smash. This ATMO drone from Caltech smoothly transitions from flight to four-wheeling. In Germany, in-curb EV chargers have been rolled out in a pilot program. They're 99% reliable.This unique recessed handrail feature, designed by Adjaye Associates.Industrial design firm No Picnic makes even telecommunications gear look good.The Archibald, by industrial designer Leo Salzedo, is a convoluted towel radiator made from a single steel tube.Whirlpool's retrofittable, rotating lower-level dishwasher rack improves accessibility.Industrial designer Nik Bentel's Loopy Chair, inspired by bike racks.Sky View's smart design feature makes transparent stargazing tents practical.Architect turned product designer develops the Kara Pod, a countertop air-to-water device that also makes coffee.Engineer Patrick Schlott fixes old payphones, re-installs them in public places and provides free calls.Japanese specialty woodworking tools: A Knot Remover kit.Far cheaper, pellet-based industrial 3D printing from Pollen AM.Square's new handheld reader, created in collaboration with industrial design firm Huge Design.Peter Donder's mysterious and beautiful robotic chicken feet.The Macaron, Mavimatt's quirky furniture piece with a hidden table surface.This heavy-duty steel media cart is by Modern Industrial Furniture, founded by a tech worker turned furniture designer.Hyundai's incredible WIA autonomous robot parking valets.Industrial design case study: Y Studios designs a laptop privacy shield.

In my last Fast Company column, I shared my reasons for manufacturing my electric trucks in the U.S. I’m not alone. While near-shoring to North America has been underway for several years, the current tariff shifts and shipping complexities make U.S. manufacturing a higher priority still. However, there were 292,825 factories in the U.S. as of 2021. Of those, 846 employ 1,000 people or more. Some of these are my engineering firm’s clients, giving us a front row seat to the complexity of retrofitting an existing factory to full U.S. manufacturing. While building a new factory is expensive and lengthy, these companies’ tasks are more difficult still. There are good reasons for making the shift as quickly as possible. Moving to most or fully U.S. manufacturing brings higher visibility, faster response time, and higher resilience to supply chain disruption, as well as greater protection from tariff shifts and geopolitical change. But if you’re early in the process, here’s my advice for your transition: Determine a priority ranking for the refining and raw materials you shift to in-country and North American sourcing. Give highest ranking to categories including defense, high value items (such as steel, aluminum, and rare minerals, etc.), and consumer safety items (such as pharmaceutical components, etc.). Be more strategic in the offshore suppliers you continue using for non-advanced manufacturing by prioritizing closer and more geographic-friendly locations for production and shipment such as Mexico and Argentina. Utilize government-backed capital, where possible, for extracting/mining minerals and metals such as lithium, red mud, magnesium, etc. Beyond the high-ranking product categories, move to domestic suppliers for primary materials such as steel, aluminum, cement, and plastics. Likewise, reduce offshoring of technical staff as well as raw materials, where possible. Use all means possible to become power independent through solar production, micro-grids, and nuclear power production. Consider creating a 4-year completion bonus for military vets. Hire vets wherever possible, as they make great workers and entrepreneurs. Likewise, we can press for future policy changes that best support Made in America manufacturing, as follows: Encourage ship building in the U.S., as well as creating new means of automated freight transit. Work towards transformation plans for government-funded R&D to include more attractive loans, rebates, and grants, as well as programs for tax-free status for intellectual property during commercialization, to incent and support organizations making the shift. Consider energy rebates to U.S. manufacturers and distributors to make American manufacturing more cost-effective and viable.   Create policies to include the cost of offshore staff in tariff calculations. Expand trade relationships with Caribbean nations for products such as sugar, avocados, bananas, etc. Avoid or even ban foreign ownership of the food supply chain. Create fair competition for government contracting. Make health supplements and homeopathic medicines tax deductible, to promote a healthy workforce. While it may not be readily evident, these policy changes are related to successful reshoring. In all, we need larger scale, lower costs, and more automated and simplified mechanisms for product manufacturing. These issues, in my experience, are as equally important as the raw materials we require. We need increased support for niche manufacturing. In my opinion, we also need deregulation, and increased access to land (particularly in the west; the federal government owns great quantities of the available land, which is choking available supply). I believe we need better education, self-reliance, health, and incentive structures to get the capital, entrepreneurs, and workers for Made in America manufacturing. Who’s with me? Matthew Chang is the founding partner of Chang Robotics.

