The 1950s and early 1960s – in the midst of the German “economic miracle” when the Indonesian students featured in Dipl.-Ing. Arsitek were studying architecture in Berlin – were characterized by a belief in the promises of modernity: technological progress, growth, prosperity, and a better life for all in a world of endless resources.

Today, 50 years after the Club of Rome’s groundbreaking report, The Limits to Growth, the realization seems to have taken hold that technological progress does not necessarily lead to a better life for all and that our planet’s resources are finite. Furthermore, the construction sector is responsible for almost 40% of harmful CO2 emissions worldwide. This raises a number of questions, some of which we would like to address in this symposium:

Which construction methods and material concepts can point the way to a more sustainable future today? Which design strategies do we need to use and reuse existing buildings – and thus our architectural heritage? What benefits can digitization offer in this context? And how can we combine different approaches and experiences?

Date:

December 2022, 10 am – 1 pm CET (UTC+1) / 4 – 7 pm WIB (UTC+7)

Moderation:
Johannes Widodo, National University of Singapore & mAAN (modern Asian Architecture Network)

Contributions by:

Imma Anindyta-Hermawan and Dani Hermawan, Formologix Lab

Nanni Grau, HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences; Hütten & Paläste Architects, Berlin, Germany

Philipp Misselwitz, executive director of Bauhaus Earth; Chair, Habitat Unit at the Institute of Architecture, Technische Universität Berlin

Nadia Purwestri, executive director Pusat Dokumentasi Arsitektur PDA (Indonesian Centre for Architecture Documentation)

Alwi R. Sjaaf, architect, urban observer, and PhD candidate in Urban Sociology, Universitas Indonesia

Mohammad Nanda Widyarta, Department of Architecture, Universitas Indonesia; PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales, Australia