19.12.2024

“Thanks to the IBA Basel, the region sees itself even more as a community.”

Building design

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As an IBA in the border triangle of Germany, France and Switzerland, IBA Basel 2020 is the first truly international building exhibition. With its help, new cross-border connections have been created at a political, institutional, spatial planning and cultural level that have brought the Basel metropolitan area even closer together. Their path was not always easy, an adventure for everyone involved. Why was it nevertheless worthwhile? We asked this question in four interviews with selected, long-standing IBA companions. Among them was Maria Lezzi, Director of the Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE. She was the person who first officially put forward the idea of an International Building Exhibition for the Basel region in a specialist article in the early 2000s.

In 2008, the TEB, the Trinational Eurodistrict, published the first draft memorandum on the IBA Basel 2020 together with the Canton of Basel-Stadt’s Department of Building, thus heralding the start of this IBA. Maria Lezzi, at the time you were head of the Planning Department at the Basel-Stadt Building and Planning Office and co-authored the paper. The decision-making process for the IBA Basel began well before 2008. How exactly did that happen?
It actually all began in 1999 with the final presentation of the IBA Emscher Park. We had followed this closely at the Basel-Stadt Building and Planning Office and had many technical discussions about an IBA in Basel with the then cantonal architect Fritz Schumacher. I also mentioned the idea in passing in a specialist article. Things really got going at the beginning of the 2000s. We were at a point in the tri-national agglomeration of Basel where we had to ask ourselves how to proceed, how to think about the region. For this reason, at the end of 2004, beginning of 2005, I commissioned a Zurich planning office to provide us with an overview of possible formats for spatial development, such as IBA, regional events, garden shows or large-scale projects. Based on this input, we then went on an excursion to North Rhine-Westphalia to the IBA Emscher Park with stakeholders from the Basel tri-national agglomeration. This was followed in October 2006 by an excursion with political representatives to the IBA in Hamburg. And with these impressions in our luggage, we then decided to implement an IBA.

But why did we choose the IBA format? And not, for example, a regional garden show?
There were long discussions about whether we should hold a Regionale or an IBA. In the end, we opted for the IBA format because it is internationally relevant and therefore more ambitious. In addition – and this was the second moment – we knew: The IBA Basel will be the first building exhibition to be held effectively on an international scale. So everything spoke in favor of an IBA.

What hopes and expectations did you have of the IBA at the time?
The expectation was that an International Building Exhibition, which is always temporary, would give a huge boost to the coalescence of the Basel tri-national agglomeration. We deliberately chose the IBA format rather than a formal instrument that is integrated into existing processes. We wanted to initiate a new process that sets new accents and triggers different projects than those we have known to date. The idea was that there would be a date in 2020 when everything would be shown. Like a theater performance: you work towards it and then the big day comes when you show off your skills. For a variety of reasons, it didn’t turn out the way we imagined, but we grew together nonetheless.

But isn’t that okay, because an IBA is always a laboratory?
Yes, but the ambition was already higher. Everything simply takes longer than we thought.

And there are always rumors that the political backing could be stronger…
There are many different reasons why IBA Basel has not progressed as far as we would have liked: financial issues, for example problems with liquidity, but also practical issues such as implementation.

Twelve years have passed since 2008. Have the IBA’s objectives changed in that time?
No, the basic aim of the IBA Basel is to bring together a city region that is highly fragmented due to 230 municipal boundaries. Growing together across borders should help to grow together in a figurative as well as a structural sense. This mission still exists today.

And it is also very different from previous IBAs.
In contrast to the IBA Emscher Park or the East German IBAs, the IBA Basel did not emerge from an emergency situation. This also meant that the brief was different. We had to face up to this fact time and again and ask ourselves whether an IBA is even needed in a comparatively rich urban region. Our answer: yes. The pressure of suffering in the Basel region was completely different to that in the previous IBA regions. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need to be developed further.

Some say that the IBA Basel has triggered a structural change at process level.
Yes, you can see it that way. The Basel conurbation is an area with decades of experience in cross-border cooperation. Nevertheless, you notice time and again on the ground that it is not a matter of course to work together across national and municipal borders. Fragmentation is still there and structural cooperation is still a handicap. Although this does not a priori result in economic decline, the potential cannot be fully exploited.

