Professur Nachhaltiges Bauen / Sustainable Construction

Prof. Hebel was recently appointed to the ‘Zukunft Bau’ Expert Group. The Expert Group of the ‘Zukunft Bau’ innovation programme is an important body that advises the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Construction (BMWSB) and the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) on the direction of activities in the field of construction research. In particular, the Expert Group assists with the substantive assessment of grant applications as part of the ‘Zukunft Bau’ research funding approval process and currently comprises 36 external experts from academia and industry.

The ‘Zukunft Bau’ research funding programme supports research and development projects that aim to advance knowledge regarding strategies, concepts, processes, techniques and materials for the forward-looking and sustainable development of the construction industry, architecture and the housing sector, and which, through their strong practical relevance, are well-suited to driving innovation in these fields. The aim is to generate more new technical, organisational and architectural insights that contribute to sustainable development in the fields of civil engineering, architecture and the construction and housing sectors. Great importance is attached to the transfer of the insights and innovations gained into practice. With this in mind, cooperation between universities, research institutions and commercial or industrial partners is also to be strengthened.

Text: Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Construction

As part of the ‚Kupfer Symposium‘, Daniela Schneider will present her latest research on how copper can be reused more effectively across the construction and mechanical engineering sectors.

Although copper is highly recyclable, it is often only reused within a single industry. This project explores how smarter design, clear labelling and easier dismantling could help to recover pure copper and reintegrate it into new applications.

On 13 November at 11:50 am, she will present alongside Phillip Wallat as part of the session ‚Cross-sectoral reuse of copper-containing products and components in construction and mechanical engineering through a circular strategy‘.

This year, Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH (WRS) is once again organising the 6th Symposium ‚Zukunft Bauen‘ in collaboration with the International Building Exhibition 2027 Stuttgart Region (IBA’27 GmbH and IBA’27 Friends e.V.).

Under the theme ‘People – Materials – Machines’, the symposium will focus on the profound changes taking place in the construction sector – in terms of technology, design and society. The central question is how we want to build – and with whom: What role do materials play? What about people? And how are machines changing what we do?

The symposium will take place on 8 October 2025 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Landeskasse Stuttgart. Elena Boerman will be speaking alongside Marietta Schwarz (Deutschlandfunk), Jun.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anja Lauer (University of Stuttgart) and Prof. Felix Dölker (Mainz University of Applied Sciences).

On May 13, over 80 participants from business, science, administration, politics, and civil society gathered at Steamwork Karlsruhe — joined by 20+ remote experts — for a full-day vision workshop on the Circular Economy. Their shared goal: to develop the foundation for a city-wide vision of a circular Karlsruhe.

Four key vision areas emerged: Circular Construction, Circular Value Creation, Lifestyle and Consumption and Local Food Systems. Elena Boerman was invited to participate in the workshop group of Circular Construction on behalf of the Professorship of Sustainable Construction.

The workshop results will feed into a feasibility study to inform political decision-making in fall 2025. Further engagement formats and a #CircularKarlsruhe network are in the works by the Wirtschaftsförderung of Karlsruhe.

After a successful start in 2023 with 450 participants, Forum Holzbau has decided to hold the Süddeutscher Holzbau Kongress (SHK) annually. The second event has now been scheduled for July 10 and 11, 2024 in Fellbach near Stuttgart. The congress, organized by Forum Holzbau, is intended to provide a platform for a comprehensive scientific and economic exchange on all aspects of modern, future-oriented timber construction.

On July 11 at 1:50 pm, Daniela Schneider will hold a lecture on „Building Circular: Materials – Joining – Documentation“. You will find her in block B4 with the main topic „Circular Construction“.

Please check the full programm here.

Daniela Schneider, doctoral student at the KIT Sustainable Building Professorship, will be taking part in an online panel discussion on the topic of „Cycle-efficient timber building system solutions“ at the themed afternoons on timber construction organised by the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) on 15 November 2023.

More information about the event here.

Monday, October 9^th, 2023
8:30 – 18:30 (CET)
Open Space 2 – Institute of Technology in Architecture (ITA ETH Hoenggerberg)

The one-day symposium is part of our work in the Future Cities Lab (FCL) research programme.

