Construction industry

The conversion of basement rooms for residential purposes may require planning permission. This is emphasized by the Association of Private Builders (VPB). This is because it is a so-called change of use if homeowners want to turn their basement storage room into a separate apartment. In most cases, this change requires official approval. The respective state building regulations...

As part of the "DGNB Sustainability Challenge 2023", the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) has recognized outstanding players in sustainable construction. Smarter Habitat impressed with "ecoHab", a building panel made from popcorn. The company STRAMEN.TEC scored with a dry construction system made from straw. The Technical University of Berlin impressed with a sustainable rental apartment building made of wood, brick...

The Association of Private Building Owners (VPB) warns of the financial consequences of a planned reform of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance. If the reform is implemented as planned, private building owners, especially those without expertise, could have to pay for costly pollutant testing and remediation in older buildings on their own. Corinna Merzyn, Managing Director of VPB, emphasizes: "Not...

Scientists from the universities of Freiburg and Stuttgart presented a pavilion that was constructed using new, computer-aided methods and robotic manufacturing processes. According to the researchers, the construction of the "livMatS Biomimetic Shell @ FIT" pavilion in lightweight timber construction resulted in considerable resource savings compared to traditional timber construction. The...

Additional costs can be incurred when building a house. This is described by a couple on the website "wirbaueneinhaus.info". The couple originally started with a cost forecast of around 730,000 euros in 2022. However, the actual expenses later increased by almost 54,000 euros. This was due to various miscalculated or unexpected costs. For example, the land charge fees increased to...

A so-called ThermWin system from Huber SE, which recovers energy from wastewater, is used for heating and cooling in the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte in Regensburg. The ThermWin system works by means of a specially developed wastewater heat exchanger in conjunction with a heat pump. The efficiency of the system is enhanced by a fully automatic self-cleaning...

From 2024, changes in the area of energy saving will come into force. The energy advice service of the consumer advice center points this out. One major change is the amendment to the Building Energy Act (GEG). From January 1, 2024, new buildings in new development areas must install heating systems that use at least 65% renewable energy. For existing buildings outside of...

In an article on sustainable living trends, "kabeleins.de" has captured how sustainable building can be achieved. Modern technologies and innovative approaches, such as building using the wooden building block principle, make it possible to save money and protect the environment at the same time. With the wooden building block principle, for example, wooden building blocks are stacked in XXL format - similar to Lego. A building shell should...

Construction sites should emit less carbon dioxide (CO2) in future. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) has published corresponding measures for the decarbonization of construction sites by 2045 in a strategic roadmap. The strategic roadmap highlights twelve fields of action that need to be addressed on the road to a climate-neutral construction site by 2045.

Forward-looking planning and flexible use of real estate will become increasingly important in the future. On the one hand, vacancies can be avoided in this way. On the other hand, it can ensure sustainable developments in existing buildings. These are the conclusions of the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER). Although interests could change due to newly introduced...