A teen tech entrepreneur is working to retrofit robots with simulated artificial bodily functions like a virtual heart rate, body temperature, and sweating response — a bong-rip idea to make them better emulate human emotional states like joy or anxiety.In an interview with TechCrunch, the 19-year-old founder of "emotionally intelligent robots" company Intempus, Teddy Warner, explained why he's imbuing AI with digital versions of the often-uncomfortable sensations you feel during spells of heightened emotion like fear and anxiety.Warner told the website that he got the idea for his company while working at the AI image generator outfit Midjourney.During his time at that company, the researcher and his coworkers were tasked with building out a so-called "world AI" model, which essentially means an AI that makes decisions like humans do in the real world.While world models have made waves in the AI industry in recent years, they've fallen short because, as Warner puts it, they're being trained on data from robots that heretofore have lacked the kind of physiological feedback humans have."Robots currently go from A to C, that is observation to action, whereas humans, and all living things, have this intermediary B step that we call physiological state," he explained to TechCrunch. "Robots don’t have physiological state. They don’t have fun, they don’t have stress."For robots to understand our human world, they need "be able to communicate with humans in a way that is innate to us, that is less uncanny, more predictable, we have to give them this B step," he continued.In short, Warner thinks robots need to be able to feel like we feel. After hooking himself and his buddies up to polygraph tests to capture their sweat data, the youthful founder built out an AI model that can, as he told the website, "essentially allow robots to have an emotional composition" based on lie detector data.Depending on how much Kool-Aid you've had to drink, the concept of feeling robots — and AI trained on lie detector tests — is either goofy or terrifying. The latter vibe is worsened by Warner's recent announcement that he'd won a Thiel Fellowship, which the controversial tech billionaire Peter Thiel awards to several youngsters each year to fund their entrepreneurial dreams.Since September, Warner has built out the Intempus research apparatus and managed to sign seven partners in the process. He's now hiring staffers and working on testing his retrofitted feeling robots in front of customers — though he says he's not opposed to building his own robots in the future."I have a bunch of robots, and they run a bunch of emotions," he told TechCrunch. "I want to have someone come in and just understand that this robot is a joyful robot, and if I can innately convey some emotion, some intents that the robot holds, then I’ve done my job properly."Share This Article

Touchscreens were really cool 15 years ago, when the iPad first came out. Now that the novelty's worn off, more people seem to realize that navigating submenus sucks. Manufacturers, particularly automotive ones, love touchscreens because it reduces their production costs. But the user experience suffers for it, and leaves many craving physical knobs, buttons, dials and switches.A Bulgarian company called Enhance manufactures an aftermarket knob for the Tesla. In keeping with the puerility of the target market, it's called the S3XY Knob. The retrofittable knob, which comes in a housing flanked with four programmable buttons, communicates with the car via Bluetooth and Tesla's API. It's mounted in the center console and allows drivers to access the climate control, media playback, drive modes and more without needing to fuss with the touchscreen. Visual feedback comes via a small circular screen atop the knob.Here's a demo of what it can do:The company also makes standalone S3XY Buttons for Teslas that are user-programmable. They come with stickers of various functions. The knobs run about $450, and buy-in for the buttons starts at $330 for a four-pack.The question is whether these objects will proliferate, or if manufacturers will listen to customer feedback and give people the kinds of controls they actually like.