The event is being organized by the Block Research Group (ETH) and the chair of Digital Building Technologies (ETH), in collaboration with the chairs of Prof. Hortense Le Ferrand from NTU Singapore and Prof. Dirk Hebel from KIT Karlsruhe, with support from the Institute of Technology in Architecture (ITA) and ALIVE, and Holcim Foundation.

Our module BIO – Urban Biocycles Mycelium Digitalisation brings together researchers from the Block Research Group (ETH), the chair of Digital Building Technologies (ETH), Singapore (NTU), and Karlsruhe (KIT) to develop, utilize, and assess mycelium-bound composite materials in building construction.

This event aims to inspire new conversations regarding circularity in architecture and gauge the barriers and opportunities in utilizing bio-materials, with a focus on mycelium-based materials.

Each panel proposes a mix of experts in order to provide perspective on the industry and on the challenges and opportunities in utilizing mycelium-based materials in building construction and architectural applications. 

Please register now for our event – Registration, Lineup, and Schedule here: BIOFRONTIERS

90 representatives from business, science and politics came together on Wednesday at the new weisenburg headquarters in Karlsruhe for IMMO TALK 2023 of TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe GmbH (TRK GmbH), an event for more sustainability in the construction industry. The head of research at the Sustainable Building Professorship, Dr. Nazanin Saeidi, was also invited to the event.

The subject of this year’s event was „Bioeconomy 1 in building Plant-based building materials in the life cycle of buildings In two top-class rounds, innovative building materials made from plants were presented and discussed how they can find greater use in building practice in the future.

text and photo: TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe GmbH

On 22nd April, the Professorship of Sustainable Construction was a guest in Hall B0 at the BAU2023 Munich to organise, in cooperation with the KIT Department of Architecture and the Bund Deutscher Architektinnen und Architekten BDA and supported by Wacker Chemie AG, the Symposium on Sustainable Construction “Does Concrete // in a sustainable world // have a future”.

Watch the full recording of our Symposium on Sustainable Construction at BAU2023 here.

On 22nd April, the Professorship of Sustainable Construction was a guest in Hall B0 at the BAU2023 Munich to organise, in cooperation with the KIT Department of Architecture and the Bund Deutscher Architektinnen und Architekten BDA and supported by Wacker Chemie AG, the Symposium on Sustainable Construction “Does Concrete // in a sustainable world // have a future”.

Invited speakers were Prof. Karen Scrivener, Head of the EPFL Laboratory of Construction Materials as well as Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Dehn, Head of the KIT Institute of Concrete Structures and Building Materials, and Koos Schenk, Director of SmartCrusher BV. The event and the panel discussion were moderated by Dr. Thomas Welter, Federal Manager at Bund Deutscher Architektinnen und Architekten (BDA). Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, KIT Professor of Sustainable Construction and Dean of the KIT Department of Architecture, welcomed the audience to the event.

Many thanks to all the speakers for their great performance, for valuable food for thought and interesting links that were created through the symposium.

Between 60 and 100 participants were present at the Forum in Hall B0 at the BAU2023 trade fair in Munich. The recording of the event will be available here shortly.

We would like to sincerely thank all those involved in the event for their commitment and organisational efforts, for the great encounters, conversations and new connections that were created at and through the symposium. Many thanks especially to the team of BAU2023 trade fair and Hall B0 for their great efforts around all events in the context of BAU.

Thank you!

More information about the event here.

The KIT Department of Architecture will be holding a symposium as part of this year’s “BAU2023 – World’s Leading Trade Fair for Architecture, Materials, Systems”, which will take place in Munich from 17 to 22 April. The event will take place on 21 April from 12.00 to 13.30 in Hall B0, a hall with the motto “Investing in the Future”.

In this event, a discourse on the current problems in the use of concrete will be stimulated, the current and future possibilities of recycling old concrete into new concrete will be discussed as well as new application concepts and production formulations for concrete. It will be held in English.

Prof. Karen Scrivener, Head of EPFL Laboratory of Construction Materials, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Dehn, Head of KIT Institute of Concrete Structures and Building Materials and Koos Schenk, founder and director of SmartCrusher BV, are invited as speakers. Prof. Dirk E. Hebel will welcome the audience and introduce the speakers. The panel discussion after the lectures will be moderated by Dr. Thomas Welter, BDA federal manager.

