Categorie: architects

‘transgressive ‘ projects: the architect 3/3

Last time I wrote about about project development, and how everything was optimized within project borders, but the effects outside the project boundaries were neglected. But between architect and client, it’s just the same, and even worse, as became evident once again when I attended a presentation about a new…

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in memoriam: Lucien Kroll

A very sad message tonight: today Lucien Kroll passed away, at the age of 95 years. Architect, designer, urban planner, from Brussels in Belgium. But he was much more. He looked at the environment with very different eyes as colleagues. He is, was, a free thinker among architects, and for…

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A ‘ New Bauhaus’ ? Or Solar Decathlon ?

During my time as a professor I was regularly at odds with the Academy of Architecture’. I feel affiliated with ’the art of building’, but not with architecture or construction as art. That was more or less the reason for the quarrels. Not surprising, because in my guidance I start…

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Jaime Lerner – Curitiba

Just recently, in May, Jaime Lerner passed away. He more or less invented sustainable urban development. A little tribute. Everything has to be sustainable or circular these days, including the cities. Now, is there a city that has already applied many of these principles, where there is something to learn?…

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On books: Tip 1: don’t buy Bill Gates’ book.

We are bombarded with books that know how to deal with climate and the environment, and especially how we can improve the situation. And yes, I am also participating in that, since last week I published a new book that offers tools for improvement, or rather: suggestions for adaptations to…

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the Graz declaration: a amendment proposal

Next week, the world sustainable built environment conference was planned, from 9-11 June, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It has been put on hold since early March, due to Covid-19 virus of course. It probably will be postponed or become a virtual conference, but since Sweden has enough trouble from itself currently,…

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20-40 years later…

There were boxes full of books and reports, even up to 40 years old. And since it was too hot to do anything outside, I finally cleared the attic. Going through the boxes one by one, its hard to avoid starting reading again. Just throwing away things would be a…

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Building without heating: more material or more installations?

Last month I finally visited the ‘2226’ office in Austria near Bregenz. (updated in 2022 and 2024, see at the end) . The building, realized about 4 years ago, already won many prizes. What is special about this building: it has no heating system, and in fact no ventilation system,…

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Vertical F(r)a(r)ming …

There are some strange excesses in the need for more sustainability, and especially with regard to the undefined “greening” of things. One of these, and you notice it more and more, is the tendency to plant trees on buildings. Not on the roof, as you might expect, but especially around…

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‘Circular building’ , now what is it really ?

(master-classes on this topic and others, see on the right) ” What is Circular Building really?” , a Dutch journalist twittered, being confused about the debates going on. Its not clear yet, apparently, so lets give it a try. The word “Building” we all understand, its about the word Circular…

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