23.01.2025

Climate-neutral architecture: how we design the cities of the future

Building design

Electrochromic glass can be used as an advanced façade technology to optimize energy consumption. Drew Beamer | Unsplash

At a time when climate change has become one of the greatest challenges of our generation, architecture plays a crucial role in designing sustainable and future-proof cities. Climate-neutral architecture is not just a trend, but a necessity to reduce the ecological footprint of our urban centers while improving the quality of life for residents. This article highlights the concepts, technologies and strategies that architects and urban planners are using today to design the cities of tomorrow. We will explore how innovative approaches to building design, material selection and energy supply are helping to pave the way to a carbon-neutral future. […]

At a time when climate change has become one of the greatest challenges of our generation, architecture plays a crucial role in designing sustainable and future-proof cities. Climate-neutral architecture is not just a trend, but a necessity to reduce the ecological footprint of our urban centers while improving the quality of life for residents. This article highlights the concepts, technologies and strategies that architects and urban planners are using today to design the cities of tomorrow. We will explore how innovative approaches to building design, material selection and energy supply are helping to pave the way to a carbon-neutral future.

Climate-neutral architecture is based on the principle that buildings should produce no net greenhouse gas emissions over their entire life cycle. This begins with planning and construction and extends through the use phase to eventual dismantling. To achieve this ambitious goal, architects must take a holistic approach that takes various aspects into account. These include the optimization of the building envelope for maximum energy efficiency, the integration of renewable energy sources, the use of sustainable and recyclable materials and the implementation of intelligent control systems for efficient building management. In addition, the choice of location plays a crucial role in ensuring access to public transportation and reducing dependence on private transport. By taking all these factors into account, architects can design buildings that are not only energy efficient but also actively contribute to improving the environmental footprint.

In recent years, technological developments have produced numerous innovations that facilitate the implementation of climate-neutral architecture. Highly efficient photovoltaic systems that can be integrated into façades and roofs enable buildings to cover their own electricity needs and even feed surplus energy into the grid. Heat pumps that use geothermal energy or ambient air offer a sustainable alternative to fossil heating systems. Advanced façade technologies such as electrochromic glass or adaptive shading systems optimize energy consumption for heating and cooling. In addition, energy storage solutions such as battery systems or thermal storage play an important role in balancing out the fluctuating availability of renewable energies. These technologies enable architects to design buildings that are not only energy self-sufficient, but can also function as active components in an intelligent power grid.

A key aspect of climate-neutral architecture is the choice of building materials and their integration into a circular economy. Innovative materials such as CO2-binding concrete, wood-hybrid constructions or recycled building materials help to significantly reduce the ecological footprint of buildings. Architects are increasingly relying on renewable raw materials such as wood, including for high-rise buildings, which not only stores CO2 but also creates a pleasant living atmosphere. The principles of the circular economy are finding their way into building design by designing structures in such a way that they can be easily dismantled at the end of their service life and the materials reused. This requires a rethink in design and promotes modular and flexible construction methods. By considering the entire life cycle of a building, from raw material extraction to disposal or recycling, architects can significantly reduce resource consumption and the associated emissions.

Climate-neutral architecture is not limited to individual buildings, but also includes the surrounding infrastructure. The integration of green spaces, green roofs and façades plays a central role in creating a healthy urban climate. These green elements help to improve air quality, reduce the urban heat island effect and promote biodiversity in urban areas. Architects and urban planners are increasingly working together with landscape architects and ecologists on an interdisciplinary basis to develop holistic concepts. These not only take ecological aspects into account, but also create attractive living spaces for people. The integration of water management systems such as rainwater collection and use as well as the creation of biotopes increases the resilience of cities to climate change. These measures not only contribute to climate neutrality, but also improve the quality of life of city dwellers and promote awareness of sustainability in urban areas.

Despite the promising developments in climate-neutral architecture, there are still numerous challenges to overcome. The implementation of innovative concepts often requires higher initial investments, which can present economic hurdles. New financing models and political framework conditions are therefore needed to promote climate-neutral construction projects. The training and further education of specialists in the areas of sustainable construction and energy-efficient technologies is another important aspect in enabling the widespread implementation of climate-neutral architecture. In addition, existing buildings and infrastructures need to be renovated to make them more energy-efficient, which represents an enormous logistical and financial challenge. Nevertheless, these challenges also offer opportunities for innovation and economic growth in the construction sector. As technological development progresses and awareness of the need for climate-neutral solutions increases, the transformation of our cities will continue. Architects and urban planners are faced with the exciting task of actively shaping this development and developing visions for liveable, sustainable cities of the future.

09.01.2025

Profession

Wood from all sides

Building design

Done: The future graduates of the state-recognized academy for the training of restorers of furniture and wooden objects in Munich will present their theses on 21 March. It is the crowning finale to the many months of projects and tinkering: the exhibition of the theses. Every year, students from the state-recognized academy for the training of restorers of […]

Done: The future graduates of the state-recognized academy for the training of restorers of furniture and wooden objects in Munich will present their theses on 21 March.

