We want to change the world. Roughly speaking.

Climate change, pandemics, energy shortages, housing crises and increasing social injustice are global challenges whose effects are omnipresent. Through our profession, we are in direct contact with the causes of some of the problems mentioned: The construction sector is responsible for 40% of CO2 emissions. The high energy and resource consumption in construction itself, the lack of consideration of recyclable materials and the life cycles of buildings, and the legacy of the car-oriented city are major contributors to climate change. Rising construction costs and increased speculation with land are leading to rapidly rising property and rental prices. Access to adequate and affordable housing is thus denied to more and more people. This further increases inequality in society and endangers social coexistence. Something has to change - but what? And above all, how? We must not give in to the illusion that real change is easy to achieve. The problems are complex and require different approaches and solutions that have to be applied at different scales. At the same time, we as architects and urban planners have plenty of opportunities to use our knowledge, skills and competences to counteract the critical developments.

By dreaming and courageously thinking ahead, we can sketch utopias as well as dystopias, but we can also get involved in political debates, speak up, demonstrate and make ourselves heard, get involved in existing initiatives or develop our own projects - there are countless possibilities.