Architects' President Jauck: Using straw and clay

At the Central German Architects' Conference in Apolda, experts will be discussing the potential of regional raw materials as building materials. "We have a lot of fields here and we have a lot of clay soils in central Germany, which we absolutely have to make use of," said Ines M. Jauck, President of the Thuringian Chamber of Architects, before the start of the symposium.

There is already a lot of thought and research into the use of regional and renewable materials in construction, but more practical examples are needed. "Straw as an insulating material is well known. However, the conference will also focus on a project by the Bauhaus University Weimar with a new load-bearing straw building material," says Jauck. Above all, she also sees financial savings opportunities if building materials can come directly from the field instead of long distances from abroad.

"Please don't renovate "dead""

With a view to laws that require buildings to become more energy-efficient and therefore more climate-friendly in the future, Jauck believes that Central German architects are well positioned. "We have a small-scale building stock, which means that we have many small offices that will be able to take on these tasks well."

In her view, however, it is important that the existing buildings are upgraded with a sense of proportion and in a resource-conscious manner during the energy transition in the building sector. "The aura, the style, i.e. the character, must not be lost, it should not be "renovated to death"."

Around 260 participants are expected to attend the Central German Architects' Conference 2024 in Apolda, Thuringia. The Eiermann Building will not only host specialist lectures, but also workshops. The building was once constructed as a textile factory and was converted in 1938/39 by architect Egon Eiermann on behalf of Total AG Feuerlöschgerätewerke. Today, Eiermann is considered one of the most important German architects of the 20th century.