The chief executive of the developer Antracit discusses her ambitions for the contest contest to retrofit and upgrade the former Palace Hotel in Ostrava, Czechia Zuzana Bajgarová inside the Palace Hotel Credit: Image by Vladimir Prycek Magazine Patriot Why are you holding an international contest for the renewal of the Palace Hotel in Ostrava? The former Palace Hotel building holds great historical and cultural significance for Ostrava. Since 1913, it has been an integral part of city life – fondly remembered by several generations, whether as a venue for cultural and social events or as a backdrop to everyday urban life. That’s why we are approaching its renewal with the utmost respect and openness to diverse architectural perspectives. We believe that an international competitive dialogue is the most effective way to arrive at a high-quality, sensitive solution that also aligns with the expectations of investors. We view the project as one of our company’s flagship initiatives – one that will shape the future appearance of Ostrava’s historic centre, in the Czech Republic’s third-largest city. What is your vision for the future of this important city centre building? Our vision is to transform the Palace Hotel into a vibrant, open space that seamlessly integrates into the everyday rhythm of city life. We believe it can offer the kind of amenities and services that Ostrava currently lacks. We aim to develop stylish, small-scale rental housing, complemented by services, community spaces, and potentially even a modern lifestyle hotel. A key priority is revitalizing the building’s ground floor as a dynamic public space and thoughtfully incorporating historical features into its renewed identity. This is a long-term investment focused on sustainability and on creating lasting value – not only for the people of Ostrava, but for the city as a whole. What sort of teams would you like to see step forward for this unique opportunity? We would like to invite teams that think beyond the immediate task – those with the courage to approach this project with both respect and vision. We value interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together architecture, urbanism, design, and experience in the transformation of historic buildings. Equally important to us is an understanding of urban life and the ability to design spaces that serve people naturally and intuitively. We are seeking a long-term partner – someone who will accompany us from concept through to successful implementation, and help restore the Palace Hotel to its rightful place on the map as a vibrant, confident presence in contemporary Ostrava. 2025-06-01 Merlin Fulcher Share

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! It might have been a short week, but there was still plenty of news, including another Zoox recall, an update on the Stellantis-Amazon partnership, and a few startup-funding deals.  One item of note: This week, I wrote about Carma Technology and its patent infringement lawsuit against Uber. This isn’t a patent troll situation, and the IP attorneys I have spoken with say it will be a challenging case for Uber.  The gist? Carma, which was formed in 2007 by serial entrepreneur and SOSV Ventures founder Sean O’Sullivan, filed a lawsuit earlier this year against Uber, alleging the company infringed on five of its patents that are related to the system of matching riders (or packages) with capacity in vehicles. In other words, ride-sharing. IP attorney Larry Ashery provided the money quote that explains why this is such a complicated and challenging case.  “What’s important to understand here is, Carma isn’t just asserting five patents. They have had a very sophisticated strategy of patent procurement that they’ve been working on for the past 18 years.” Carma’s five patents are part of a 30-patent family that are all related and connected to the original filing date. That matters because each of the five asserted patents contains multiple patent claims, which define the legal boundaries of the invention. These individual claims — not just the patents as a whole — are what Carma is asserting against Uber.That means Uber will have to address and defend against each asserted claim, making the litigation more complex and difficult to defeat, Ashery noted.  Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW Let’s get into the rest of the news.  