Video: At Swissbau Focus Basel on January 15, 2020, Maria Lezzi talks from minute 53:00 about the IBA Basel and how it aims to create experimental spaces.

The IBA is a subsidiary of the TEB, an institution that is committed to cross-border cooperation. Why has the IBA been brought into being as another player working on the same topic?
An IBA, and therefore also its office, is designed to be temporary. The TEB is designed for the long term. These are two completely different logics. If you want to make things simpler, you could say that the IBA is a temporary project of the TEB and this must – I am firmly convinced of this – be dissolved at the end of the project. It would have been much easier to set up a Swiss association, but then the support from EU Interreg funding would not have been possible.

The IBA Basel is repeatedly accused of a lack of building activity. What do you think of the criticism?
It was clear from the outset that the “B” of “IBA” in this IBA does not stand for “physical building”, that it is not a building program. We have always clearly stated this. Growing together does not automatically mean building together. At the same time, building does not always have to mean building construction, but can also mean open space development. In this area, the IBA Basel has created great added value in the region. I’m thinking of the IBA Rheinliebe project group or the Birspark Landschaft project. Here, the IBA Basel has brought together various project sponsors and repeatedly reminded us that projects are best conceived together with neighbors. This has triggered a great deal and it is my hope that this “IBA reflex” will continue after 2020. By “IBA reflex” I mean working together with your neighbors, thinking about projects together, exchanging ideas about quality standards and trying to define and apply them together or even inviting someone from the neighborhood across the border to a jury meeting.

“You have to have at least tried it out. And we have, and I’m proud of that.”

IBA Basel officially ends in 2020. What successes has IBA Basel brought to the region?
For me, IBA Basel has led to a focus on what we have in common, what unites us. The region now sees itself even more as a community. The IBA Basel has really given a boost here.

What challenges does the region now have to face as it becomes more permanent? How can this be achieved?
I think it is now very important to have a clean finish in 2021 and to document well what the IBA office has learned over the last ten years. In addition, the idea of the IBA, of growing together across borders, must be anchored in the minds of local stakeholders. After all, these are the players who will carry the IBA idea forward beyond 2020 and 2021.

In conclusion: What do you think, was the IBA adventure worthwhile?
It’s too early to answer that question. The coronavirus pandemic has completely changed the course of the final year of the IBA. The IBA Expo will not take place in summer 2020 as planned, but in spring 2021. Whether the adventure was worthwhile in the long term or not will be determined with a certain amount of time. But I always say: you have to at least try it out. And we have, and I’m proud of that.

Maria Lezzi has been Director of the Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE since July 2009. She holds a doctorate in geography and was head of the Planning Department in the Building and Planning Office of the Canton of Basel-Stadt for eight years. Maria Lezzi is a member of the IBA Basel curatorial team.

Why have we started an IBA Basel series? You can read about it here.

All articles on IBA Basel 2020 can be found here.

26.12.2024

Design

Petrified expression

Building design

which she rents together with colleagues. For her objects, she prefers to use the material — Stone with hand tools in her small workshop

In times of social distancing, it can happen that you start to see human faces in objects. Just as we once read animals into clouds, we now read the screws on a coat hook as eyes and the hook as a nose, or the indentations on the lid of a can suddenly appear to be grinning like a clown’s face. That works […]

In times of social distancing, it can happen that you start to see human faces in objects. Just as we once read animals into clouds, we now read the screws of a coat hook as eyes and the hook as a nose, or the indentations of a can lid suddenly appear to be grinning like a clown’s face. Of course, this also works with stones, be it marble clouds or inclusions in sandstone. This does not appear to be a characteristic of madness, but rather a very human trait. After all, the Japanese artist Shozo Hayama had a similar experience over 50 years ago without any isolation.

At the time, he was given a stone about the size of a plate with three white shell inclusions that appeared to form a mask-like face. He kept the whimsicality, began actively searching for more stones with faces and found them on the nearby Arakawa River. By 1990, he had collected so many of them that he opened his own museum in his hometown of Chichibu, about two hours northwest of Tokyo: the “Chinsekikan”, which means “Hall of Curious STEINs”.

