Future

Telling the future with a guarantee

An escape to the known.

Michio Kaku is a renowned physicist, futurist and optimist. He's not anxious about our future at all. He has studied predictions from 50, 70 and 100 years ago and which of those prognostications actually came true. He found that researchers were always on the right track whenever they would build on established and proven technologies and extrapolate them into the future.

The more success we have in consistently making the right choices, the brighter our future becomes. This idea closely echoes D+H's philosophy and that is why we have a very optimistic view of what the future holds. And what visions of the future do architects and scientists have? They have exciting, fascinating and astounding ideas for our lives in the future. In other words: it's definitely worth reading about.

Architecture

What can we build on?

What future construction projects can and must accomplish.

Function over form
Architecture with an expiration date

The societal function of architecture was described by the Austrian architect Adolf Loos as follows back in 1901: "A house has to appeal to everyone, unlike a work of art, which does not have to appeal to anyone. A work of art is a private matter for the artist. The house isn't." This pragmatic approach was a central theme throughout the 20th century. This is because the architecture of the time had to meet the needs of increasing urbanisation. Steel frame construction and the electric lift made it possible to construct buildings so tall that they practically scraped the sky. The technological progress and new construction materials such as steel, concrete, glass, aluminium and plastic had a permanent impact on architecture.

The names of the different stylistic concepts in modern architecture alone, such as New Objectivity and Rationalism, imply that practicality had overtaken aesthetics. From that point on, the house had one task only: being useful for everyone. Between the 1950s and 1970s, this revolutionary approach to the construction of buildings was taken to its logical extreme by a movement with a name that says it all: Brutalism.

These days, bulky functional buildings, sometimes made of environmentally hazardous materials, are no longer an option for urban development. Our situation on the earth continues to become more precarious, necessitating another paradigm shift. Increasingly, living is becoming less of a private matter. New visions of our future lives together are needed. Functionality and rationality remain relevant in the 21st century, albeit under consideration of different factors. As of late, architecture takes into account both the needs of humankind and those of nature.

The architecture of the future will be based on sustainability. Two ambitious projects in Beijing and Moscow illustrate this development. The British architectural firm Orproject is planning a gigantic covered garden that could offer people a refreshing break from their smog-filled environment in the Chinese metropolis. In the Russian capital, the New York-based company Diller Scofidio + Renfro hopes to combine different forms of vegetation and climate zones under the name "Wild Urbanism." Both projects are reminiscent of D+H's philosophy: Building atmosphere.

The construction projects of the future can no longer afford to suppress nature. Instead, they must include nature. To that effect, scientists are working on construction materials made from plant-based raw materials. There are already biofuels being produced from renewable resources instead of crude oil. These stable polymers can be processed in combination with 3D printing in addition to being biodegradable and recyclable. US-based company Ecovative is also working on revolutionary developments. Its construction and design material is based on fungus. The foam-like substance is acquired from agricultural waste products such as corn stover.

The New York-based architecture firm The Living is already pursuing a project seeking to construct a tower entirely from fungal foam and compost. In a different approach, the architecture firm dlandstudio, also based in New York is envisioning gardens made of mosses and sponges. The idea behind the sponge gardens is that they will absorb filth from the environment without the use of chemicals. Initial trials have already been run in New York's Gowanus Canal. Fungi, algae and other natural materials signify both the end of mass production and the beginning of biodegradable buildings. A truly daring notion: Buildings with expiration dates.

Nevertheless, we cannot do away with high-rise buildings in the foreseeable future. They are the most effective way to deal with the lack of space in cities. If they have to be tall, then they should at least be made of biomaterial. This is likely what the two Swedish architects C.F. Møller and Dinnell Johansson thought. By 2023, they hope to construct a 34-storey high-rise building in the centre of Stockholm made entirely of wood. Fire protection should definitely play a role in this project. And they may well opt for sustainable D+H technologies.

