From "Baukultur" to "Umbaukultur". Symposium
Academy of Architecture
Date: 20 February 2026 / 13:30
IAST, Institute for Sustainable Architecture and Technology
From "Baukultur" to "Umbaukultur"
From a culture of demolition and replacement to a culture of care and repair
Friday 20th February 2026 13:30 -18:30
Accademia di architettura USI
Mendrisio, Foyer Palazzo Canavée
The research project “From ‘Baukultur’ to ‘Umbaukultur’ – From a Culture of Demolition and Replacement to a Culture of Care and Repair” aims to identify the subconscious cultural and behavioral attitudes that often determine and hinder the successful implementation of conversion projects. We will explore the roots of the prevailing
replacement and throwaway culture, its expression in economic fundamentals, legal frameworks, and standards, and we will evaluate the serious negative environmental consequences of this highly unsustainable culture. We want to understand why we consistently fail to do the right thing and how to establish an alternative attitude of care and repair in the building sector.
To explore possible alternatives, the project analyzes how current financial and legal constraints reinforce the replacement culture and how modifying these constraints could open up new future scenarios. This interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research is structured into work packages (WPs), organized into three sections that investigate ‘Baukultur’ and ‘Umbaukultur’ across different time periods – Past, Present, and Future – and in three national contexts: Switzerland, Italy, and Germany.
The 2026 Symposium, conceived as an integral part of the research project, will offer a first glimpse at the results of the investigations carried out by the different members of the international project team. It will also provide a platform to discuss these findings with guest speakers, researchers and students.
“From ‘Baukultur’ to ‘Umbaukultur’” is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) as part of the National Research Programme NRP 81 “Baukultur”. The project is initiated and coordinated at the Professorship for Sustainable Design of prof. Muck Petzet in the Institute for Sustainable Architecture and Technology (IAST) at the Accademia di architettura-USI Mendrisio.
If you cannot attend in person, join via Zoom Webinar.
Meeting ID: 678 6626 9027
contacts: [email protected]