Constructing a sustainable building is not the freestyle, but the duty.

The term "sustainability" is often interpreted in very different ways.

In the past, this usually simply meant the energy consumption of a building in terms of its insulating effect. This was reflected in the various energy-saving regulations: A lot of thermal insulation was worth a lot in them. Later, building technology was added to the concept of sustainability, but initially with a focus on the pure efficiency of the individual devices. Today, we planners know that there is much more behind the idea of sustainability.

Sustainability is holistic and takes place in all areas of building, such as the material cycle, recycling and reuse, the handling of energy, the building structure, the technical equipment, the architectural design and much more. The architect's task is to combine all these sustainability criteria in an appropriate and meaningful way and to develop a building not only for the here and now, but for its entire lifespan. Buildings should not only, they must rather make an active contribution to their environment.

In this respect, sustainability is like brown bread and cake: Sustainable thinking and building has long since ceased to be a freestyle activity, and is now the duty of every builder. It is the new normal, an obligation and at the same time an attitude, without compromise.

At Gaus Architekten , we voluntarily base our work on the goals of the DGNB's Sustainability Declaration, which has identified and defined the topics of sufficiency, climate protection, environment, circular economy, positive spaces and building culture for architecture. Only in this way can we, as building professionals, fulfill our responsibility to make building clean and sustainable today and for future generations.