The built environment as a place of cohabitation – what can architecture contribute to the preservation of biodiversity? This was the core question of the symposium “Architecture + Biodiversity”, which took place on September 27, 2022 at the German Architecture Center and online.
You can find the program here: https://www.ufu.de/architektur-biologische-vielfalt
In order to protect and promote biodiversity, architectural measures to consider animal species in construction and green solutions for buildings are becoming increasingly important. Government programs such as the “Assessment System for Sustainable Building”, the “Urban Nature Master Plan” and the “Strategy for the exemplary consideration of biodiversity issues on all federal land” call for corresponding measures.
Interdisciplinary planning approaches such as Animal Aided Design (AAD) make a decisive contribution to communicating their urgency and promoting their implementation. Developed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers, AAD succeeds for the first time in translating scientific parameters that are essential for species conservation into a comprehensible and manageable planning tool for the target group of builders. Although very successful, approaches such as these are still the exception. Moreover, they usually only shed light on one aspect of the problem.
Scientific knowledge about the causes and prevention of bird strikes on glass or the negative effects of light pollution on birds and insects has steadily increased in recent years. Nevertheless, it still receives relatively little attention in construction and urban planning as well as in the guidelines for sustainable building. There is still a lack of adequate knowledge transfer to the architecture scene in these areas too.
In the field of climate-friendly and energy-efficient construction, the exchange and cooperation between science, industry and architecture is now more advanced and a successful practice. Recently founded specialist groups for “sustainable building and planning” in the chambers of architects, associations such as Architects for Future, Architects for Biodiversity or new courses of study on the subject of “sustainable building”, for example at the Frankfurt University of Applied Science or the Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin, demonstrate the interest and commitment of architecture and construction professionals in the development of sustainable solutions.
Runtime
12/2021 – 01/2023
Cooperation partner
BUND Berlin
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Organizational management: Larissa Donges Technical management: Claudia Wegworth
However, the ecological aspects of the sustainability assessment mainly relate to resource-conserving building materials and energy- and climate-friendly operation. The protection and promotion of local biodiversity at the project site through appropriate construction methods is not yet a common topic here. Today, architects can play a key role in promoting biodiversity through the design of buildings.
In order to establish the protection and promotion of biodiversity as a fixed thematic component of future urban development alongside resource and climate protection and to bring about an interdisciplinary exchange between science and architecture, UfU organized the “Architecture + Biodiversity” symposium together with BUND Berlin, which is documented below. The event was commissioned and funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN).
Event documentation
Below you will find the presentations and video recordings of the event, as far as we have received approval: ©UfU/Jörg Farys
The written documentation of the entire conference can be found here.
Keynote: Building for a climate-positive world
Dr. Christine Lemaitre, Managing Director German Sustainable Building Council – DGNB e.V.
You can find Dr. Lemaitre’s presentation here: Building for a climate-positive world (PDF)
Animal Aided Design – How can the needs of wild animals be incorporated into the planning and design of cities?
- Prof. Dr. Wolfgang W. Weisser, Technical University of Munich, School of Life Sciences, Department of Life Science Systems, Chair of Terrestrial Ecology
- Prof. Dr. Thomas E. Hauck, Vienna University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning, Department of Landscape Architecture and Landscape Planning
The lecture by Prof. Weisser and Prof. Hauck can be found here: Animal Aided Design (PDF)
Possibilities and limits of species protection measures in energy-related renovations
Cosima Lindemann, Chairwoman of NABU Rhineland-Palatinate
You can find Ms. Lindemann’s presentation here: Possibilities & limits of species protection measures in energy-related renovations (PDF)
Markings to protect against bird collision
Martin Rössler, collision laboratories – collabs, Biological Station Hohenau-Ringelsdorf, Austria
You can find Mr. Rössler’s presentation here: Against the wall – Preventing bird impact on glass (PDF)
Future flicker – Insights into the Futurium Berlin
Jan Musikowski, Richter Musikowski Architects
Mr. Musikowski’s presentation can be found here: Future Flicker – Insights into the Futurium Berlin (PDF)
First do no harm! – Pioneering building
- Claudia Wegworth, BIRDS AND BUILDINGS, BUND Berlin
- Felix Hofmann, ARCH+
You can find the presentation by Ms. Wegworth and Mr. Hofmann here: First do no harm! – Pioneering construction (PDF)
The impact of too much light at night on biodiversity
PD Dr. Franz Hölker, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Night-friendly lighting – best practice examples
Dr. Annette Krop-Benesch, Initiative Nachhaltig Beleuchten
You can find the presentation by Dr. Krop-Benesch here: Night-friendly lighting (PDF)
Biodiversity law – The duty to protect from glass and light
Benedikt Huggins, Institute for German and European Administrative Law (Prof. Kahl), Research Center for Sustainability Law, University of Heidelberg
You can find Mr. Huggins’ presentation here: Biodiversity law – The duty to protect from glass & light (PDF)