It is the crowning finale to the many months of projects and tinkering: the exhibition of the theses. Every year, students at the state-recognized academy for the training of restorers of furniture and wooden objects present their extensive work in their third year of study. In 2018, the future graduates, lecturers of the academy, former students and friends of the Goering Institute will meet on March 21. The venue is traditionally the Seidlvilla on Nikolaiplatz in Munich.

Naturally, the lectures are all about wood. Fabian Bodenmüller, for example, will report on “Alternatives to chemical wood protection”, Roland Depner will deal with “Research into asbestos-containing materials on furniture” and Sascha Troppmann will talk about the creation and use of bush-hammered wood. In addition, Magdalena Hartshauser will provide new information on wood painting in terms of history, material and technique. She carried out studies on a historicist cabinet. Ann Marie Löfflad presents her “Research on the upholstery fabric of an ensemble of seating furniture from around 1800”. A broad spectrum that invites professional exchange. You can find the complete program here.

For over 30 years, it has been possible to train as a conservator at the Fachakademie in Munich. The continuous development of the practical and theoretical training framework led from training workshops to a state-approved technical school for restorers to today’s “State-approved technical academy for the training of restorers of furniture and wooden objects”. The non-profit Goering Institut e.V. is the sponsor of the academy. Particular emphasis is placed on applied restoration practice. It takes up around 50 percent of the restorer course.

Pleaseregister by e-mail with Mr. Küglerto take part in the presentation of the specialist work :

kuegler@restaurierung-goering.de

22.12.2024

Opportunities

The future of the churches

Building design

At the beginning of 2016, the Wüstenrot Foundation awarded prizes in its nationwide competition “Church buildings and their future” for special projects that renovated, converted or repurposed churches.

At the beginning of 2016, the Wüstenrot Foundation awarded prizes in its nationwide competition “Church buildings and their future” for special projects that renovated, converted or repurposed churches. The 291 entries included many examples of how church buildings and community centers can be preserved as a visible part of cultural identity. We spoke to Dr. Stefan Krämer, Head of the “Science and Research” department at the Wüstenrot Foundation.

Churches in Germany are facing major challenges. Declining parishioner numbers, changing usage requirements and high costs for the maintenance and operation of church buildings require a sustainable strategy to preserve church buildings. However, we believe that it is not only the churches that are responsible for these tasks, but society as a whole, as churches are the bearers of our cultural identity. There has not yet been a general overview of the architectural transformation of churches. Although the Christian churches or the EKD Institute in Marburg, for example, present individual projects for the conversion of churches, a broader overview has been lacking to date. We therefore decided to launch the competition “Church buildings and their future” to contribute to the development of successful strategies for church conversion.

What developments do you see in this area?

The peak of this trend has not yet been reached. Viable strategies still need to be developed in order to save church buildings from decay and convert them in an economically, culturally and urbanistically sensible way. The city of Stuttgart, for example, is planning to set up a working group to develop a plan for the next 20 years. In my experience, Bavaria is only at the beginning of the process of finding a strategy for the future use of church buildings in the context of social change. A lot will definitely happen here.

Which projects in your competition did you personally particularly like?

I think many of the entries were very successful. This time, we awarded prizes to two particularly outstanding designs, otherwise there is only ever one “1st place” in our competitions. It was very important to us to highlight two different usage strategies, on the one hand the realization of a functional church and on the other a project that demonstrates the possibility of collaboration with a cooperative sponsorship. The newly created spatial structure of the Catholic Heilig-Geist-Kirche of the St. Martinus parish in Olpe enhances the quality of the building, also in terms of urban planning. A reduction in size with a new space utilization concept is the more common variant of a redesign. To preserve the Protestant church in the Bochum-Stahlhausen district, those responsible chose to work with a multicultural educational association. The church is now used both in a sacred setting and as a district center for social educational work. This project certainly serves as a role model.

Were there also projects in which stonemasons were involved?

We see ourselves more as an interface between architects and clients. In this respect, the focus was on the interaction between these parties. However, as far as I know, stonemasons were involved in some projects. For example, in the conversion of St. Joseph’s Church in Aachen into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The conversion of church buildings into columbaria is particularly interesting both for the churches, as the sacred use can often be retained and a refinancing strategy is already integrated, and for stonemasons, who can carry out the work on the stone. As experts in the field of funerals, many opportunities open up for them. With burial churches, it is very important that an overall picture is created that captures the aura of the place, but also arranges the urn spaces efficiently. The aim was not to create walls of shelves like in a library, but a place that also creates islands for silence and mourning. Architects are not the only ones in demand for this design implementation.

What special insights were you able to gain?

In a comparison within Germany, the new federal states are probably the most advanced with their building projects in this field. As church buildings were no longer used in the GDR era and later – often for financial reasons – did not find their way back to their intended purpose, the question of their future has perhaps been around for a little longer. It is also interesting to note that, in my experience, it is often easier to convert Catholic churches than Protestant ones. Profanation is easier because Protestant church buildings often already have an integrated community center. Many memories of life in the parish are attached to it. The space takes on a different meaning.

In STEIN in June 2016, we take a closer look at the potential of redesigning sacred spaces for stonemasons. You can find out more about the “Church buildings and their future” competition and other Wüstenrot Foundation projects here.