Interview with Ben Christian Reinicke

As Chief Architect, you deal with the topics of environment and sustainability on a daily basis. How are these topics perceived in the industry?
The discussion of approaches to sustainable planning and design has only intensified in the last 15 years, but before that sustainability was considered not so important, even somewhat elitist. In civil/ structural engineering and architecture there is great potential for saving resources and energy and for reducing emissions and waste. In 2007, the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) was founded and, working together with Germany’s Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building, introduced the Sustainable Building Quality Seal for private buildings and the Sustainable Building Rating System (BNB) for federal buildings. For the first time there were clear specifications relating to the sustainable design and construction of buildings. Furthermore, a more comprehensive view of sustainability, which considers the full lifecycle of a structure, became more widely accepted. But despite continually increasing commitment within the industry, the tightening of legal requirements that is necessary for a fundamental change of thinking has not yet taken place.

How far has the industry come in transitioning from theory to practice?
The field of building construction has long been and still remains a pioneer in the implementation of sustainable planning and design. And the experience gained using common evaluation systems is already being applied in other areas of civil and structural engineering. A big step forward in terms of application is the regarding of buildings in a comprehensive way. For example, the demands on the building materials and products used will vary depending on building type, use and location. What resources and how much energy will be required for construction? What emissions will be associated with the use, removal and transport of the construction materials and products? All such environmental impacts must be considered in any lifecycle assessment.

The resulting facts and figures represent verifiable criteria and can be used in the applicable evaluation systems. More and more buildings are meeting these criteria and being certified accordingly. In addition to this assessment of sustainability by means of measurement-based building certification systems, there is also a trend towards providing evidence in other ways, because even small steps count, so long as the approach is not specified by law. Recently, the German reconstruction loan corporation Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) anchored sustainability firmly in its lending policies – not just in relation to the consumption of primary energy, but much more broadly. And it is striking how environmental considerations are playing an increasingly important role for both public and private sector clients. This is a new development.

In which direction will sustainable construction develop, and how will Inros Lackner react?
There will be a revision of the German Gebäudeenergiegesetz (Building Energy Act) and further tightening of laws to correspond with how buildings are increasingly regarded in a comprehensive way. On the agenda are topics such as how to deal with existing structures: How can we continue to benefit from the grey energy that has already been used in construction? How can we use resources in cycles, without loss, according to Michael Braungart's cradle-tocradle system? Our industry is characterised by fast innovation cycles. It is important to keep that connection. Inros Lackner does not just chase after developments, trying to keep up – we play our part in moving the industry forward. But we must not lose this momentum. Sustainability is something we choose for the future.

For us as a company, this means constantly enhancing our knowledge and capabilities in line with the industry’s development. We constantly strive to further broaden our expertise and enhance our ability to support our clients. As architects and engineers, we have a responsibility to raise awareness of the importance of sustainability and to present corresponding solutions. Towards this end it has been very helpful to work on exemplary reference projects such as the 50Hertz Netzquartier building in Berlin – the first building in the world to receive the “DGNB Diamond” award. In our role as general specialist planner on the project, Inros Lackner was responsible for the façade design, static design, building services and energy-efficient design. We pass this knowledge on internally and promote interdisciplinary exchange of information.