The product managers at D+H are continually working on solutions that prepare building operators for the future. Particular focus is placed here on digital and modular systems. A smart technology that thinks for itself on matters related to fresh air supply and sound or solar shading, for instance. This is a hot topic in high-rise buildings specifically. An important advantage here is that the solutions can be worked into building designs discreetly. Just like the new CDC-0252 from D+H, which works "undercover" as a profile-integrated solution for opening and closing windows without being seen and virtually without a sound.

Function over form

The societal function of architecture was described by the Austrian architect Adolf Loos as follows back in 1901: "A house has to appeal to everyone, unlike a work of art, which does not have to appeal to anyone. A work of art is a private matter for the artist. The house isn't." This pragmatic approach was a central theme throughout the 20th century. This is because the architecture of the time had to meet the needs of increasing urbanisation. Steel frame construction and the electric lift made it possible to construct buildings so tall that they practically scraped the sky. The technological progress and new construction materials such as steel, concrete, glass, aluminium and plastic had a permanent impact on architecture.

The names of the different stylistic concepts in modern architecture alone, such as New Objectivity and Rationalism, imply that practicality had overtaken aesthetics. From that point on, the house had one task only: being useful for everyone. Between the 1950s and 1970s, this revolutionary approach to the construction of buildings was taken to its logical extreme by a movement with a name that says it all: Brutalism.

These days, bulky functional buildings, sometimes made of environmentally hazardous materials, are no longer an option for urban development. Our situation on the earth continues to become more precarious, necessitating another paradigm shift. Increasingly, living is becoming less of a private matter. New visions of our future lives together are needed. Functionality and rationality remain relevant in the 21st century, albeit under consideration of different factors. As of late, architecture takes into account both the needs of humankind and those of nature.
The architecture of the future will be based on sustainability. Two ambitious projects in Beijing and Moscow illustrate this development. The British architectural firm Orproject is planning a gigantic covered garden that could offer people a refreshing break from their smog-filled environment in the Chinese metropolis. In the Russian capital, the New York-based company Diller Scofidio + Renfro hopes to combine different forms of vegetation and climate zones under the name "Wild Urbanism." Both projects are reminiscent of D+H's philosophy: Building atmosphere.
Architecture with an expiration date

The construction projects of the future can no longer afford to suppress nature. Instead, they must include nature. To that effect, scientists are working on construction materials made from plant-based raw materials. There are already biofuels being produced from renewable resources instead of crude oil. These stable polymers can be processed in combination with 3D printing in addition to being biodegradable and recyclable. US-based company Ecovative is also working on revolutionary developments. Its construction and design material is based on fungus. The foam-like substance is acquired from agricultural waste products such as corn stover.

The New York-based architecture firm The Living is already pursuing a project seeking to construct a tower entirely from fungal foam and compost. In a different approach, the architecture firm dlandstudio, also based in New York is envisioning gardens made of mosses and sponges. The idea behind the sponge gardens is that they will absorb filth from the environment without the use of chemicals. Initial trials have already been run in New York's Gowanus Canal. Fungi, algae and other natural materials signify both the end of mass production and the beginning of biodegradable buildings. A truly daring notion: Buildings with expiration dates.

Nevertheless, we cannot do away with high-rise buildings in the foreseeable future. They are the most effective way to deal with the lack of space in cities. If they have to be tall, then they should at least be made of biomaterial. This is likely what the two Swedish architects C.F. Møller and Dinnell Johansson thought. By 2023, they hope to construct a 34-storey high-rise building in the centre of Stockholm made entirely of wood. Fire protection should definitely play a role in this project. And they may well opt for sustainable D+H technologies.
The product managers at D+H are continually working on solutions that prepare building operators for the future. Particular focus is placed here on digital and modular systems. A smart technology that thinks for itself on matters related to fresh air supply and sound or solar shading, for instance. This is a hot topic in high-rise buildings specifically. An important advantage here is that the solutions can be worked into building designs discreetly. Just like the new CDC-0252 from D+H, which works "undercover" as a profile-integrated solution for opening and closing windows without being seen and virtually without a sound.

Interview

From buildings to icons

A conversation with Wolf D. Prix of COOP HIMMELB(L)AU.

