Climate change and the dwindling of global resources are tremendous challenges that humanity must overcome in the near future. Our built environment plays a decisive role. As the world’s top carbon emitter and generator of waste, global construction is the greatest problem, but is also the sector that can and must pioneer solutions. Developing these solutions first requires a thorough analysis of the problem. Even as late as 2022, there’s still a lack of relevant knowledge.

The Stuttgart design initiative aed has hosted a lecture event with Prof. Werner Sobek, one of the world’s preeminent structural engineers and co-founder of the DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council), and Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer, founder of caspar. Each of them has published a book – independently of one another but almost simultaneously – about the prerequisites for sustainable building. The panel has been joined by Prof. Detlef Kurth, an expert in sustainable urban development, and moderated by Boris Schade-Bünsow, editor-in-chief of Bauwelt magazine.

In “Der Nachhalt, Band I (Prologue)”, Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer looks for a guiding thread through the labyrinth of the many and sometimes very contradictory assertions on the topic. The book “non nobis” by Werner Sobek provides carefully researched facts and a precise representation of interconnections and is the first comprehensive analysis of the current situation in an industry. Both publications are important bases for building in the future.

At the event, discussion participants have addressed the question of how our ways of building must change and what each one of us can contribute.

Photo: © aed/Silvia Olp

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