DOES CONCRETE // IN A SUSTAINABLE WORLD // HAVE A FUTURE ? 

WELCOME
Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, KIT Department of Architecture, Professor of Sustainable Construction 

INTRODUCTION THEMES – PROBLEMS, LIMITATIONS, ALTERNATIVES
Prof. Karen Scrivener, EPFL Laboratory of Construction Materials, Head of Laboratory 

NEW CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS – RESEARCH VS. STANDARDISATION
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Dehn, KIT Institute of Concrete Structures and Building Materials, Head of Institute 

CIRCULAR RESOURCE ECONOMICS – HOW TO CLOSE THE LOOP OF EXISTING STRUCTURES
Koos Schenk, SmartCrusher BV, Director 

DOES CONCRETE // IN A SUSTAINABLE WORLD // HAVE A FUTURE?
Dr. Thomas Welter (BDA), Moderator of Panel Discussion

We are very much looking forward to meeting you there!

The event is organized by the KIT Professorship of Sustainable Construction and kindly supported by Wacker Chemie AG.

Find out more about the symposium on the Symposium Event Page of the KIT Department of Architecture or on the Website of BAU2023 Munich.

Climate change is becoming a particular challenge for our urban life: our cities heat up particularly strongly in summer, and extreme weather such as heavy rainfall pushes infrastructure to its limits. Worldwide, almost 60 percent of people live in urbanized settlements, and the number is steadily increasing. As global temperatures continue to rise, so do the challenges facing cities and the people who live in them. In Berlin on November 8th 2022, several scientists talked and elaborated on the question of how to design and adapt our cities for such challenges ahead. The parliamentary evening was organizezed by Helmholtz SynCom.

On Monday, 7 November, Dirk E. Hebel was invited to the Bundestag by Kassem Taher Saleh, Member of the German Parliament and Chairman of the Committee on Housing, Urban Development, Construction and Municipalities, to discuss which recommendations for political action can be derived from Dirk E. Hebel’s research. Mr Saleh, a civil engineer by profession and member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, was particularly interested in wood as a building material along the entire value chain (raw material availability and end-of-life scenarios) and strategies for a truely circular economy in the building sector.

At the expert discussion on „Innovative and Sustainable Building Materials“ of the Green parliamentary group in the state parliament, to which Gudula Achterberg, member of the Heilbronn state parliament and member of the working group and committee on state development and housing, had invited on 21st October, science and practice met and identified future tasks for building and housing.

The speakers from science and research as well as from construction practice were united by the realisation that the current crises and global interdependencies can also accelerate developments in construction.

Keynote speaker Professor Werner Sobek received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in May as a thought leader for the built environment of tomorrow. The multi-award-winning engineer and architect insists on honest balancing when it comes to innovative and sustainable building materials: when it comes to the consumption of resources, be it sand, gravel, fossil fuels or precious metals. One of the other speakers advocated, for example, the introduction of a building type E for „experimental“ for lighthouse projects, for which simplified standards apply in order to facilitate innovation. Dr Anne Braune from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) advocated the use of pure, sustainable building materials and suggested as a parameter for approval: My building should emit a certain amount of CO 2 per square metre per year. She advocated looking „in the package insert“ for building materials and for service life-adapted construction.

Dr Nazanin Saeidi, a researcher at the KIT Sustainable Building Professorship, presented an example of innovative building materials. Based on fungi, the award-winning material NeWood is suitable as a substitute for pressboard or for insulation. It is made from 100 per cent organic waste and is recyclable.

The event showed many developments that can and must revolutionise the way we build in the future. Nevertheless, the familiar and the tried and tested can help to overcome upcoming challenges in the construction industry.

Two members of the RoofKIT team, Katharina Knoop and Johannes Hasselmann, had the opportunity to present the RoofKIT project and the Solar Decathlon at the Ingenieurgruppe Bauen (IGB) in Karlsruhe last Thursday.

All the listeners were very interested in the topics the two presented and were particularly impressed by the team spirit and the continuing enthusiasm and motivation. The event was able to show the company new perspectives for everyday work and planning.

Yesterday our symposium grow.build.repeat. took place. It was a great day with exciting and high-class lectures and interesting discussions. The Professorship of Sustainable Construction would like to thank all participants!