The "PANEUM – die Wunderkammer des Brotes" (House of Bread) in Austria is one example of futuristic architecture. The Viennese star architects at COOP HIMMELB(L)AU designed the building. Wolf D. Prix, CEO and Design Principal, answered questions about the architecture of the future at the building's official unveiling ceremony.

WHAT ARE THE GREATEST CHALLENGES FACING ARCHITECTURE?

Wolf D. Prix: If you want to stay competitive in the future, then you will have to look around for new construction methods. In China and India, we are already working with robots in the façade design process. Working with machines is incredibly economical and efficient but brings up a major societal issue. If it takes 80 people eight months to build one building, then using robots might make it possible to accomplish the same task with eight people in one month. So, how should the other 72 people be employed?

New problems are appearing constantly, but people are thinking too little about problem-solving approaches. A large portion of society is still resisting progress, partially due to ideological reasons and partially because they lack understanding. This makes it very important for us to have the courage to make development happen.

LET'S DISCUSS THE NEW CONSTRUCTION METHODS. HOW WILL THE ARCHITECTS OF THE FUTURE WORK?

Wolf D. Prix: I believe that 3D printing and milling as well as robot-assisted construction will shape the architecture of the coming years. Even today, computers are setting the pace. We are capable of using 3D programs and producing renderings. At a basic level, computers simply let us think faster. I can recall a project in Los Angeles in which the program took two months to make calculations for an architectural design. Today, this same process only takes a single day. This progress, which people hardly notice outside of the industry, will have to be given additional focus within the industry.

WHICH MATERIALS WILL PREDOMINATE IN FUTURE?

Wolf D. Prix: The challenges posed by economics and ecology are important aspects. So, what are natural building materials? Bricks? Clay? Today, if we use 3D prints of a variety of materials, we can build façades that both save energy and are conducive to urban living, having already implemented solar panels and shading elements. I find it unrealistic to think that we will eventually build everything with wood. I mean, how long does it take a tree to grow before it can be used as construction material? On the other hand, wood construction specialists will not achieve further development if the only structures made of wood are barns and cabins. We have the opportunity to think outside the box here, and PANEUM is a prototype of this idea.

Sustainability

Making blue out of green

Blue buildings are setting the trend.

Buildings are responsible for nearly 40 percent of the energy consumption and about one-third of the CO₂ emissions in Germany. To make this sector more environmentally friendly, evaluation systems were created in the 90s for rating "green buildings." Worldwide, there are a variety of certification systems, such as LEED in the United Kingdom, BREEAM in America and DGNB in Germany, which evaluate the economic and social aspects of the building in addition to the ecological aspects. We are trending away from green buildings in favour of blue buildings, where the human being is once again the focus of the building development and the overall sustainability of the building is considered.

Future-proof products and systems that save resources while simultaneously providing high-quality performance are now referred to as "blue." "Technological progress and sustainability must not conflict with each other," says Helmut Senfter, Managing Director of EvoBuilding GmbH, a joint venture of D+H. The company specialises in the design and dynamic simulation of blue buildings as well as their implementation. "Environmentally friendly does not necessarily mean a clay hut with a straw roof. The point is to create solutions that offer climate protection without sacrificing comfort."

The key to meeting the sociocultural, ecological and economic standards for today's blue buildings lies in using intelligent building automation. This allows all relevant systems to be integrated with each other precisely and allows higher-level control to be carried out. The core here is often automated, CO2 controlled natural ventilation. When natural ventilation is used, the building is cooled through energy-saving night-time cooling. Several years ago, climate control systems and automated ventilation systems were still considered advanced technology. From today's sustainability viewpoint, this idea is no longer justifiable. They are among the highest consumers of energy in buildings. They have high investment and maintenance costs and often contribute to a feeling of discomfort inside the building. "Sustainable and future-oriented architecture stands out primarily due to the fact that it uses few resources and little energy to make a building as comfortable as possible," says Helmut Senfter.

