Dr. Viktória Sugár, Vice-Rector for Sustainability and Strategic Developments at Óbuda University, spoke in a recent interview about the importance of preserving historical inner-city districts and heritage apartment buildings – emphasizing that sustainability is not only relevant at the level of “large systems,” but is present in our everyday decisions as well.
The Vice-Rector explained that she completed her doctoral studies on the energy rehabilitation of Budapest’s apartment buildings at Osaka University (Japan), where she adopted an approach that places the understanding and protection of the urban environment at the center. These experiences form the basis of her perspective that the energy and aesthetic renewal of historic buildings is not merely a technical issue, but also a community and cultural value.
The apartment buildings built around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries are now mostly privately owned, which complicates renovation efforts, yet these buildings remain key elements of Budapest’s urban character. Even small decisions, such as replacing windows or making façade interventions, can have a long-term impact on the sustainability of the urban environment.
The Vice-Rector emphasized that our perspective and everyday decisions affect the environment, making it essential that the principle of sustainability is applied at all levels – from university research and education to local community decisions.
The full article is available on Index: https://index.hu/gazdasag/2026/02/28/budapest-berhaz-sugar-viktoria-interju-obudai-egyetem-japan/