Many thanks to all viewers for watching, asking questions and for the great feedback.

Many thanks for the
Organization: KIT Faculty for Architecture
The kind support: Wacker Chemie AG
Live Translation: KIT Lecture Translator, Karlsruhe Information Technology Solutions – kites GmbH
Social Media Support: Frank Metzger, Denis Elbl

Special thanks to our speakers: Prof. Dr. Hanaa Dahy, Prof. Eike Roswag-Klinge, Andrea Klinge, Dr. Henk Jonkers, Dr. Alireza Javadian, Prof. Dr. Marie-Pierre Laborie, Martin Rauch, Werner Schmidt, Diana Drewes, Dr. Michael Sailer, Mitchell Joachim

Many thanks to our panel discussion partners from Wacker Chemie AG: Peter Summo, Dr. Theo Mayer, Dr. Tobias Halbach, Dr. Peter Jerschow

Thank you for planning, organizing and preparing the event with us: AMP Aurora Motion Pictures, Jessica Decker, Sylvia Aust and Dr. Theo Mayer representing the whole team of Wacker Chemie AG

Thank you for the great location: Raumszene

grow.build.repeat. on Friday 04 December 2020, 09:00 – 18.45 on changelab.exchange/livestream

Have a look at the updated agenda (943 KB)

Virtual Exhibition online since 03 December 2020, 18:00: changelab.exchange/virtual-exhibition

Due to the increasing number of infections caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have decided to hold the symposium grow.build.repeat. online, which will take place on December 4, 2020.

Link to online event and virtual exhibition from 03.12.2020 on
https://changelab.exchange

Further information on https://changelab.exchange/join/2-symposium-grow-build-repeat/ and arch.kit.edu/aktuelles/grow-build-repeat.php

grow.build.repeat. Symposium on sustainable construction.

Find here updated information for the venue and time of the event:

04. December 2020 / 09:00 – 18:45 h / Keynote by Mitchell Joachim
Admission from 8.00 a.m. / Start 9.00 a.m. / Closing 6.30 p.m.

Venue:
ZKM (Center for Art and Media)
Media Theater
Lorenzstrasse 19
76135 Karlsruhe

The Media Theater is located – adjacent to the entrance foyer – in Atrium 6 on the first floor of the ZKM.

Organization:
Department of Sustainable Construction
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

We would like to invite you to follow the live stream of the event. The link to the live stream will be provided in time on this and the following websites:
https://changelab.exchange/
http://www.arch.kit.edu/aktuelles/grow-build-repeat.php

Detailed Agenda, Pdf-Download (861 KB)

Speaker information, Pdf-Download (98 KB)

The symposium grow.build.repeat. at the KIT Faculty of Architecture deals with one of the most urgent questions of our time: how can we drive forward a radical change of the existing construction industry while increasingly considering the breeding, cultivation, seeding, and harvesting of biological building materials and their system cycles? The symposium is the second in a series on the topic of sustainable construction. The first event (take.build.repeat. in autumn 2018) dealt mainly with mineral and metallic material cycles in the field of urban mining and its potential for sustainable construction. The second symposium, grow.build.repeat, now addresses the biological material cycle and presents future-oriented examples from construction practice and research. Representatives from science and industry, research, practitioners, decision-makers within our democratic society, as well as teachers and students will come together to discuss the future of construction in lectures and discussions and subsequently to actively participate in shaping it.

The event is organized by the Professorship of Sustainable Construction (Faculty of Architecture, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT) and is kindly supported by Wacker Chemie AG.

Registrations (only possible for the Live-Stream, if recognition as further education event is desired):
http://www.arch.kit.edu/aktuelles/grow-build-repeat.php

Further training course of AKBW: 2020-151695-0001 (4h).

grow.build.repeat. Symposium on sustainable construction.