The system of automated natural ventilation is based on pressure differences. Warm spent air rises and, thanks to thermal updraught working like a motor, it is directed outside through openings in the roof or in the façade. The D+H window drives, which open and close through complete automation, operate based on the weather conditions to ensure a cosy indoor atmosphere at all times of the day and night. "Every single section of the building is accounted for here, since all windows in a building can be coordinated to each other and even heating systems are connected to the fresh air control system," says Christoph Kern, CSO at D+H Mechatronic AG. "This ensures energy savings of up to 60 percent."

Mobility

Scotty, beam me up!

Science fiction becomes reality.

"Scotty, beam me up" – Captain Kirk and his 400-member crew hurtle through the Milky Way with a warp drive, set course for strange new worlds and beam from the starship to many adventurous locations. Again and again the captain of the Enterprise reaches for his wireless communicator and quickly flips it open to talk with the ship's computer or analyses mission-critical data on a small mobile device. Many of the technologies presented in science-fiction films of that time seemed utopian. When the Star Trek series first aired on 8 September 1966, such technological progress was still just a dream. Today, most of them are commonplace.

Hollywood directors as pioneers of the future

Whether travelling through the galaxy at light speed or in flying cars in the mega cities of the future: Technologies and scenarios which reflect the mobility of the future are a popular stylistic device among filmmakers who want to create an image of our life decades from now. However, according to scientists, flying vehicles are not too far off. Uber, a transportation intermediary, is working "at full speed" on flying cars. The American company has introduced a separate flight division for this purpose. Moore and his team want to make the first flying car, named Puffin, that would be ready for delivery by 2020.

Making it possible to beam people

Seeing Scotty beam Captain Kirk and his team down to unknown planets creates awe and excitement for sci-fi fans. But this often makes realists just shake their heads. It would be nice, though, if you could simply step into a transporter and beam to your favourite holiday destination in a jiffy. Or if an installation technician could beam to a construction site in a matter of seconds. According to engineer Dr. Hubert Zitt, the head-shaking is unfounded. His theory is that, if technological progress continues at its current rate, teleportation will be possible in about 140 years. And when you look at the development of data storage, we are not too far away from the Star Trek universe. For 25 years, storage capacity has been growing annually by about 60 percent. A few years ago, one-terabyte hard drives were still unusually large, but today they are extremely commonplace. If you extrapolate this development, the amounts of data that make up a person could be stored, according to Zitt, a scientist who teaches at the Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences.

Free time

The ultimate kick

Volcano surfing, highlining and wingsuit flying are part of the future.

The age of "free time" in Germany is relatively young. The concept is so new, in fact, that the renowned German dictionary, Duden, did not have an entry for the German equivalent "Freizeit" until 1929. It is a word that a scarce few could imagine one century ago. The Industrial Revolution swept over large swaths of the world and the lives of most people were usually devoted to just one thing: work. Even if workers labouring to exhaustion could not envision it at the time, their labour laid the foundation for later leisure time. As work hours increased, technological progress increased as well. And together with technological progress, the living standard rose, which created more free time. This laid the foundations for our current economy and society.

Without a doubt, progress has altered our lives. Most people today work only half as much as those in the 19th century. Where is this trend headed? Is the idea of work on the way out? And is that something we really want? Work that we enjoy doing is ultimately one of the aspects that brings meaning to our lives. Being able to spend all of your time just the way you like may be an appealing thought. However, the value of something drops quickly when there is an unlimited amount of it. The situation is likely no different for free time.

These days, many people are trying to find the right work-life balance. Work-life balance is an idea actively pursued by many companies—including D+H. At D+H, for example, timekeeping and flex time provide a flexible option for arranging work life and family life.

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Living space

Onwards and upwards to Mars!

Are we going to be Martians soon?

The planet is approximately 270 million kilometres away but it is being studied in more detail than ever before. Those studies have long since moved on from the search for Martians. The focus has instead shifted to researching how humans can become Martians. After all, people seem to have it in their heads to settle Mars. Overpopulation, environmental destruction, fear of nuclear war or just a love for adventure— there are many reasons why humans might want to journey to another planet.

