“It’s time for things to change!”
FORUM:BAU 2023 was all about the future of construction. The construction of the future must be different from the construction of the past and present - there was a consensus on this at the FORUM:BAU in the Grand Hall of the Zeche Zollverein in Essen.
During FORUM:BAU 2023, the path, pace and focus on the way to a circular economy, digitalization and decarbonization of the industry were discussed and constructively debated in many rounds, presentations and workshops.
In his welcoming address, Holcim Germany CEO Thorsten Hahn emphasized that something has to change: the “FORUM:BAU” was created from the established “Holcim Construction Forum” for a reason: The change expresses the fact that Holcim is taking a back seat as host. The aim is to offer a forum in which the construction of the future can be discussed and shaped together. That is why this term is now at the forefront and the change in the order of words also embodies the urgent need for change. Or, as Hahn appropriately quoted Herbert Grönemeyer from the Ruhr region: “It‘s time for things to change!”.
FORUM:BAU: Thoughtful, critical, controversial
For the first time, this turnaround, its necessity and its consequences were analyzed from different perspectives on two stages: The well-known science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar described the challenge for future generations based on his grandchildren, who will presumably have to bear the brunt of current and past developments. “We are in the midst of major social change processes. Anyone who sleeps through them will be left behind,” said Yogeshwar. The lecture by Cradle2Cradle pioneer Prof. Michael Braungart, who described today’s circular economy as “the most primitive downcycling” and suggested extending working hours, was received controversially. Thanks to such initially very challenging considerations, the lecture was a great enrichment of the forum.
The diversity of the speakers’ personal and professional backgrounds also encouraged the discussion: renowned architect Christoph Ingenhoven, for example, appealed to his profession’s responsibility to provide for more people with fewer resources in the future: “It is our responsibility what we build. Be courageous!”. His colleague Professor Peter Schwehr from Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts also emphasized the social aspect of building in his lecture: “Climate change is not an ideology, it is physics that we have to face up to.”
Two stages, three major topics
The expert stage focused on how models and findings can be implemented in practice - for example through urban mining or solutions for decarbonizing existing buildings. Circular economy and digitalization were the keywords here, which were defined as key elements for the transformation of the industry. During the discussion about new digital sales models in the building materials trade, it quickly became clear: “The potential here is far from exhausted,” said Maximilian Kieser, Head of Digital Business & Strategy at Holcim.
In addition to the diverse presentations, discussions and workshops were also part of the program. Anna Goldhofer, co-founder of Critical Friends, also took to the stage several times. The group aims to motivate and empower others to become part of the sustainable transformation. Together with others, she represented the younger generation at FORUM:BAU: “Change is often not easy. But you can practice it and in the end it‘s fun.” was a positive summary of her contributions, in which she was not sparing with criticism. Three start-ups were also given the opportunity to present themselves and their business models.
FORUM:BAU: Positive outlook
The last presentation of the day came from another pioneer of sustainable building, DGNB Managing Director Dr. Christine Lemaitre: “If we really want transformation, we have to get out of our comfort zone”. However, she also called for an honest look at the problems and not to overlook what is currently receiving little focus in the discussions.
The organizers counted around 500 participants in total, almost 100 of whom followed FORUM:BAU digitally. On site, the space - or rather the forum - was used for intensive discussions. For Holcim CEO Thorsten Hahn, it was clear in his farewell that the many impressions and especially the particularly surprising thoughts had to “sink in” after the long day. What is already certain: Holcim will once again offer a forum for the industry in 2024.
“After today, I am all the more confident that we will have taken many more steps towards the ‘construction of the future’ in a year‘s time,” says Thorsten Hahn.
“It is important that we continue the dialog we started today - hopefully you have taken the opportunity and made new contacts!”