Nov/Dec 2020 / 18:00 – 20:30 h / Keynote
Nov/Dec 2020 / 09:30 – 18:00 h

Department of Sustainable Construction
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Egon-Eiermann Lecture Hall (HS 16)
Englerstrasse 7, Building 20.40

The symposium grow.build.repeat. at the KIT Faculty of Architecture deals with one of the most urgent questions of our time: how can we drive forward a radical change of the existing construction industry while increasingly considering the breeding, cultivation, seeding, and harvesting of biological building materials and their system cycles? The symposium is the second in a series on the topic of sustainable construction. The first event (take.build.repeat. in autumn 2018) dealt mainly with mineral and metallic material cycles in the field of urban mining and its potential for sustainable construction. The second symposium, grow.build.repeat, now addresses the biological material cycle and presents future-oriented examples from construction practice and research. Representatives from science and industry, research, practitioners, decision-makers within our democratic society, as well as teachers and students will come together to discuss the future of construction in lectures and discussions and subsequently to actively participate in shaping it.

The event is organized by the Professorship of Sustainable Construction (Faculty of Architecture, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT) and is kindly supported by Wacker Chemie AG.

With 4 hours, the event is recognized as a continuing education measure of the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects.

Registration cand more information at www.arch.kit.edu/aktuelles/grow-build-repeat

Download Agenda: grow.build.repeat._Description&Programme (1,1 MB)

Success for KIT master students: at the second Urban Mining Student Award cycle, students of the Master course „Glück auf am Theodorschacht“ organized and taught by the Professorship of Sustainable Construction at the Faculty of Architecture were extremely sucessfull. They won the first, two 3rd and two recognition prizes.

The age of using fossil resources is coming to an end. Far away from the Ruhr area the last days are counted for the German hard coal mining. The Ibbenbüren colliery in the northernmost tip of North Rhine-Westphalia was one of the last two of its kind and was closed at the end of 2018. The surface facilities of the mine are located at various shaft locations and were asked to be re-designed and reused as a public cultural facility, understanding the existing structures and materials as a new ressource for architectural planning.

The award was organized by the agn Niederberghaus & Partner GmbH together with the University of Wuppertal (BUW) and the Association Urban Mining. It recognizes concepts, ideas and strategies for promoting a consistent circular economy. The reusability of the construction and the recyclability of the building materials, together with the reuse of used components and a high level of repair friendliness, are in the foreground of the considerations. Further criteria were the flexibility of the building structures as a prerequisite for reuse and reuse, low space and water consumption, the highest possible building self-sufficiency with low-tec solutions for operational and energy efficiency as well as the promotion of micro-climate and biodiversity.

Winning projects of KIT:
First prize winners: Sofie Fettig and Torben Ewaldt
3rd prize winners: Marieteres Medynska and Jasmin Amann / Ruth Meigen and Lisa-Maria Behringer
Recognition prize winners: Katharina Blümke and Paulina Hipp / Wenzel Meyer and Corinna Kernl
Sudio organization and teaching: Felix Heisel and Karsten Schlesier
Studio consolidation: Prof. Andreas Wagner

take. build. repeat. Symposium für ressourcengerechtes Bauen.
09.11.2018 / 9:30 – 18:00 Uhr

Fachgebiet Nachhaltiges Bauen
KIT Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
Egon-Eiermann-Saal, Englerstr. 7, Geb. 20.40

The symposium take.build.repeat. questions the currently practiced throw-away mentality of today’s construction industry: Resources are taken, consumed and subsequently disposed of. Contrary to this linear concept of ressource destruction are ideas of closed material cycles, of newly conceived (re-)building technologies and, in particular, new business models of the circular economy. The symposium addresses the important question of how we can build our cities of the future in times of ever-growing global population and increasing resource scarcity without continuing to exploit and pollute our natural environment. The built environment must represent both a responsible present-day solution as well as the material bank for the future.

The one-day symposium will bring together representatives of science and industry, theoretical and practical approaches as well as practitioners and students to jointly shape the future of building through lectures and discussions. Speaking will be Prof. Dr. Werner Sobek (Werner Sobek Group / University Stuttgart), Prof. Dr. Walter R. Stahel (Product Life Institute), Prof. Annette Hillebrandt (University of Wuppertal), Peter van Assche (Bureau SLA), Jasper Brommet (StoneCycling), Stefan Rohrmus (Schüco) and Sabine Oberhuber-Rau (Madaster). The recently opened Urban Mining and Recycling unit (UMAR) at the Empa NEST in Switzerland by Werner Sobek with Dirk E. Hebel and Felix Heisel will be presented in detail.

