On 16 October 2025, the BAUHALPS project was presented at the first ABC Expert Webinar, organised by the ABC Interreg Europe project. The online event gathered 45 experts and stakeholders from across Europe to exchange good practices and discuss opportunities for scaling up nature-based and circular building materials.
This participation represented an important dissemination activity of BAUHALPS, promoting its objectives and good practices from the Alpine region in the field of wood and hemp construction beyond the Alpine Space programme area, while fostering cooperation with other Interreg initiatives.
During the webinar, Majda Potokar MSc (Technology Park Ljubljana, Slovenia) presented BAUHALPS as a good practice example of circular building transformation in the Alpine region, highlighting its alignment with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles of sustainability, beauty, and togetherness. The presentation introduced the BAUHALPS toolkit, which includes a methodology for engaging local communities, a Genius Loci online repository, and a Circularity Maturity Assessment Tool currently being tested through pilot projects across the Alpine region.
Majda also presented examples of Slovenian good practices in wood and hemp construction:
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Mandrova House – a renovated traditional home integrating craft heritage and sustainability;
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Hotel Bohinj and Vila Muhr – examples of modern wood architecture inspired by Alpine tradition;
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Kindergarten Bohinj – sustainable wooden construction reflecting local identity;
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CoGreen Ltd. – an innovative company producing hemp concrete (hempcrete) for ecological renovation projects.
Other presentations showcased international initiatives:
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Johan Lakke (Circulair Friesland, NL) presented the Hemp Covenant in the province of Fryslân, where more than 40 construction projects integrate bio-based and circular principles.
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Antonio Trionfi Honorati (Italy) shared hands-on experience from building a hemp house entirely with local materials and zero cement.
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Mojca Žganec Metelko (Institute KNOF, Slovenia) introduced KNOFtex, a social innovation producing acoustic insulation panels from recycled textiles, an example of circular manufacturing connecting waste reduction and social impact.
The discussion, moderated by the ABC team, addressed how regional policies and interregional collaboration can accelerate the use of sustainable, nature-based materials. Experts from across Europe, Australia, and beyond contributed insights on hemp’s potential for reducing emissions, phytoremediation, and bio-based construction supply chains.
Through this activity, BAUHALPS strengthened its visibility and cooperation with related European initiatives that share its vision for circularity, climate-friendly construction, and innovative use of local materials — supporting the transition toward a greener and more resilient Alpine region.