The ideas of tomorrow are developed
in crises
The FORUM:BAU venue can be seen as an example of economic transformation in many ways: On the one hand, as a former coal mine, the Zollverein colliery stands for a bygone industrial era that has long since come to an end in Germany. On the other hand, as a cultural site, it has made the transition to the present in a completely different way than was thought possible when it was founded.
This makes it the ideal stage for the FORUM:BAU: Holcim Germany invites you to discuss the future of construction with various representatives from the construction industry, construction companies, architecture firms, science, start-ups and politics. Because the green transformation is not an option, but a duty. And its success will determine whether construction as we know it today will appear as a monument in the future, like the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, or as an industry that has made itself digitally and sustainably fit for the future.
These are challenging times, as Holcim CEO Thorsten Hahn emphasized in his welcome address to the more than 400 participants, as well as the need to face them with courage: “In crises, the ideas of tomorrow are developed and made big!” Entrepreneurship and innovation are needed to drive forward the green and digital transformation, even in the face of headwinds. “This requires reliable framework conditions that enable sustainable solutions and technologies to break through. Transformation does not come for free and it is the responsibility of society as a whole,” said Hahn, adding that politicians also had a duty to act.
“Human catastrophe? How we are changing the Earth” was the title of the presentation by keynote speaker and Terra-X presenter Dirk Steffens. In his impressive presentation, the journalist explained how important emotions are for human action: “Feeling things is more urgent than knowing things,” said Steffens, who also pointed out emphatically that the loss of biodiversity receives far too little attention compared to climate change. But Steffens concluded on a positive note: “We have a potentially fatal disease. But we already have the medicine in our pockets - we just have to take it.”
The presentations by political representatives Daniel Sieveke (State Secretary in North Rhine-Westphalia) and Garrelt Duin (Director of the Ruhr Regional Association) focused on the willingness of politicians to enable innovation through appropriate legislation. The social component of construction, not least housing construction, was also highlighted here. The subsequent panel discussion, which, like the entire FORUM:BAU, was moderated by Bauwelt editor-in-chief Boris Schade-Bünsow, also dealt with this discourse and how the co-design of outdoor areas influences the quality of life of buildings right from the planning phase.
“Think differently”, ‘Manage differently’ and ‘Build differently’ were the titles of the three themed sessions with renowned experts in the afternoon. These took place on three different stages so that all participants could choose and contribute according to their preferences. They dealt with value creation and business models in the construction industry, new requirements and challenges in the local and European context as well as green and innovative solution concepts for sustainable construction.
Afterwards, all participants came together again on the main stage to experience examples of sustainable construction in practice. Jasna Moritz, member of the management board of kadawittfeldarchitektur, presented innovative projects and emphasized how closely the success of a project depends on the cooperation of all those involved. Carsten Joost, Managing Director of blu by AUG.PRIEN, took the same line. Using the “UBS4 - Norderstedt” construction project as an example, he showed how sustainable construction can succeed today. “We are on the way, but still a long way from reaching our goal,” said Joost. In the last lecture of the day, Dr. Joachim Lohse, Managing Director of the Central Real Estate Committee e.V., spoke about political framework conditions and hurdles for the real estate industry.
New format: FORUM:BAU Spotlight
Thorsten Hahn concluded by thanking the speakers and guests for their contributions. “Green transformation is not a sprint, but a marathon,” said Hahn. He took a number of things away with him, such as the topic of sufficiency, where people too often think of sacrifice rather than appropriateness, the importance of biodiversity and the fact that we must always keep the people for whom we are building in mind.
Together, the solutions discussed will be driven forward. In line with this, the Holcim CEO announced a new format that will take place digitally on a regular basis from February 2025: At the FORUM:BAU Spotlight, the spotlight will be figura-tively shone on a single topic in a short one-hour session. All participants of this year‘s FORUM:BAU are invited to attend.
At the end of the day, which offered plenty of space for networking during the numerous breaks, all participants came together for a get-together on the first floor of the Grand Hall at the Zeche Zollverein. Here, discussions continued for a long time and the day’s findings were analyzed.