The event on 09. November 2018 is organized by Sustainable Construction at the Faculty of Architecture of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT and is recognized as Weiterbildungsmaßnahme by the Chamber of Architects Baden-Württemberg with 4 hours.

Registrations at http://www.arch.kit.edu/aktuelles/take_build_repeat.php

More information at www.nest-umar.net

On October 16th 2018, Prof. Dirk E. Hebel is speaking at the Detail Kongress 2018 »No Waste! Ressource Bau« about the NEST Unit Urban Mining and Recycling by Werner Sobek with Dirk E. Hebel and Felix Heisel. Located at the Oktagon of Zeche Zollverein in Essen, the congress brings together partitioners, researchers and positions aiming to promote a more respectful resource and energy use in the built environment. 

Registration at detail.de/detailkongress

On 07.07.2017, Felix Heisel held a public lecture at the conference „Kreislaufgerechtes Bauen“ in Aachen, speaking about the NEST Module UMAR (Urban Mining and Recycling), which is currently under construction in Switzerland. The German magazine Recycling reported on the event with the words: „Felix Heisel vom Fachgebiet Nachhaltiges Bauen des Karlsruher Institut für Technologie forderte Architekten zum Umdenken in der Planung auf. Ein mit dem Architekturbüro Werner Sobek in der Schweiz geplantes Gebäude sei im Bau und zeige neue Möglichkeiten: Alle Bauteile sind hier dekonstruierbar und sortenrein trennbar, um eine Wiederverwendung von Materialien sicher zu stellen. Nur so können Gebäude in der Zukunft als Materiallager dienen.“

Read the complete text (in German) here.

Magdalena Zabek, wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin des Fachgebiets Nachhaltiges Bauen, veranstaltet in Kooperation mit der Innovationsregion Rheinisches Revier GmbH und der Juniorprofessur Rezykliergerechtes Bauen / RWTH Aachen eine Konferenz zum Thema „Kreislaufgerechtes Bauen“ am 07.07.2017 in Aachen. Es werden Vorträge zu Bewertungsmöglichkeiten von kreislaufgerechten und ressourcenschonenden Bauten stattfinden. Felix Heisel wird seine Erfahrungen mit der Kreislaufwirtschaft in Bauwesen vorstellen. Neben den Vorträgen findet eine Ausstellung zu kreislaufgerechten und umweltschonenden Bauprodukten statt.

Veranstaltungsort:
Ehemaliges Straßenbahndepot
Talstraße 2
52068 Aachen

Nähere Informationen zur Veranstaltung entnehmen Sie bitte dem Programmheft:
http://rheinisches-revier.de/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/allgemein/170510_Programm_IRR.pdf

Anmeldungen zur Veranstaltung bitte unter folgenden Link:
https://goo.gl/forms/05lm48bWQvolaDzT2

Anmeldeschluss ist der 16.06.2017

For the first time Young Academics were awarded with the DVL Lehmbaupreis at Lehm 2016 – International Conference on Building with Earth in Weimar.

The prize aims to promote the study of earth building in academic context. It recognises academic work of excellent quality that demonstrates a firm knowledge of earth building and makes a forward-looking and original contribution in the fields of design, construction, research or development.

Philipp Müller was awarded with the second prize for his Master Thesis dealing with reliability analysis of earth block masonry structures as it can be seen as a major contribution to the efforts in regard of the ongoing standardization process in earth building. For more information, please click here.

On Monday 29th August, Philipp Müller and Simon Lee speak at the 3rd International Conference on Bio-based Polymers and Composites. The Bamboo Fibre Composite developed at the Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore has a great potential as a viable and environmental friendly alternative for the construction sector. The talk will cover the newly developed manufacuring process and the mechanical properties of the material as well as give an outlook onto future challenges and opportunities for Bamboo Fibre Composites in the building industry.  Bamboo-based building materials can replace steel and concrete and be a major contribution to a more sustainable development of the construction.

On 23rd June, Dirk E. Hebel will speak on Cultivation Urbanism as part of the Urban Nature Seminar of the FCL Singapore.

Since modernity, human progress has been measured in terms of their domination of nature, rather than the redefinition of the nature of their relationship (Dunlap and Catton, 1979). Since then, humans have suffered through their estrangement from this natural processes.

