The elephant in the room

A4F Local Group Munich addresses the elephant in the room of planetary boundaries as a constructed symbol for a huge problem that everyone sees but no one talks about. BAU in Munich, January 13-17, 2025, Hall A4 Stand 131.

Do you know the elephant in the room in relation to the planetary boundaries? It's here at the BAU venue: it's the building sector!

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The BAU is once again attracting an international audience and focussing on "build, build, build." While the industry concentrates on growth and new projects, the elephant in the room is being ignored: the building sector and its impact on the planetary boundaries.

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40% of carbon emissions, 30-40% of global waste generation, 50% of overall resources. With high consumption of drinking water and land, etc., the influence on the overshoot of 6 out of 9 planetary boundaries is enormous. There is no living within the planetary boundaries without a radical change within the building sector. #Bauwende

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The elephant that the Munich local group of Architects for Future has symbolically built looks new, but it is made from materials that should have ended up in the trash after only a short period of use. A4F Munich wants to raise awareness among the international audience with this action that a transformation in construction is necessary. Instead of a linear economy based on exploitation and a throwaway culture, Architects for Future is calling for a transformation — a construction turnaround.

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Let’s take responsibility and talk about the elephant in the room, rather than pretending it’s not here. Together, we can create the construction turnaround! #BAUWENDE

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How can you take action?

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Inform yourself and others about the 10 demands of Architects for Future. Get involved in your projects, politically, and become part of our movement.

Join our digital #ElephantInTheRoom Challenge. You can find more informationon our Instagram channel.

As a visitor of BAU:
Critically examine the products presented. Ask the manufacturers about carbon emissions, water consumption, waste, and the circularity of their products. Ask for solutions that are truly sustainable. Have a critical look on materials, concepts and and construction methods are being presented – and whether they meet the requirements of a climate- and socially just building transformation. Demand determines the supply...

As a journalist:
Report critically on how BAU 2025 addresses the pressing issues of the climate crisis. What answers does the venue provide to questions regarding climate, environmental, and resource protection, circular economy, and social justice? Where are the concepts that will make the building sector future-proof? Your reporting can help bring these issues into the public debate.

As product manufacturer:
Create transparency about the ecological and social impacts of your products across the entire supply chain. Where and how is production taking place? Develop alternatives to composite materials, introduce circular concepts with repair, take-back, etc.

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