Since 1960, there have been about 40 attempts to explore Mars using unmanned missions. And more than half of them have failed. But one of the recent projects gave rise to hope. On 6 August 2012, "Curiosity" landed on Mars to search for traces of carbon—the foundation for all known life. The results of this mission were invaluable. Chemicals found in the rocky crevices led us to the conclusion that there was once an abundance of oxygen on Mars—and it may have been very similar to Earth as a result.

There is also water on Mars. But it is too cold and too dry for life. These inhospitable conditions are caused by solar wind. Unlike Earth, Mars does not have a magnetic field to protect its atmosphere. First and foremost, terraforming Mars would require a higher temperature. But if there is something humans can do, it is heat up a planet. This led scientists at NASA to the idea of transporting a giant protective magnetic shield into space to act as a magnetic field. This project would seek to raise the atmospheric pressure and the temperature as a result. The northern polar cap would melt, allowing rivers and lakes to form. This sounds like science fiction, but lofty ambitions are at work. In 2016, US President Barack Obama (who was still president at the time) spoke about landing humans on Mars by 2035.

Automation

On the path to Robo sapiens?

Between dread and delight.

In many books and films, humans regard robots with fear and scepticism. Is that justified? Opinions differ. Advocates for robots point to the myriad opportunities presented by digital life, while detractors warn of the dangers posed by an artificial intelligence that has taken on a life of its own. The fact is, robots are indispensable helpers in every activity rife with extreme monotony or immense hazards. In the automotive industry and elsewhere, it is virtually impossible to imagine a fully automated production hall without robot arms. Transport robots also provide valuable services beyond the world of industry, including on hazardous, inhospitable and unknown terrain. Their assistance includes aiding in search and rescue work in collapsed buildings as well as in mine clearing. The robotic "Curiosity" rover even provided us with pictures from Mars.

We would have trouble imagining a future without artificial intelligence and automation. A progressive company needs to invest in the future and, as a result, in the latest technology and solutions that operate with increasing autonomy. By consistently expanding automation in production, D+H took an important step towards the future back in 2016. The medium-sized company invested in a state-of-the-art rod machining centre. The cycle machining centre cuts, mills and drills the aluminium housings for D+H drives all by itself. And it does it in just a few seconds. Thus the new machine cuts production times in half. This appeals to the customer of today and the customer of tomorrow alike.

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Future

Telling the future with a guarantee

An escape to the known.

Architecture

What can we build on?

What future construction projects can and must accomplish.

Interview

From buildings to icons

A conversation with Wolf D. Prix of COOP HIMMELB(L)AU.

Sustainability

Making blue out of green

Blue buildings are setting the trend.

Mobility

Scotty, beam me up!

Science fiction becomes reality.

Hollywood directors as pioneers of the future

Making it possible to beam people

Free time

The ultimate kick

Volcano surfing, highlining and wingsuit flying are part of the future.

Living space

Onwards and upwards to Mars!

Are we going to be Martians soon?

Automation

On the path to Robo sapiens?

Between dread and delight.

Windows & acoustics

Windows & Acoustics

Training

Entry + Promotion

Production

Quality + Precision

D+H service and sales partners

CDC-0252-0800-1-ACB

CPS-M1-S

RT 45

SNT 2

Future

Telling the future with a guarantee

An escape to the known.

Architecture

What can we build on?

What future construction projects can and must accomplish.

Interview

From buildings to icons

A conversation with Wolf D. Prix of COOP HIMMELB(L)AU.

Sustainability

Making blue out of green

Blue buildings are setting the trend.

Mobility

Scotty, beam me up!

Science fiction becomes reality.

Hollywood directors as pioneers of the future

Making it possible to beam people

Free time

The ultimate kick

Volcano surfing, highlining and wingsuit flying are part of the future.

Living space

Onwards and upwards to Mars!

Are we going to be Martians soon?

Automation

On the path to Robo sapiens?

Between dread and delight.

Windows & acoustics

Windows & Acoustics

Training

Entry + Promotion

Production

Quality + Precision

D+H service and sales partners

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