Imagine coming to Weimar, touring the Gropius Room and being able to invite your relatives in Hamburg to join you virtually. Imagine them experiencing the room not just on a video call, but as 3D avatars. You can talk to them live and – thanks to AI – even talk to the objects in the room.

The way people live is incredibly important – not only on an individual level, but also on a societal one. Our residential built environment affects social developments much in the same way our social practices affect our housing situation – but in what ways, exactly? Where do the conflicts and challenges lie, and how can research help solve the major housing issues we are facing?

»Demokratie stärken« (strengthening democracy) was the theme at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in 2024. More than 30 projects that focussed on strengthening democracy and participating in democratic processes were carried out through the university's own courses, research projects, and art projects, all in cooperation with partners in Weimar and Thuringia. The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s intention was to improve trust in democracy, science, art and educational institutions in 2024 during Thuringia’s super election year.

The global population is increasing steadily, as is the trend towards urbanisation. More and more surfaces are being paved. Green is turning more and more into grey – even in cities. Without plants to cool and clean urban air, heat islands and particle pollution will increase dramatically. Additionally, the increasing heavy rainfalls lead to increased flooding if the water is only able to drain into the sewer system and not into green spaces. In order for our cities to be sustainably liveable, they need more vegetation without sacrificing the usable spaces for which demand is increasing. This is precisely where innovative solutions like the VertiKKA project at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering come into play.

Sustainability is more than just reducing emissions: It is a commitment to socially responsible behaviour. At the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, sustainability and environmental awareness are more than just theoretical concepts – they are both a driving forces and a guiding principle. But what does it mean to make a university sustainable? Since the summer of 2023, the Sustainability Team, led by Vice President for Social Transformation Dr. Ulrike Kuch, has been working on implementing concrete changes.

Long-lasting, robust, malleable – concrete is the 21st century’s most important building material. The original three-material system (cement, gravel, water) has become a high-performance material with properties that can be customised through the mix formulation. But there is one problem: Once concrete has been mixed, it can no longer be adapted. This means that unwanted changes in flow behaviour or durability—caused, for example, by varying environmental conditions or fluctuations in raw materials—can no longer be corrected.

A lack of public services, an ageing population, shrinking communities, climate change, a loss of trust in democracy — the Thuringian Forest is facing a broad range of challenges. But at the same time, ecological and social changes are opening up new opportunities—what will it take to sustainably transform the region for future generations?

Maurice Halbwachs was an influential French sociologist who was deported to Buchenwald in 1944 during the reign of terror under the German National Socialist regime. He died at the concentration camp a few months later as a result of his imprisonment. Even today, there is nothing in Weimar to commemorate the renowned sociologist — something the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar aims to change, taking responsibility for acknowledging this part of history. In December 2024, the university will be renaming its largest lecture hall, the Auditorium Maximum, the »Maurice Halbwachs Auditorium« in his honour. For the BAUHAUS.INSIGHTS series, we spoke to Professor Henning Schmidgen and Professor Frank Eckardt, two of the individuals behind the initiative, about the sociologist and philosopher Maurice Halbwachs and their relationship to his work and his life.

The annual »Jahrestagung der Kanzlerinnen und Kanzler der deutschen Universitäten« is scheduled to take place at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar from 19 to 21 September 2024 under the title »Hochschulbau trotz/t Krisen«. After nearly 20 years, this important event for professional dialogue on current challenges faced by university management is returning to the university in Weimar. In this BAUHAUS.INSIGHTS interview, the host, University Chancellor Dr. Horst Henrici, spoke to us on the importance of this conference for university chancellors. Key topics at the conference include building management, sustainability, and upcoming challenges and opportunities for universities.

The slogan of the BAUHAUS4EU project is »An Alliance for a Better Future« – and this already makes the alliance’s goal clear. Namely to facilitate close, long-term collaboration on future topics, shape the future of teaching, learning and research together, and strengthen the European idea. At the end of June 2024, the European Commission confirmed that it would fund the alliance with €14.4 million over the coming four years as part of its »Erasmus+ European Universities« initiative.