Designing new homes, renovating old buildings, building factories - an architect can do a lot. Hungarian architect Anna Varga takes her expertise to other places. She brings together her various colleagues in Budapest, Gyöngyös and Iszkaszentgyörgy. This enables Xella customers in Hungary to build more sustainably, more energy-efficiently and faster. Anna Varga describes her role: “Together with the production and marketing we find innovative solutions that work in our small country.”

Now, she is proud of Xella's large-format autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) panels produced in Austria, which save her customers a lot of time during construction - AAC panel house projects are in increasing demand in Hungary.

“We are constantly looking for ideas from the Hungarian market, our own colleagues, and innovations from the international Xella Group. This allows us to develop what works and is needed in our national market“, says Anna Varga. “Networking is particularly important in a small country.” When you talk to her, you won't doubt that she knows how to bring people and ideas together. She is an open person who listens carefully in conversation and brings the perspective of builders and architects to the table. An ideal mix for thinking outside the box without losing touch with the ground.

Architect at Xella - it's a family affair

The "ground" can be taken literally. “I love nature. In fact, I'm driven by two things: I'm always curious about technology, and I'm passionate about protecting the environment," she says. “It's not just about building”, she says. “Nowadays, every innovation must have a direct link to environmental protection and sustainable production”, says Anna Varga.

Now at Xella, her focus is on reducing CO2 emissions in production. “We need to improve our CO2 emissions”, she says.  Two young girls remind her of this with great dedication and persistence. “My daughters are seven and ten years old. They talk a lot about saving water and turning off lights to save energy. My goal is to be a good role model, both at home and at Xella. That's especially important to me as a woman in a technical profession”, she says. “By the way, one of my daughters wants to be an architect”, she adds. Anna Varga herself is the daughter of an architect who worked for Xella for several years.

Currently, Anna is working on the EPD, the Environmental Product Declaration, for Xella products. It is a challenge. Everything from how a product is manufactured, packaged, and transported to the end of a building's life is examined and recorded for its environmental impact. EPDs are mandatory so that customers can compare products and services based on quantifiable environmental information.

Finding the best solution for Hungary

Most people have the desire to be an innovator, but not everyone succeeds. What is the most important prerequisite for Anna Varga? "Learning”, she answers quickly. Architects love clear structures. Creative chaos comes later. "First, I have to understand all the facts and conclusions. Then comes the second step, developing new ideas together with my colleagues, and in the process I learn a lot more”. This is also how the exchange with the international innovation managers of the Xella Group works. She learns from them and extracts promising solutions for Hungary.

This also applies to BIM, Building Information Modeling. "Hungarian construction projects are rarely this far advanced. But two of our colleagues are now learning from Xella colleagues who have already implemented BIM in their home countries. It is an upcoming topic in Hungary," says the architect. And Anna Varga and her team will make it happen.