All exhibits must meet two criteria. The stones must have a face and must not have been worked, i.e. they must have been shaped by nature. The museum now holds over 1,700 exhibits and is home to a whole choir of piously shaped singing faces, grim-looking grumbling visages and stones with astonished or frightened expressions. These faces do not seem at all petrified; in the age of emojis, it is easy to decode all emotions directly. There is even a stone covered in sediment that appears to be crying. Buccaneers with eye patches made from enclosed shells, skulls and a puffer fish also peer out of the display cases. But there are also figures from pop culture, such as Elvis with a lard curl and ET the alien with big googly eyes.

Hayama has since passed away, but the museum has proved to be such a tourist magnet that his daughter Yoshiko continues to run it. Some of the new stones are displayed without labels and visitors are asked to find suitable names. There is no end to the collection – Yoshiko Hayama repeatedly says in interviews that she is now also sent stones and cannot exhibit them all at the same time.

30.01.2026

Architecture

Data warehouse for architects: Clever use and planning of data

Building design

gray-skyscraper-dwd_EvuTtBw — Photo of a modern gray high-rise building with an impressive façade, taken by Mathias Reding

Architecture without data is like a construction site without plans: possible, but rarely good. But while the industry is still philosophizing about BIM, the next innovation train has long since started rolling: The data warehouse for architects. If you want to plan cleverly in the future, you need more than pretty 3D models – you need data expertise and the right tools for collecting, linking and analyzing. Welcome to the age of data-driven architecture. If you don’t get on board now, you’ll be sidelined tomorrow.

The data warehouse is revolutionizing the way architects, planners and engineers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland work.
From material selection to life cycle analysis: data is becoming the basis for sustainable and economical decisions.
Digital tools, automation and artificial intelligence are no longer dreams of the future, but reality in planning.
The biggest challenges lie in interoperability, data quality, data protection and the willingness to change.
Innovations such as machine learning, predictive analytics and IoT interfaces are coming up against a fragmented practical landscape.
Those who see data only as a chore will be overtaken by international competitors – and faster than BIM was introduced.
Smart data management opens up new business models, but also harbors risks such as a lack of transparency and loss of control.
The data warehouse is not an end in itself, but the foundation for resilient, climate-friendly and liveable architecture.
The biggest construction site remains: Specialists must make the leap from gut feeling to data-based planning.
Between digitization euphoria and data protection paranoia: the discourse surrounding the data warehouse reflects the future issues of the entire industry.

Data warehouse: from data tomb to planning center

Anyone who thinks of dusty server rooms when they think of data warehouses has not taken the digital transformation into account. In the context of architecture, the data warehouse has long been more than just an archive for completed projects. It is the central hub where all project-related and external data streams converge – from CAD plans and material databases to energy consumption figures and user feedback. The idea behind it is simple but radical: no longer just building, but systematically learning. Every project leaves behind a data DNA that can be used for future planning. Anyone who still maintains Excel lists manually today is playing with blunt tools in the age of the laser scanner.

In practice, things look surprisingly different in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. While large offices and general planners already rely on highly integrated data platforms, medium-sized companies often struggle with isolated solutions, incompatible file formats and the fear of losing control. The result: data seeps away instead of inspiring. In Austria, initial pilot projects in the field of hospital and school construction show how the integration of existing data, usage analyses and simulations leads to better designs. In Switzerland, cities such as Zurich and Basel are experimenting with city-wide data platforms – and are demonstrating how architecture and urban planning can benefit from data together. In Germany, on the other hand, there is still a great deal of scepticism about centralized data structures, not least because of the notorious data protection concerns.

But one thing is clear: the pace of innovation is increasing. New tools for automatic data extraction, cloud-based collaboration platforms and AI-supported evaluations are changing everyday life in offices. Laboriously maintained databases are suddenly becoming dynamic knowledge repositories that deliver real added value in the design process. The data warehouse is not an additional feature, but the backbone of a future-proof, sustainable architecture. Those who take the plunge will benefit from faster decision-making processes, well-founded forecasts and unprecedented transparency in the course of the project.

