IAA Architecten in dialogue
On 21 August, a captivating panel discussion took place at the Franz-Hitze-Haus in Münster on the highly topical issue of affordable housing and innovative approaches to construction. At a time when construction costs have more than doubled, it is crucial to look for solutions that create affordable housing for all, with undue delay.
IAA Architecten were invited on the basis of their expertise in the different building cultures of the Netherlands and Germany to discuss the possibilities regarding which measures Germany could adopt from the Netherlands to reduce building costs. Looking across borders to learn from neighbours and broaden horizons opens up potential and broadens perspectives.
Together with participating experts Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Home Affairs, Municipal Affairs, Building and Digitalisation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Sylvia Rietenberg, parliamentary group spokesperson and housing policy spokesperson for the Greens on Münster City Council, and Michael Maas, architect at Maas & Partner, our colleague Ronald Stattmann led an in-depth discussion on this important topic.
The debate focussed on the options for accelerating housing construction while at the same time taking a more cost-conscious approach. The time is ripe to put the findings of the 2015 Building Cost Reduction Commission into practice in order to achieve a significant reduction in housing construction costs of 20-30%. Our extensive experience in both countries shows just how diverse the approaches and possibilities can be.
The political forum “More Courage to Act” is actively shaping the future and is supported by committed citizens from Münster. Their aim is to exert a positive influence on the political landscape.
We are delighted that we were able to contribute to this inspiring evening full of ideas and discussions!