What If: A Change of Perspective

What if we were no longer allowed to build new structures? This and other questions are posed by the exhibition "What If: A Change of Perspective" from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). The DGNB is a non-profit association based in Stuttgart that has been committed to future-proof, responsible building for 18 years and has developed the DGNB certification system, an internationally recognized planning and optimization tool for evaluating sustainable buildings and neighborhoods.

The exhibition invites visitors to question established ways of thinking and rediscover the core of sustainable architecture: buildings and neighborhoods that offer people a good home, are affordable, and provide good design solutions to the climate crisis. A common thread traces the development of sustainable building, complemented by six thematic areas and the winning projects of the German Sustainability Award for Architecture.

What if we were no longer allowed to build new structures? What if we already had a climate three degrees warmer today, or if we honestly asked ourselves how much space and comfort we really need? Questions like these are the starting point for the exhibition "What If: A Change of Perspective," curated by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).

Visitors to Aedes are invited to question familiar patterns of thought and action related to sustainable building and to embrace new perspectives. Using six thematic areas, the exhibition illuminates the multifaceted nature of sustainable architecture and contextualizes the developments of recent decades.

Opening: December 12, 2025, 6:30 p.m.

Speakers: Hans-Jürgen Commerell, Christine Lemaitre, Amandus Samsøe Sattler