Sustainable architecture – How design and activism are shaping our future

Niklas Michels, architect and climate activist at Architects for Future, gives a deep insight into the pressing issues of building transition and sustainability in architecture at the Greentech.live conference in Berlin.

In his presentation, Niklas will shed light on both the motivation behind his activism and the enormous challenges that the construction sector poses for climate protection. Among other things, Niklas Michels explains that the building sector is responsible for around 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions when the entire life cycle of a building is considered.

The building sector is responsible for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions

This includes not only the use of buildings, but also the production and disposal phases. It is particularly alarming that the construction sector consumes around 90% of mineral, non-renewable raw materials – an alarming figure when you consider that many buildings in Germany are demolished after just 30 to 50 years.

Massive amount of waste

Another serious problem is the massive amount of waste produced when buildings are demolished.Instead of being recycled, many materials are often simply thrown away – a problem that, according to Niklas, is not due to the materials themselves, but to inadequate legislation.

In conclusion, at the Greentech.Live conference in Berlin, Niklas emphasized how important it is for the Global North to lead by example and drive the building revolution forward with innovative solutions such as modular architecture and the use of more sustainable materials, such as wood.

Despite all the challenges, Niklas remains optimistic and committed to steering architecture in a sustainable direction.