Throughout the history of urbanism, the notion of ‘urban’ and ‘nature’ often intersects. Nature has been subjugated, consumed, commodified, reproduced and also to great extent idolised, in the creation of human’s built environment. But what is nature in relation to urbanism? How can we engage the concept of urban-nature as an alternative lens to understand the process behind the development of our built environment? How do our cities reflect the way we relate to, perceive and desire to dominate and adopt nature?

Engage in a contemporary multidisciplinary discourse on the concept of urban nature in 21st century Asian Cities with distinguished speakers from diverse disciplines. for more information and the full program, please click here.

Philipp Mueller will speak at the 12^th World Congress of Earthen Architecture in Lyon with various speakers from more than 80 countries. The international Congress brings together academics and professionals gathering around the oldest known building material. Since more than 8000 years people are using earth as a building material and it still is en vogue due to its unique properties. Especially Earth block masonry is becoming more and more common as it is the building material with the lowest consumption of primary energy. The development of product standards has led to an increase of quality in terms of load-bearing capacity. Philipp Mueller will present results from research about structural reliability of earth block masonry allowing more economic construction and showing a wide range of future application for earth as a building material.

For more information please click here.

Felix Heisel will speak on the panel „How the Construction Business is Transforming Problems into Solutions“ at the Cleantech Forum Europe on April 12th, 2016, 2pm – 3pm.

The panels description by the organizer reads as follows:
Hear from experts in the construction field on the latest solutions to creating more optimized buildings. While cement accounts for roughly 5 percent of global CO2 emissions, the industry is re-inventing itself through new and efficient processes and partnerships with innovative startups to not only reverse its environmental impact, but make improvements to the whole supply chain of building development. We will share some case studies and new possibilities in construction – whether it is a new type of binder that improves the mechanical strength of construction materials, new catalytic processes that removes pollutants from the air, or other methods that can sequester carbon while also improving the insulation and energy efficiency of buildings.

Moderated by: Gunther Walenta, Senior Climate Change Manager, LafargeHolcim
Co-Hosted by: LafargeHolcim

For more information, please click here.

Felix Heisel speaks at the 2016MIECF Macau International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition on April 1st 2016. „Disposing of waste in an environmentally-friendly manner is crucial to business, it also gives rise to a plethora of business opportunities. Thus, apart from welcoming participation from various green industries, 2016MIECF will adopt the theme ‚Green Economy – Opportunities for Waste Management‘, and invite specialists and academics to share their techniques and experience in controlling waste streams.“ Felix Heisel will contribute his views on waste as a building material. For more information, please click here.

Keynote speech by Asst. Prof. Dirk E. Hebel at the World Bamboo Congress in South Korea on September 20th, 2015. From the organizers: „In the last 20 years, the WBC as a series of Sessions & Demonstrations has grown to attract participants from more than 30 countries around the world, including world-renowned experts in bamboo design, construction, and architecture. For any professional that works with this amazing natural resource — whether a botanist, biologist, horticulturist, architect, artist, designer, businessperson, government representative, non-profit organization, or economist, the WBC has been an ideal opportunity to meet and develop collaborations in research and development, project or business development, while at the same time, advancing the social and environmental goals derived from the various applications of bamboo.“

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgY_foB77Ow&w=537&h=356]

In April 2015 swissnex San Francisco together with Chair of Architecture and Construction at ETH Zurich organized a one week event called ‚Building From Waste‘. During this time everyone interested in the issues of rethinking the use of waste could participate in a series of presentations, a panel discussion, a hands-on workshop and an exhibition.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, a stakeholders forum in Butajira city to place to present and discuss further steps of the Rural Housing research project, a combined research project of EiABC and ETH Professorship Dirk E. Hebel, with representatives of Guraghe Zone Administration, City Government, Bete Guraghe Cultural Center, colleagues from Wolkite University and Wolkite Polytechnic College and other stakeholder.

Marta H. Wisniewska and Felix Heisel at swissnex SF

Marta H. Wisniewska and Felix Heisel at swissnex SF

Phil Ross- Mycoworks

Thom Faulders- Studio Faulders

Peter Ratto- Recology SF

Panel discussion at swissnex SF

Felix Heisel and Marta H. Wisniewska at swissnex SF

Waste Not Panel Discussion at swissnex San Francisco on April 21, 2015 started a week-long event organized by Mary Ellyn Johnson and the swissnex SF team around the launch of the Building from Waste book for the US market.

