The second volume of the reader ‘Architecture and Climate Change is now published by Edition Detail. The book features 20 additional conversations with international players from the fields of architecture, urban and landscape planning, politics, research and the construction industry. The interviews are conducted by Detail editors and include Dirk Hebel and Elsiabeth Endres, Sou Fujimoto and Paul Robbrecht, Hermann Kaufmann and Maria Auböck & Janos Kárász. Here is an excerpt from the editor's foreword.

In the Anthropocene

Text: Sandra Hofmeister

Let’s take a brief look back. Ten years ago, the United Nations adopted the Paris Climate Agreement with the hopeful aim of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. But according to current research, this target is no longer within reach – even when averaged across a decade. At the same time, the political landscape has shifted dramatically, particularly over the last two years. In times of war, climate change rarely takes precedence. At the EU’s external borders, such as in Latvia, populations are being prepared for emergencies, and armoured barriers now secure the border with Russia. Daily casualties continue in Ukraine, and both NATO allies and Russia are increasing their military capabilities. Military spending has surged – not only in Europe but worldwide – reaching a record 2.7 trillion US dollars in 2024. Resources for climate action are increasingly constrained, and international alignment is beginning to fray. On 20 January 2025, the day of his inauguration, US President Donald Trump withdrew the United Staes from the Paris Agreement. A key partner in the fight against global warming is now missing.

There is no shortage of reasons for concern. But there are also reasons for hope. More and more actors are coming to the realisation that the global construction sector – responsible for a significant share of CO2 emissions – must fundamentally rethink its role. Just as pressing is the question of how to protect our cities and villages from heatwaves, torrential rain, and flooding, so they remain liveable in the future. In addition to political goals and global alliances, what’s needed above all are concrete solutions from architecture and urban planning. For the first time in its history, the 19th Architecture Biennale in Venice placed climate adaptation at the centre of its programme. It positioned itself as a laboratory for ideas, models, and workable responses. In light of the complexity of the issues at stake, no single solution – and certainly no one-sizefits-all approach – can suffice. But across different contexts, a range of individual, local, and regional initiatives are emerging, offering promising ways to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. Artificial intelligence and robotic technologies can also contribute. If we are serious about limiting global warming and protecting our habitats, we need all of these approaches, methods, and sparks of possibility.

The interviews presented in this volume, conducted over the past few years, reflect that diversity of ecological thinking and innovation across architecture, urban design, and landscape planning. The first chapter focuses on working with the existing fabric. American architect Jeanne Gang, based in Chicago, describes her idea of “grafting” – a botanical metaphor she applies to architecture. Paul Robbrecht of the Ghent-based practice Robbrecht en Daem architecten explains his approach to historic buildings, which he sees as vital to Europe’s cultural heritage and identity. Indy Johar, cofounder of Dark Matter Labs, speaks about embodied carbon and per capita land use, linking them to broader policy concerns. The second chapter centres on circular construction. Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto presents his project for Expo 2025 in Osaka. while Nora Sophie Griefahn of C2C discusses Cradle to Cradle strategies. The final chapter looks to nature’s materials. Hermann Kaufmann of HK Architekten in Vorarlberg traces developments in timber construction, while Régis Roudil, based in Aix-en-Provence, describes his experimental work with earthen architecture. Other climate-friendly materials – still largely overlooked – may play a bigger role in the future. Maria-Paz Gutierrez of the University of California, Berkeley, discusses her research into biomass, particularly the use of tule grass as a building material. Alongside these natural materials, the industry is increasingly turning its attention to nature itself – as a cooling force in overheated cities and as a buffer against flooding and heavy rainfall. This includes urban biodiversity, the shade provided by mature trees, and the hydrological logic of sponge city systems. Landscape architects Maria Auböck and Janos Kárász share insights from their work in Vienna and Baku, showing why nature must be understood as essential to urban resilience.

This book brings together more than 20 voices that together sketch a deliberately heterogenous picture of architecture in the Anthropocene – one that acknowledges the urgency of the moment and recognises that we have already entered a new era of building: an era that embraces its responsibility for the climate crisis and begins to act on it.

Sandra Hofmeister

"Architecture and Climate Change. 20 Interviews on the Future of Building", vol. 2, edited by Sandra Hofmeister, 248 pages, Design: muskat, Edition Detail, Munich 2025