There is one fact that regular readers of Domus are accustomed to reading: according to EU estimates, buildings are responsible for 40 per cent of final energy consumption, produce over 36 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and release about half of total fine particulate emissions into the air. This is a real emergency that we must quickly remedy, undoubtedly the most urgent and complex contemporary challenge we face. Reducing energy consumption and production waste, using traditional techniques and local materials, changing the perception of our relationship with the environment, making cities greener, looking at people's physical and mental wellbeing: these are just some of the themes investigated by contemporary designers and researchers who want to try to make architecture more compatible with the environment.

There is also a need for places to meet and exchange knowledge, platforms that encourage the sharing of practices, their telling and in-depth analysis. These are the objectives of Klimahouse 2024, an exhibition event that will be held at Fiera Bolzano from 31 January to 3 February 2024: a laboratory of innovation, where energy sustainability and responsible building represent the beating heart of a future-oriented society. Open to everyone - architects, planners and professionals from the building universe - the next edition of Klimahouse represents an essential appointment to take stock of the market and the strategic moves towards this fundamental paradigm shift.

The concept "Building Well, Living Well" is developed this year in four main thematic focuses: Wood, Energy, Materials and Innovation in Building. A great many innovations will be presented, from the latest proposals for thermal insulation to advanced plant engineering for air conditioning and indoor air quality, from digital technological solutions for smart building management to the promising solutions devised by the start-ups present at the Klimahouse Future Hub. Among the topics to be investigated this year is energy transition. The Klimahouse Congress, a seminar focusing on renewable energies and materials, will be dedicated to this theme on 1 and 2 February at the MEC Meeting & Event Centre in Bolzano.

Eco-compatibility and the environmental impact of materials will be another thematic pillar of the fair, which is also the subject of great interest at European level. Special attention will be paid to wood and the use of this material as a structural element, with all the ambitious engineering challenges this entails. Among the programme highlights, in this regard, will be the awarding of the winners of the second Wood Architecture Prize 2024, the prestigious prize that celebrates the architectural and sustainable value of Italian works in wood, established with the scientific partnership of the Turin Polytechnic, the Iuav University of Venice, and in collaboration with PEFC Italia, a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainable forest management and is the national governing body of the PEFC certification system.

Finally, visitors will be able to experience the benefits of low-environmental-impact buildings by taking part in the Klimahouse Tours, guided tours to discover the secrets of high-efficiency buildings, virtuous architectures and avant-garde buildings that have already seen the light of day in the area.