Sustainable Construction
Albert Achammer and Michael Haugeneder on the ÖGNI podcast “fairbaut” with Peter Engert
What really makes a building sustainable? In the 48th episode of the ÖGNI podcast “fairbaut,” Albert Achammer and Michael Haugeneder discuss durability, integrated planning, and the transformation of the existing building stock—and why sustainability goes far beyond energy efficiency and CO₂ reduction.
How do we design buildings that not only function today but will also stand the test of time for decades to come? ATP CEO Albert Achammer and Michael Haugeneder, Managing Director of ATP sustain and a member of the ÖGNI Executive Committee, discuss this topic with Peter Engert, Managing Director of ÖGNI, in the latest episode of the ÖGNI podcast “fairbaut.”
The conversation begins with the current challenging situation facing the construction and real estate industries. Projects are being postponed, investment decisions delayed, and planning processes are becoming increasingly volatile. This makes it all the more important to think about buildings in the long term and to make sensible use of existing resources.
Durability as a Goal
Albert Achammer introduces a central concept into the discussion: “durability.” Sustainable buildings are characterized by their ability to be used for generations. This requires high architectural and functional quality, as well as structures that allow for change.
Michael Haugeneder notes that, particularly when renovating existing buildings, the lack of a data foundation for integrated planning remains the biggest hurdle. Valid data on the structure, building components, and technical systems is often missing and must first be collected and evaluated. Furthermore, planning for existing buildings requires a process involving many decision-making loops, which differs from the linear planning and construction process of a new building. At the same time, the question arises of how renovation processes can be made more efficient and more standardized. Although the technical capabilities for industrialized and serial solutions exist, they repeatedly reach their limits in practice.
Thinking Sustainability Holistically
This changed process requires early collaboration among the various disciplines. Architecture, structural engineering, and building services must be considered together with the project objectives. Holistic planning lays the foundation for identifying interactions early on and jointly implementing ecological, economic, and functional requirements.