A little bird Image Credits:Bryce Durbin A few little birds have been chirping at us for months now about a new autonomous vehicle technology startup that has been quietly plugging along for a year. The interesting nugget about this startup — which is called Bedrock Robotics — is who is behind it: Boris Sofman, who led Waymo’s self-driving trucks program and previously co-founded and led the popular consumer robotics company Anki.  The San Francisco-based startup is still in stealth, but my sources tell me it has raised considerable venture funds. Bedrock Robotics is working on a self-driving kit that retrofits onto construction equipment and other heavy machinery, according to a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com, or Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop. Deals! Image Credits:Bryce Durbin Firefly Aerospace received a $50 million investment from Northrop Grumman as part of its Series D round. This investment will further advance production of the startup’s  co-developed medium launch vehicle, now known as Eclipse. Pallet, a warehouse logistics software startup based in Fremont, California, raised $27 million in a Series B funding round led by General Catalyst. Bain Capital Ventures, Activant Capital, and Bessemer Venture Partners also participated. Volteras, a London-based startup building virtual connective tissue that will allow plugged-in EVs to offer their batteries to support the grid, closed an $11.1 million Series A led by Union Square Ventures, with participation from Edenred, Exor, Long Journey Ventures, and Wex. Way Data Technologies, a fleet management startup founded by veterans of Lucid Motors and Wolt, raised €2.6 million ($2.95 million) in pre-seed funding led by Pale Blue Dot, with participation from 10x Founders and Greens Ventures.  Notable reads and other tidbits Image Credits:Bryce Durbin Autonomous vehicles Rivr’s four-wheeled, stair-climbing delivery robot — which its CEO and founder, Marko Bjelonic, describes as a dog on roller skates — will ferry packages from Veho vans directly to customers’ front doors as part of a pilot program in Austin, Texas. Both companies see this small pilot as a critical step toward solving a unique slice of the end-to-end autonomous delivery journey.   TuSimple (now CreateAI) sent a trove of sensitive data — effectively the blueprint of an American-made autonomous vehicle system — to a Beijing-owned firm after committing to the U.S. government that it would cease such transfers under a national security agreement. The revelation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, prompted numerous “not surprised” responses from several readers and sources within the industry. Zoox issued its second voluntary software recall in a month, following a collision between one of its robotaxis and an e-scooter rider in San Francisco on May 8. The incident is notable, largely for what happened after the unoccupied Zoox vehicle operating at low speed was struck by the e-scooter after braking to yield at an intersection.  According to Zoox, the e-scooterist fell to the ground directly next to the vehicle and the “robotaxi began to move and stopped after completing the turn, but did not make further contact with the e-scooterist.” In other Zoox news, the company announced it was the “official robotaxi partner of Resorts World Las Vegas.” As part of the deal, there will be a dedicated and Zoox-branded robotaxi pickup and drop-off location at Resorts World Las Vegas.  Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries The Tesla Cybertruck is having a rough time. Dozens of unsold Tesla Cybertrucks are piling up at a Detroit shopping center parking lot. And while Cybertruck owners are now allowed by Tesla to trade in their vehicles for the first time since they hit the market, they’ll face a steep depreciation hit. CarGurus recently showed depreciation rates of up to 45%. Meanwhile, Tesla sales in Europe and the U.K. have fallen by nearly half, according to data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.  The Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal of 2015 rippled through the automotive sector and prompted the company (and later followed by others) to shift away from diesel and toward hybrids and electric vehicles. Now, four former Volkswagen executives have received prison sentences for their role. In-car tech Amazon is no longer working with Stellantis to create in-car software for the automaker’s vehicles. The partnership, first announced in January 2022, was part of Stellantis’ plan to generate $22.5 billion annually from software. Stellantis told TechCrunch it would be pivoting to an Android-based system.

