Symposium "Duration and Transience. Reflections on the lifespan of buildings"
It is surprising that, especially in times when climate justice, CO₂ reduction and sustainability are highly relevant, the lifespan of buildings, as well as that of individual construction measures, tends to play a subordinate role in the current discourse. The Institute for Building Research and Conservation (IBB) wants to counteract this by focussing on this topic and making it the subject of a symposium.
In the midst of efforts to preserve existing buildings, and in some cases to adapt and retrofit them through remodelling, it is important to examine the underlying temporal concepts as a comparison between prognosis and reality. This is also linked to the examination of two traditional concepts of architecture, repairable and recyclable construction.
Construction has always required an interdisciplinary approach – especially with the increasing demands of sustainability, where the different perspectives of the parties involved often need to be familiarised with first. The symposium offers a platform for those working and researching in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, conservation and restauration as well as building conservation in general to promote inter- and transdisciplinary diversity and facilitate dialogue between the stakeholders.
The symposium will take place from the 3rd to the 5th of June 2024 ("Lunch-to-Lunch") at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam and is linked to a half-day excursion.
A Registration for the symposium is now possible. The programme is available for download.
You will also find detailed information on the individual days in the programme:
03/06/2024, 1.00 pm – 6.00 pm
Duration
Programme "Duration"
1.00 pm | Welcome & greetings
- Welcome by Prof. Dr Eva Schmitt-Rodermund, President of the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam
- Greeting by Dipl.-Ing. Matthias Krebs, President of the Brandenburg Chamber of Engineers
- Greeting by Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Heinz Nagler, Brandenburg Building Culture Association
1.20 pm | Prof. Dr Markus Tubbesing/IBB
Introduction – Categories, dimensions and challenges
1.50 – 2.50 pm | Panel Duration – Session 1 and Discussion: Design and Building
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Markus Tubbesing
- Prof. Dr. Karl R. Kegler: Humanity of Permanence. On language, permanence and legibility
- Dr. Simon Banakar: Expressive and adaptable: Designing robust structures
Break
3.30 – 5.30 pm | Panel Duration – Session 2 and Discussion: Building and Conservation
Moderated by Prof. Dr. Jan Raue
- Dr. Wanja Wedekind: The secret of eternity – Why advanced civilisations survived in the desert, why Roman and Armenian buildings are still standing and what we can learn from them
- Prof. Dr. Jörg Röder: Recurring maintenance requirements for the building envelope
- Dr. Volker Thiele: Italy in Prussia. Why the Roman baths are not Potsdam baths
- Dipl.-Ing. Peter Füssenich: Cologne Cathedral – Preserving the world cultural heritage and the work of the Cologne Cathedral Building Society
Aperitif
from 6.00 pm | Invitation to the celebratory event 20 years of the Master's degree course in Building Conservation and Restauration in Existing Contexts, followed by a finale on the campus
with a celebratory lecture by Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Eisele (see website for programme)
04/06/2024, 9.00 am – 6.00 pm
Transience
Programme "Transience"
9.00 – 10.30 am | Panel Transience – Session 3 and discussion: Design and construction
Moderated by Prof. Dr.-Ing.
- Prof. Nicola Lepp: Materials without plural: Cultural studies perspectives on remnants (working title)
- Prof. Dr. Rainer Schützeichel: Built for transience: On the temporary, the less permanent and "disposable architecture" in the 20th century
- Dr. Boris Reyher: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Solutions for durable and recyclable building with concrete
Break
11.00 am – 1.00 pm | Panel Transience – Session 4 and Discussion: Building and Conservation
Moderated by Prof. Dr.-Ing.
- Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Silke Straub-Beutin: DENK MAL Olympia swimming stadium – New construction as an option for preservation?
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sylvia Keßler: Reinforced concrete structures: Time bombs or durable marvels?
- Dr. Ute Joksch: "Since the plaster applied to the wooden cladding of the towers not yet two years ago has already completely fallen off again." Frederick William III on 21 June 1804: Problems and solutions for the sustainable restoration of surfaces on SPSG buildings
- Prof. Dr. Günter Seidl: Extending the remaining useful life of a railway bridge
Lunch break
approx. 2.30 –6.00 pm | Specialist excursion, offered by the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg
(up to 40 participants each, registration required)
- Roman Baths (Dr. Volker Thiele; Dipl.-Ing. Heike Zeymer) or
- Church of Peace with Campanile (Dipl.-Ing. Frank Karalus, Dr. Ute Joksch)
05/06/2024, 9.00 am – 1.00 pm
Perspectives
Programme "Perspectives"
9.00 – 11.00 am | Panel perspectives and discussion
Moderated by Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Silke Straub-Beutin
- Prof. Dr.-Ing Klaus Pistol: A comparison of the durability and transience of concrete and clay. An experiment on the connection between world view and building material technology
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Prytula: Neighbourhood Life Cycle Assessment (Q-LCA). Analysing the environmental impact of infrastructures and buildings of different settlement structures in their life cycle
- Clara Jiva Schulte, M. Sc.: 100 years and then it's over?! A critical examination of the concept of technical service life in railway bridge construction
- Prof. Dr. Jan Raue: Lifetime perspectives in conservation and restoration
Break
11.30 am – 1.00 pm | Final discussion
Moderated by Prof. Dr. Julia Glesner
- Dipl.-Ing. Ayhan Ayrilmaz (SPSG, Director of the Architecture Department and Vice President of the Berlin Chamber of Architects)
- Dr. Ruth Klawun (Landesdenkmalamt Berlin, Head of the Department for the Preservation of Architectural and Artistic Monuments)
- Dipl.-Ing. Matthias Krebs (President of the Brandenburg Chamber of Engineers)
- Dr. Tino Mager (President of the German National Committee of ICOMOS e.V.)
- Prof. Dipl.-Rest. Mechthild Noll-Minor (BLDAM, Head of the Building Research and Restoration Department)
- Dr. Ralf Ruhnau (President of the Berlin Building Chamber)
Contact us
IBB: Institute for Building Research and Conservation
