Top topics in the construction and real estate industry

The second summer in a row of extreme heat and drought, combined with the demands of the Fridays for Future movement – in particular to comply with the Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C target – have very quickly put climate protection high on the political agenda. All areas of society are discussing effective measures, with the primary focus on pan-European and national – as well as global – initiatives.

The Cradle to Cradle® concept (C2C) codeveloped by the German chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough describes the principle of two continuous cycles (circular economy). Nondurable consumer goods are biodegradable and return to the natural nutrient cycle. Durable consumer goods are broken down into separate raw materials after use and returned to a technical cycle. Material quality is retained, so downcycling is avoided. All ingredients are chemically safe and recyclable. There is no waste in the conventional sense – only reusable nutrients.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is for the real estate industry what Industry 4.0 is for mechanical engineering – the digital networking of all processes, products and participants. Building Information Modeling consolidates all data relevant to a construction project. In the past, architects and engineers created their own plans and had to track every single change, no matter how minor. With BIM, all information is now stored in a digital model. The result is a digital twin of the future building with a great level of detail.

Many digital technologies have already become part of everyday life – from intelligent parking management to systems for booking workplaces, hotel rooms and electric vehicles. But in a smart building, it’s not the number of built-in IoT technologies and sensors that matters, but the added value for users. Principals have to consider from the outset who the later users are, what they expect, and what digital functions the building will have to provide.

The advance of digitization is changing the requirements made of properties – and the valuation criteria applied to them. In the future, profitability will mean an increased focus on building accessibility and connectivity, the entire digital, networked building IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, GDPR, and the sustainability of the properties.

Waste of materials, time and labor is a major issue in construction projects. Rework delays the construction process and drives up costs. The planned completion date can often only be achieved at great financial expense due to so-called fire department operations or with compromises in quality.

Tailor-made spatial concepts that promote communication, knowledge sharing and innovation. With a focus on the user. This is how we understand the working world of the future: customized room concepts that promote communication, knowledge exchange and innovation. With a focus on the user. This is how we understand the working world of the future.

Our economy has so far been powered by fossil fuels such as coal and oil – with the all the known impacts. But ‘green’ hydrogen (H2) is seen as the energy carrier of the future. Massive expansion of renewable energies will be necessary to compensate for the loss of electricity from conventional generation. And the energy transition requires approaches such as sector coupling and innovative storage technologies.

Responsible interaction with nature, climate-friendly energy technology and economical use of resources are principles that make up a "building of the future" - especially with regard to its economic balance sheet and value development.