2023

Attention to detail, comfort and natural materials - according to the associations of the German furniture industry (VDM/VHK), these characteristics will be the trend in furniture in 2023. Modular solutions are also in vogue, offering a wide range of options. In terms of color selection, for example, the wood types ash and elm are currently being combined with light colors such as white, beige or sand or powdery...

Between 2015 and 2021, wages rose faster than rents on average across Germany. This is according to the study on the "Affordability of Rents" by the Haus und Grund association. According to the study, the median wages of full-time employees subject to social security contributions rose by 14.2% to €3,525 during the period in question. In the same period, existing rents rose by 7.3 percent to 7.32...

The German Architecture Prize 2023 is being awarded by the Federal Ministry of Building and the Chamber of Architects. Proposals for exemplary buildings or building ensembles can be submitted until Wednesday, March 29, 4 pm. These must have been built in Germany between January 1, 2021 and January 15, 2023. Proposals can also be submitted for buildings or building ensembles abroad.

The energy supply and service company "enercity" reveals which aspects tenants should look out for when searching for accommodation and how they can identify energy guzzlers. Among other things, tenants should check the apartment with regard to the spatial conditions, the condition of windows and doors and the presence of mold. They can also find out about the condition of the heating system,...

The community of heirs of Hedwig Adlon will not receive any compensation for her hotel expropriation in November 1949 for the time being, according to a ruling by the Berlin Administrative Court (VG 29 K 131/20). Hedwig Adlon was expropriated at the time as a result of the "Law on the Confiscation of Assets of War Criminals and Nazi Activists". According to the Berlin Administrative Court, she was accused, among other things, of...

The German Furniture Quality Association (DGM) advises people to try out chairs and upholstered furniture extensively before buying. Prospective buyers should take 30 minutes or more to test the new piece of furniture. According to the DGM, they should not only check the individual seating comfort, but also take a closer look at the other features of the piece of furniture. In doing so...

The "Social Housing" alliance is calling on the federal and state governments to launch a joint "social housing offensive". A special fund of 50 billion euros must be made available by the state for social housing by 2025 in order to achieve the target of 400,000 social housing units by the end of the legislative period. Only 20,000 social housing units were built in 2022. The alliance is also calling for...

Interested parties can still apply for the Aerogel Architecture Award 2023 until Sunday, April 30, 2023 (11:59 p.m.). The "Realized Solutions" category is looking for internationally realized projects by architects and civil engineers in which aerogel is used in a special way. Students can submit their project ideas in the "Student Designs" category.

How can innovation activities of online communities be better assessed? The Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) and the Technical University of Berlin have now investigated this question. In their research project "Peer Innovation", the institutions have developed an open-source toolbox that examines the innovation activities of peer communities...

A buyer purchases an undeveloped plot of land from a municipality. She is contractually obliged to bear the development costs. If this is the case, she only has to pay real estate transfer tax on the purchase price of the undeveloped property, but not on the purchase price including the development costs. This has now been announced by the Federal Fiscal Court (BFH) (ruling dated 28....