However, the path remains rocky. Technical hurdles such as heterogeneous software systems, missing interfaces or unclear data sovereignty slow down development. There are also cultural barriers: Many architects prefer to see themselves as creative lone wolves rather than data managers. But times are changing. Those who manage projects based on gut feeling today will be overshadowed by data-driven competitors tomorrow. The key question is: who controls the data warehouse – and who is controlled by it?

Internationally, developments have long since moved on. Asian metropolitan areas and US architecture firms in particular are using data warehouses as a strategic tool for everything from property analysis to facility management. Global competition never sleeps – and makes it clear how much the local industry has to catch up if it is not to be left behind. The road to the data warehouse is not a sprint, but a marathon. But those who don’t start running are guaranteed to fall by the wayside.

Innovations and trends: AI, predictive analytics and the new design culture

The real revolution of the data warehouse does not lie in the mere collection of data, but in its intelligent use. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and predictive analytics are the new magic words in the industry. They help to recognize patterns from huge amounts of data, understand correlations and create forecasts that go far beyond traditional planning tools. If you want to know how a new neighborhood will affect the microclimate, energy requirements or tenant satisfaction, you no longer need to commission complex studies – you can let the data do the talking.

The possibilities that arise from linking real-time data, simulations and historical project data are particularly exciting. The data warehouse thus becomes the control center for automated scenario analyses. A planned building demolition? The system calculates material cycles, CO₂ savings and cost optimization in minutes instead of days. A new mobility concept? The effects on traffic flows, noise emissions and quality of stay are simulated with just a few clicks – in a well-founded, reproducible and comprehensible way. For architects, this means less coffee grounds reading and more well-founded decisions.

In practice, pioneers are already experimenting with AI-supported generative design tools that independently create, optimize and evaluate design variants. The data warehouse provides the database from which the algorithms learn. Those who use these systems wisely gain valuable time – and can concentrate on what architecture is really about: quality, innovation and context. The fear that algorithms will replace architects is as exaggerated as the hope that data will solve all problems. It’s about new roles, not replacements.

Of course, there are also risks. Algorithms not only take over the calculations, but also the decisions – and this threatens new biases, new black boxes, new dependencies. Anyone who operates the data warehouse as a black box risks a lack of transparency and the erosion of planning responsibility. This is why we need clear rules for dealing with AI, open interfaces and a new culture of data criticism. Because only those who understand how decisions are made can take responsibility for them.

An international comparison shows that while Singapore and New York have long been using AI-supported city models, German-speaking countries remain cautious. The fear of losing control is too great, the courage to truly innovate too small. But the pressure is growing. Those who do not learn to think with data now will soon be overtaken by their own tools. The data warehouse is not a trend – it is the new basic architecture of the industry.

Sustainability Reloaded: data as the key to climate change in construction

Yesterday, sustainability was a seal of quality, today it is mandatory. But there is a huge gap between greenwashing and real solutions. This is where the data warehouse comes into play. If you are serious about sustainability, you have to measure, evaluate and adjust – and this is exactly what structured databases make possible. From life cycle assessment to life cycle and operational optimization, all of a building’s parameters can be analysed on the basis of data. This turns sustainability from a phrase into a planning reality.

The first data pools for building materials, energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and deconstruction potential are being created in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Innovative projects such as the cradle-to-cradle house or the PlusEnergy district show how material passports, digital twins and data platforms can work together. The data warehouse serves as the backbone for certifications, funding applications and reporting obligations – making it the real driver of sustainability in the construction industry.

But the reality is sobering: many planning offices are already failing at data collection. Outdated systems, a lack of standards, a lack of expertise and the fear of additional work prevent widespread use. Medium-sized companies in particular are often left out because the barriers to entry seem too high. What is needed here is training, advice – and a rethink in education. Sustainability is not a marginal issue, but belongs at the heart of planning processes.

Many things would be technically possible: automated life cycle analyses, real-time monitoring of buildings, predictive maintenance and dismantling scenarios at the touch of a button. But without centralized data storage, most of it remains piecemeal. The data warehouse is the prerequisite for ensuring that the architecture of tomorrow not only looks green, but is also measurably sustainable. Those who miss out on this will be overrun by new regulations and international standards.

