BUSLeague is dedicated to stimulating demand for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Skills (EE Skills) in the construction sector. In search for solutions to challenges found in existing markets for EE Skills, BUSLeague decided to put special emphasis on people. Researchers made ethnographic research principles an integral part of their work within the project. This allows them to better understand a variety of explicit and tacit aspects of everyday life of people, communities, and societies they work with throughout the project development.
The report “BUSLeague activities from an anthropological perspective” highlights particular social, cultural, and material realities of the construction and renovation sector. Specifically, it highlights reflections on the intentional interventions planned and executed in BUSLeague to influence these sectors and how they succeeded and/or failed to induce the positive change intended by the project authors. The report does not analyse the full extent of planned and executed BUSLeague project interventions, but focuses on those highlighted by the partners as most relevant and impactful.
The content of this report therefore reflects the project’s efforts for stimulating demand for sustainable energy skills and indicates directions in which future efforts for stimulating the market for EE Skills should be invested. Experience gained in BUSLeague interventions presents ground for a deeper understanding of the construction and renovation sectors, and the reflections collected in this report present a valuable reference point for planning of future interventions targeted at specific goals.
As part of the ethnographic research the following articles were published:
Excellence in the construction and renovation sector – getting the right people behind the table
Several years ago, when I started working on energy efficient buildings at the Austrian Energy Agency, the klimaaktiv criteria (the Austrian standard for sustainable buildings) was applied to a handful of buildings. The excellence in craftsmanship required for the construction of these buildings, could only be implemented by a few constructors or designers. Now, after […]
Micro-competences and gender imbalances: a case from Valencia, Spain
For some time now, we have been talking about assessing the competences of professionals onsite by means of a practical test. Projects such as BUSLeague, focused on stimulating the demand for sustainable energy skills in the construction sector, allow us to test ideas that in the medium or long term can be brought to the market. […]
Unambiguous concepts – you know what we mean?
Confusion about concepts and their meaning, is that really such a big problem? A concept is a concept and has one meaning, right? If I ask for a glass of ‘flat water’ in a restaurant, I get drinkable water without carbon dioxide. The fact that completely different sectors sometimes assign completely different meanings to a […]
Visiting Mount Lucas inspiration centre
We were driving down an isolated road towards our next destination – The National Construction Training Centre, Mount Lucas. “A treat of the day”, Benny said. Our appreciation of his promise was obscured by the desolate impression of the autumn-coloured landscape, grey Irish weather, and the bumpy road broken by the sinking bog. Yet again, […]
Up to the neck in muck: An ethnographic look at the Irish retrofitting ambitions
BUSLeague’s Gregor and Domen (IRI UL) have recently travelled from Ljubljana to Ireland for an intense 10-day ethnographic research. As one could expect, we experienced no lack of exceptional traditional music and visits to the pub, yet the focus was firmly on the Irish construction and renovation sector, also due to excellent guidance and support […]