Forum Baukultur Upper Austria

Baukultur deals with the simple - but in practice often extensive - question of how we design our common living space. This means that Baukultur affects us all. It negotiates where and how to build, but increasingly also where not to build for good reasons (e.g. in terms of active environmental and climate protection).

Baukultur is concerned with the development of town and country, of the built and unbuilt - and, above all, always with the question of how we want to shape our future.

Many municipalities and towns in Upper Austria are growing today, especially on the outskirts. In the process, the importance of lively town centers is forgotten. Centers have always been places where people come together. As such, they strengthen the community structure and social interaction in a municipality. Architecture and planning shape these spaces, create a quality of stay and promote encounters.

The focus on the inner development of a town or city usually means using what is already there. Converting and extending existing buildings uses resources in an ecologically and economically efficient way in the long term and protects valuable green space outside the center. This preserves land for agriculture and unsealed soil, which is one of our most important resources in times of climate change.

Where new buildings are necessary, careful consideration of numerous questions is required: Where will the building be located - what is the connection to public infrastructure? How does the project fit into its surroundings in terms of scale, density and aesthetics? What is the quality of the architecture? What materials will be used?

Building culture is a multifaceted topic because it arises from the interplay of many forces and interests. Public and private decision-makers, planners, architects and other experts as well as owners and users usually have different perspectives that need to be carefully weighed up and moderated.