2022

The Initiative Pro Massivholz (IPM) has a funny way of pointing out the advantages of a closet made of solid wood: "The natural material wood is inherently antistatic and therefore does not attract dirt or dust, which means that choosing a solid wood closet plays into the hands of those who hate cleaning," explains Andreas Ruf, Managing Director of IPM. In addition, the...

In a study, the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) recommends creating a social package instead of the additional tax cut on gas. In this package, the one-off energy price lump sum of EUR 300 should be replaced by a regular "Energy Price Lump Sum Plus" of EUR 80 per month for taxpayers with a net salary of no more than EUR 3,000 and EUR 40 per month for...

BG Bau informs small and medium-sized companies in the construction industry about fire protection in the construction industry with various measures. For example, interested parties can order the brochure "Betrieblicher Brandschutz in der Praxis" for 5 euros via the bgbau.de website. There is also a so-called Bausteine app, which provides tips for safer working. Users can enter...

Whether it's a ceiling solution for a multi-storey timber construction, a dry stacking system for masonry blocks or a smart bike parking system - the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV), the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) have announced the 28 nominees for the Federal Ecodesign Award 2022. Interested parties can find out more about the nominees and their projects at...

If damage occurs after mains water damage due to defective pipes in a condominium owner's apartment, this must be paid for jointly by all condominium owners. This was decided by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH)/judgement of September 16, 2022 - V ZR 69/21 V ZR 69/21 In this case, a community of owners had taken out building insurance for the special...

The brigitte.de portal shows how interested parties can turn old books into decorative items. For example, a side table can be made from several books. This works by stacking the books, gluing them together and then staging them with spray paint. According to brigitte.de, disused books can also be used to make postcards. To do this, the pages are...

If you want to buy a new-build apartment in Munich, you will have to dig deep into your pockets. According to the study "11th edition of the Property Index - Overview of European Residential Markets" by Deloitte GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Munich is the second most expensive city in Europe in this respect. While buyers in Munich have to pay 10,500 euros per square meter, the...

How can vibrations from extremely large wooden ceilings of over eight meters be reduced? Patrica Hamm, lecturer at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Project Management at Biberach University of Applied Sciences (HBC), is investigating this question. Together with Master's students Johannes Ruf and Valentin Knöpfle as well as the project partner, Primin Jung Deutschland GmbH, she wants to develop a vibration-optimized...

Researchers in building physics at the University of Weimar are investigating how they can improve the energy balance of existing buildings and urban districts and reduce CO2 emissions. Using a digital architectural model, they are also looking at the effects of temperature developments in the interior of a building. In doing so, they take into account, for example, how windows,...

Property owners in Neuwied now have to dig much deeper into their pockets. This is because the Koblenz Administrative Court ruled that the city can raise the assessment rate for property tax B from 420% to 610% (5 K 1000/21.KO & 5 K 999/21.KO). Owners of residential properties had filed a complaint against this. However, without success. The judges from Koblenz ruled that the...