Date added: 2026-05-25
Invitation to the “Enhancing Umbau” Colloquium
The event will take place on 15–16 October 2026 in Achen. The deadline for submitting proposals is 10 July 2026.
The colloquium focuses on the concept of Umbau. It refers to the adaptation, transformation, and continued use of existing buildings, neighbourhoods, and urban environments.
The organisers invite reflection on working with existing buildings as an important task for contemporary architecture and urban planning. The discussion will focus on the efficient use of resources, climate neutrality, health, social justice, and the aesthetic quality of the built environment.
The event is addressed to researchers representing, among others, architectural design, typology, architectural history, heritage conservation, building systems and construction, design computation, urban planning, artistic research, and human geography. Related perspectives are also welcome, including material sciences, art history, building law, real estate economics, sociology, and environmental science.
Proposals may address four key concepts: temporality, valuation, friction, and convergence. The organisers welcome empirical, theoretical, design-based, and artistic-research proposals, especially those that cross disciplinary boundaries or combine different research perspectives.
The programme will include 15-minute presentations followed by discussion. Selected papers may be published in a planned peer-reviewed thematic collection.