It is a preconception that sustainable, climate-friendly construction must be more expensive than conventional standards. Studies, initiatives and practical examples show the opposite. Now is the time for a rethink.
It is possible to construct and operate buildings at low cost that cause low CO2 emissions and achieve a very good certification result. The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) found this out in the short study "Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings". The survey makes it clear that there is no clear link between the life cycle assessment values and the production costs of properties. The DGNB has investigated whether and to what extent additional or reduced costs arise when clients want to realise life cycle-optimised, climate-friendly buildings. To this end, the life cycle assessment data of 28 DGNB-certified new residential buildings were analysed in a variety of ways.
The BFW Bundesverband Freier Immobilien- und Wohnungsunternehmen (Federal Association of Independent Property and Housing Companies) has also presented a new report on low-cost housing construction and Type E buildings. It is based on the discussion of the past three years and contains concrete, accompanying proposals for action that refer to the current coalition agreement. It shows how excessive standards that increase construction costs can be avoided simply and with legal certainty.
How a pilot project can set new standards for simple construction is currently being demonstrated by the first building project in Baden-Württemberg, which is being built according to the "Building Type E" principle at the headquarters of the consultancy Drees & Sommer SE in Stuttgart-Vaihingen. This is the largest office complex in Germany to date in which this forward-looking approach is being pursued.
Hamburg is also already well advanced: The Hamburg Standard is intended to enable a new building culture in order to be able to create affordable and attractive living space in the future. More needs-based planning, more efficient administrative processes and faster approvals can save up to 2,000 euros per square metre of living space when building new homes.
Photo: © AG, Grabener Verlag, Kiel, 2025
