How Will Office Buildings Change? | Thomas Fritzsche, tfa

 

Thomas Fritzsche 

Founder and Head of Design

tfa | thomas fritzsche architects

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.

At the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 started to affect every single aspect of our lives, and the whole world went into an emergency mode. Everything changed from one day to the next. At the same time, the impact of global warming became more apparent, dominating the public and media discourse. In the current political climate, change might be the only constant.   

Confused by this situation, clients and stakeholders in the real estate industry started asking for our opinion on how office buildings and workplaces would change to address these developments.

To answer this question, we have to first delve into the fundamentals of the real estate industry, define our role as architects, and review architecture’s impact on the well-being of people and climate change. 

Real-estate Industry and the Role of Architects

On the one hand, the real estate industry works slowly. Decision making and planning processes are time-consuming, and the construction of a building takes 1-5 years, depending on its size and complexity. Buildings also have a long life span of 50 - 100 years, and even more. 

On the other hand, social developments can be fast and volatile. Social structures are now more diverse than ever before: work, leisure, and domestic activities are becoming more intertwined, with no distinct borders of separation. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these dramatic shifts, upending the lives of billions worldwide.

As architects, we first of all work for our clients. But we also work for society: we are a part of the cultural industry, creating the environment in which people live, work and spend their free time. Our connection and influence on social changes are immense and challenging.  

When it comes to climate change, we have to be aware that the real estate industry is responsible for 40% of the CO2 emissions. We have to consider that people spend up to 90% of their time in buildings, and that the population is still growing rapidly, leading to higher demand in real estate when resources are shrinking.

Flexible, Variable, Scalable Buildings

Over the course of 33 years, our office has realized 87 buildings and designed 178 projects, most of them in China. I strongly believe that the best way to cope with the above-mentioned challenges is by designing flexible, variable and scalable buildings. 

Flexible, variable, and scalable buildings can easily be adjusted to any change in function (flexibility), used for new functions (variability), or expanded or dismantled (scalability). This makes them neutral and open-ended, providing a solid framework for future developments and changes. The buildings’ adaptability also makes them cost-efficient and environmental-friendly, as they reduce the number of poorly planned, short-lived structures.  

The shell construction of these buildings needs to have a solid, simple, and efficient structure and circulation system, including the position and size of the core. The building’s services, envelope, and interior construction must be separated from its shell construction. This system employs prefabrication and standardized approaches to all parts, and prioritizes healthy and reusable materials, as well as portable furniture.

Flexible, variable, and scalable buildings can be achieved when architects, engineers, and developers — as well as local authorities — share the same vision and values of seeing buildings not as a financial investment, but rather as a part of our cultural and social heritage.

We believe that if all real estate industry stakeholders apply these principles and build flexible, variable, and scalable buildings, we will be able to better react to coming changes, may they be sudden, big or small. ■

Dipl. Ing Thomas Fritzsche is the founder and head of design of tfa | thomas fritzsche architects. 

Mr. Fritzsche is a member of the German Chamber of Architects and the German Sustainability Buildings Council. tfa was founded in 1988 and has offices in China and Germany. 

In case you missed it:

Happy Hippo | Kevin Worner, CEO & Founding Member, Kimo Bruns, CEO & Senior Equity Analyst, ChineseAlpha

A Brief Introduction to China's Export Control Regime | Ulrike Glueck, Managing Partner, and Stephen Wu, Counsel, CMS China

Cradle to Cradle: Circularity by Design | Dipl.-Ing Richard Schmude, General Manager of Drees & Sommer

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership | Robin Hoenig, Head of Trade Policy for Asia/ASEAN Trade Policy Competence Center, The Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce

This article was originally published in the fall edition of the German Chamber Ticker. Click on 'Read More' below to download the full issue 👇 

Visuals by Matter Design