The global debate on climate-friendly construction shows that data-based planning is not a luxury, but a survival strategy. The EU taxonomy, new CO₂ balances and stricter funding conditions make the data warehouse a must-have in the industry. Investing now not only secures competitive advantages, but also assumes responsibility for the future.

The path to data competence: knowledge, tools and the new role of the architect

The transition from creative lone wolf to data-savvy process architect is no small feat. Specialists must learn how to handle data, evaluate and interpret it – and know its limits. This starts with training: Data literacy belongs in the curriculum, not as a fig leaf, but as a central tool. Anyone who takes planning seriously needs to understand cycles, dependencies and interactions – not just in their head, but also digitally.

The tools for this are diverse. In addition to traditional BIM systems, specialized data warehouse solutions that link planning, construction and operation are becoming increasingly important. Interfaces to IoT platforms, material databases, certification systems and facility management software are becoming standard. But technology alone is not enough. A basic understanding of data architecture, data quality and data protection is required. If you slip up here, you risk making the wrong decisions, security gaps and losing your competitive edge.

In practice, this means that architects have to deal with APIs, data models and licensing issues. They must learn to curate and visualize data and use it as a basis for argumentation. The new role is that of translator – between creativity and logic, between design and algorithm. This is uncomfortable, but indispensable. Those who embrace change can restructure processes, minimize risks and drive real innovation.

Of course there is resistance. Many colleagues fear that data will replace intuition, that algorithms will take over design sovereignty. But the opposite is true: data frees us from gut instinct and creates space for genuine creativity. The best ideas are not created in a vacuum, but on the basis of hard facts. The data warehouse is not a control instrument, but an enabler. It forces us to become better – and that’s a good thing.

An international comparison shows that those who take data competence seriously win new markets, new customers and new perspectives. The time for excuses is over. The architect of tomorrow is a data manager, process designer and innovation driver all rolled into one. Anyone who doesn’t understand this will become an extra in their own industry.

Discourse and vision: between data paranoia and digital optimism

Hardly any other topic polarizes the industry like the data warehouse. Some see it as a great opportunity for greater efficiency, sustainability and transparency. Others fear the loss of control, misuse of data and the disempowerment of architects. The discourse oscillates between these poles – and reflects the deep uncertainties of an industry in upheaval. As is so often the case, the truth lies somewhere in between.

Data protection is not an end in itself, but a basic prerequisite for trust. Anyone who stores sensitive project data in central systems must ensure clear rules, transparent processes and unambiguous responsibilities. The GDPR is not an enemy, but a necessary framework. Anyone who turns the data warehouse into a black box risks not only fines, but also the trust of the client. Openness, traceability and participation are the order of the day.

At the same time, the industry is in danger of getting lost in the minutiae of concerns. While international competitors have long been experimenting with open data platforms, open source tools and collaborative planning processes, there are still arguments about responsibilities here in Germany. The fear of errors, liability and loss of control is slowing down development – and therefore also innovation. Those who fail to act now will not only lose time, but will also be left behind.

But there are also visions. The data warehouse can become a driver for more participation, better decision-making and new business models. It can help to democratize processes, improve dialogue with clients, users and authorities and increase the quality of the built environment. The prerequisite: courage, openness and the willingness to take responsibility. Those who take the plunge will help shape the rules of the future – instead of being overrun by them.

The international discourse shows that data-based architecture is not an end in itself, but the logical response to the challenges of a complex, dynamic world. Those who invest now can actively shape the future of the industry. Anyone who hesitates will remain an in-house spectator.

Conclusion: data competence is the new architectural language

The data warehouse is far more than just a technical tool. It is the foundation for a new, resilient and sustainable architecture. Those who learn to plan with data gain quality, speed and innovative strength – and take responsibility for the built environment. But getting there is not a sure-fire success. It requires courage, openness and a new culture of learning. The future belongs to those who do not fear data, but use it. Because one thing is certain: the architecture of tomorrow will not be built from the gut, but from data. Those who understand this will not just stay in the game – they will set new rules.