The objective of Ara's development activities is to discover and make use of new ideas that benefit housing construction. Where possible, Ara seeks to support and launch research and development projects to meet current challenges.
At present, such challenges include:
- housing solutions for special-needs groups,
- communal housing,
- the potential for use of sustainable forms of energy and the improvement of energy-efficiency,
- making use of industrially pre-fabricated modules and box elements and
- the development of old building stock.
Additional challenges to development are presented by stricter building codes, changing living habits, problems related to regional and community structures, taking account of life span costs, the need to enhance construction-industry processes and new services.
Ara believes that, in cooperation with the actors in the industry, we can discover new solutions to the challenges of the times. This is why every innovative development project is important.
Ara has an annual budget of EUR 700,000 for supporting research and development projects. In addition, Ara helps actors in the industry with networking and using the resources provided by other sources of public funding.
With its development budget, Ara can
- take part in pilot projects that promote housing construction
- commission reports, templates, concepts, statistics, analyses and follow-up data
- provide publicity to significant development projects in the fields of housing and housing construction
- relay information to other actors and stakeholder groups in the industry
All project work and its results are public.
(C) Aleksandra Zarek