05/27/2026

Focus on circular construction: 13th specialist symposium highlights pathways to a construction transition

Nadine Muchow | ifeu

Around 200 participants from public administration and planning offices discussed concrete solutions for sustainable construction at the 13th Circular Construction Symposium organised by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy (in cooperation with ifeu and the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects). The focus was on circular building materials, recycling techniques, the reuse of building components, and affordable, circular construction. Prof. Dr Thomas Auer summarised the key takeaways from the event in his keynote speech: “The highest degree of circularity lies in reusing buildings rather than constructing new ones”. Circularity begins right at the planning stage: buildings must be designed from the outset in such a way that they can later be dismantled, taken apart and rebuilt elsewhere. Practical solutions such as detachable joints, dismantling plans and circular building materials contribute to this. The event offered inspiring insights into practical applications and impressively demonstrated what sustainable planning and construction, as well as climate- and resource-friendly building materials, might look like in the future.

We would like to thank all the speakers and participants for their inspiring presentations and the constructive professional exchange. In particular, we would like to thank Martin Prösler for moderating the event and State Secretary Dr Andre Baumann for his closing remarks.

Further information on the symposium can be found here (in German).