Future resilient cities will be constructed out of their own refuse. This hypothesis was the spark for the book, Building from Waste: Recovered Materials in Architecture and Construction by Dirk E. Hebel, Marta H. Wisniewska and Felix Heisel from ETH Zurich and the Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore.

Felix Heisel and Marta H. Wisniewska gave a conceptual and practical look at materials and products that use waste as a renewable resource during their presentation and panel discussion at swissnex San Francisco. From the local experts, Philip Ross (Mycoworks), Thom Foulders (Foulders Studio) and Peter Ratto (Recology), the guests could hear how mushrooms can be a viable building material, how experiments in architecture are incorporating unique products focused on sustainability and renewal, and how San Francisco’s Recology is working towards zero waste for the city by 2020.

For more information click here.

Photo credits: swissnex SF/ Mayleen Hollero

Marta H. Wisniewska and Felix Heisel will be leading several events from 21st – 25th of April at Swissnex San Fransisco in order to promote the recent publication „Building from Waste“ in the United States. For detailed information on the events please see here and register your attendance through the swissnex website:

21.04.2015  – 6:30 pm: Lecture Series „Waste Not“
with Philip Ross, Thom Faulders, Marta H. Wisniewska and Felix Heisel

21.04. – 25.04.2015: „Building from Waste“ Exhibit with 25 construction products made from refuse

25.04.2015 – 9:00 am: Constructing Waste: Upcycling and Rethinking Trash
Workshop with Marta H. Wisniewska and Felix Heisel

Moderated by Dr. Barbara Becker and hosted by ETH Global on March 23rd 2015, Sarah Springman, Samih Sawiris and Dirk E. Hebel discussed the challenges and opportunities of Engineering for Development (E4D), a program of the Sawiris foundation and the ETH Zürich to promote the development of products and methods which are directly relevant for improving the livelihoods of people in developing territories.

At this years World Sustainable Building Conference, the Chair of Architecture and Construction Dirk E. Hebel presented two papers. In Session 48, Felix Heisel talked about „Bamboo Reinforcement – a Sustainable Alternative to Steel“, while Marta H. Wisniewska presented „Waste – a Resource for Sustainable and Resilient Future Cities“ in Session 90.

At this year’s World Sustainable Building Conference in Barcelona WSBC2014, the Chair of Architecture and Construction is presenting two papers on its recent research. Marta H. Wisniewska is speaking on „Waste – a Resource for Sustainable and Resilient future Cities“ on 29th October between 3pm and 4:30pm in Session 90: „Construction systems and materials“. Alireza Javadian is presenting „Bamboo Reinforcement – A Carbon Alternative to Steel“ on 29th October between 10am and 11:30am in Session 48: „Resources and Waste“. For the Conference program, please visit here.

Keynote presentation by Dirk E. Hebel at the Salzburg Congress on Urban Planning and Development on May 16th, 2014. Imagine cities where our current concepts of waste are thrown away, and instead we envision a city’s waste as resource. In our world, where scarcity and excess define the chasm between the haves and have-nots; exploring the social, environmental and economic dimensions of waste will help us understand more deeply how we manage our Earth’s resources and how we may help to address the inequities intrinsic to this dichotomy. SCUPAD’s 2014 Congress will explore a paradigm shift where cities and regions can develop new ways of managing the planet’s resources where the concept of harvesting becomes the lifecycle of every element of our lives. Reevaluating, modifying, and altering chains of production and consumption are ways of renewing connections to our places and to each other; and practical ways to reduce and reuse waste should be  integral parts of any city’s metabolism. Although each city has its own DNA and thus may manage its resources and waste in different ways, looking at a variety of successful methods that some cities have adopted in the management of their waste streams may offer templates for replication and adaptation. Expanding our understanding of the generation of urban energies can help us realign our relationships with natural systems. SCUPAD’s 2014 Congress will frame waste as a source of creativity, equity, and sustainable development. Please join us as we question, test, and explore ways we can adopt new policies, expand community education, and share practices that inspire citizen engagement and culture change. There is no time to waste.