Einsparung von Grauer Energie bei Hochhäusern

Reduction of weight and embodied energy in Highrise construction

The built environment (architectural engineering, civil engineering, infrastructure) stands for approx. 35% of the energy consumption, 35% of the emissions, 50% of the consumption of resources, and - that is to say in Central Europe - for more than 50% of the mass waste volume. In medium to long-term considerations about a sustainable preservation of the environment and for the benefit of the coming generations this view can no longer be hold. In the light of dwindling resources and of the steadily increasing pollution of the environment by pollutants and by waste to be landfilled the target must consist in a radical re-orientation - both with regard to the question, how we are building and with regard to the question, how we are using our built environment. We must succeed in drastically reducing the permanent withdrawal of natural resources from the nature (in the long term down to zero) and simultaneously in avoiding the development of non-reusable waste. At the same time it will be necessary to produce the entire energy required for the built environment on the regenerative way. A recyclable design is an indispensable precondition for reaching these goals. The aim must be a circular economy with ideal use of resources which were already before integrated in the material cycle. Indeed this can in fact be reached with radical changes only.