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.… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
Last month I finally visited the ‘2226’ office in Austria near Bregenz. 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,… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
(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… Continue Reading
Last week, was a week with some Aha moments, and forced to rethink a few issues. Among these a continued discussion in The Netherlands with Jan Willem van de Groep, the passionate protagonist of Nill Onthe Meter retrofits (NOM). Nothing… Continue Reading