A competition is being held to rethink the Flemish Community Commission’s property portfolio in Brussels (Deadline: 17 June 2025) The competition – organised by the Brussels ‘Bouwmeester’ chief architect – will select a ‘multidisciplinary and transversal’ team to draw up a high-level vision for the commission’s estate which includes 64 buildings and campuses across the Brussels-Capital Region The winner of the €190,000 contract will create short (1–5 years), medium (5–15 years), and long term (15–30 years) strategies for the organisation which provides cultural, educational, well-being and health services to Flemings across the city. According to the brief: ‘The Flemish Community Commission (VGC) holds a significant public real estate portfolio in the Brussels-Capital Region, covering approximately 246,000m², of which around 94,000m² is under its direct management. ‘This property, consisting of 64 buildings and campuses operated under various models and real estate contracts, now requires a clear and structured long-term vision. The VGC aims to move beyond its current multi-year plan and develop a long-term strategy focused on sustainable and resilient infrastructure.’ Brussels is the capital of the French Community of Belgium and home to a Dutch-speaking Flemish community of around 240,000 people. The Flemish Community Commission was founded in 1989 to provide a range of community services to Flemings in Brussels. De Vaartkapoen in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Brussels is a venue run by the Flemish Community Commission Credit: Image by Lotte222 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license The competition is the latest to be organised by the Bouwmeester, which has recently launched international contests for an upgrade of the Les Jardins d’Élise school, to retrofit and convert a European Commission office block, and for 25 new affordable homes in the Usquare development of Brussels. The latest project aims to identify a ‘range of sustainable, future-oriented’ solutions for the city’s many Flemish Community Commission buildings and their management. The study will be expected to take into account ‘programmatic, spatial, technical, and financial dimensions.’ Participating teams will be required to have expertise in spatial research including architecture, urban planning, and building services with knowledge of urban development, real estate, and socio-spatial issues. The competition language is Dutch and the winning team will work receive an estimated €190,000 contract. Non-winning teams who submit qualifying bids will each receive a €2,000 honorarium. How to apply Deadline: 11am local time, 17 June Competition funding source: Not supplied Project funding source: Not supplied Owner of site(s): Not suppliedVisit the competition website for more information

An open international contest is being held to retrofit and upgrade the Brutalist-style Prior shopping centre in Most, Czechia (Deadline: 27 June) The two-stage competition – organised by the Centre for Central European Architecture (CCEA MOBA) on behalf of the City of Most – will select a design team to upgrade the 1973 complex located on a prominent site in the centre of the planned 1970s coal-mining settlement. The £750,000 (22.2 million CZK) ‘SuperMost – SuperPrior’ project will transform the landmark building – which is the centrepiece of a vast planned city designed by Václav Krejčí and constructed following the demolition of historic Most to make way for a lignite mine – into a new community and cultural hub for the settlement. Competition site: SuperPrior, Most According to the brief: ‘The city of Most is announcing its first competitive dialogue, SuperMost – SuperPrior. Prior, opened in 1976 as the city's main shopping centre, has the potential to become a community and cultural hub. ‘The aim is to design a new future for the former department store – a place for new functions, sharing, and meeting. The current building is to be reintegrated into the life of the city and offer meaningful use.’ Founded in mid-13th century, Most is a historic settlement of 63,000 inhabitants located in the Ústí nad Labem Region of Czechia close to Germany’s southern border. Most was demolished from 1965 to 1985 to make way for a lignite mine with a new planned settlement created in the Brutalist style featuring housing estates, a shopping centre, a culture centre, planetarium and an office skyscraper. The latest contest also comes shortly after CCEA MOBA launched a contest to retrofit and upgrade the former Palace Hotel in Ostrava. The ‘SuperMost – SuperPrior’ contest is the first part of a bigger programme of renewal drawn up by CCEA MOBA and the City of Most which will include an artistic intervention on the city hall and wider city centre renewal initiative. Competition site: SuperPrior, Most The project focuses on transforming the shopping centre into a new venue for film screenings and a gastronomy marketplace addressing the lack of similar facilities in the local area. Judges will include Marie Kašparová, director of Kultura Praha 3; Gerry Schwyter, architect at EM2N in Zurich; Marina Kounavi, founder of ANAGRAM in Athens; and the mayor of Most, Marek Hrvol. The contest language is Czech and English. Submissions will be judged on architectural quality including social-cultural value, aesthetic and functional quality; and technological solution comprising material and structural choices, environmental responsibility and energy performance. The overall winner will receive a £23,540 (CZK 700,000) prize while a second prize of £20,180 (CZK 600,000), third prize of £13,450 (CZK 400,000) and a fourth and fifth prize each worth £8,410 (CZK 250,000) will also be awarded. How to apply Deadline: 2pm local time, 27 June Competition funding source: Not supplied Project funding source: Not supplied Owner of site(s): Not supplied Contact details: karin@cceamoba.czVisit the competition website for more information