Speakers: Prof. Sabine Joeris & Prof. Elisabeth Krön
Authors: Franzi Merkl & Thomas Schleipfer
Date: May 31, 2025
A Not-So-Typical Sustainability Lecture Recap
Last week at the Honors Course, we didn’t just get numbers and bullet points—we got basil, recycled toilet water, CO₂-neutral festivals, and a surprising dose of optimism.
Two powerhouse professors—Sabine Joeris and Elisabeth Krön—guided us through 90 minutes of both sobering reality and hopeful imagination. Spoiler: the world may be in crisis, but there’s still a lot worth fighting (and farming) for.
Session Overview – From Global Goals to Local Imagination
The first 45-minute session, led by Prof. Dr. Sabine Joeris, gave us a reality check: only 17% of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are currently on track. Yet, there are reasons to remain hopeful—like rising access to clean water, lower child mortality rates, and innovative solutions such as vertical farming and wind-powered ships.
Right after that, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Elisabeth Krön took the stage—and shifted the lens from global data to local action. Her invitation: Let’s reimagine the unused Karstadt department store in Augsburg. Once a commercial hub, now a hollow shell—what could this space become in a more sustainable, creative future?
This transition—from reflection to imagination—was the bridge between the two sessions: problem-solving with purpose.
Part One – Speaker Prof. Sabine Joeris
“Sustainability: Far from the finish line – but let’s look into progress until now”
We’ve got sustainability issues? Sure. But we also have solutions – and according to Joeris, we better use them. Because the idea is simple:
Live so your kids and grandkids can still have a good life.
(What a radical concept, right?)
We’re talking about:
- Global justice
- Social, economic, and environmental development
- Intergenerational justice
Throw in some international teamwork with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and boom – we’re set. Kind of.
đź”— UN SDG Report 2024
Reality Check (2024 report):
- Only 17% of goals are on track.
- Renewable energy is booming (40% globally!)
- Under-5 mortality hit a record low in 2022.
- Primary school completion rate rose from 85% → 88%
- Amazon deforestation rate declined by 22% – a positive trend, but deforestation is still happening.
- Bycatch in the Gulf of Mexico (or is ist Gulf of America?) dropped by 50%
🎥 António Guterres: SDG Moment 2024 – UN Video
Bright Ideas from Around the Globe
🇸🇬 Singapore – No Natural Drinking Water? No Problem.
They recycle wastewater into 40% of their national supply.
đź”— UNESCO Water Reuse in Singapore
⛵ OceanBird – Wind-Powered Cargo Ships
Cargo ships powered by wind
Shipping = ~3% of global COâ‚‚ emissions
Launch planned for 2025
🔗 Oceanbird Concept – Wallenius Marine
🥬 Vertical Farming: Basil Saves the World
- Grown in towers
- Pesticide-free
- Year-round harvesting
- Less land, less water, no transport
🎯From basil → to fruit → to rice…
Bonus points:
- Cut food imports.
- Reduce COâ‚‚-foodprint.
- Support local farmers – don’t replace them. (Yes, vertical basil and grandma’s potato field can coexist.)
Note: Vertical farming is energy intensive and depends on the renewable energy boom. As energy prices fall, this method could become even more economically viable.
đź”— Scientific Study on Vertical Farming
Local Heroes in Augsburg
Modular Festival
Vegan food, renewable energy, public transport, low-income tickets, and live COâ‚‚ tracking.
🔗 Modular Festival – Sustainability Info
“Tür an Tür” Initiative
Helping migrants and refugees integrate, learn German, and feel at home.
🔗 Tür an Tür – Integration Projects
THA Sustainability Projects and Master program
Students collected trash, bottles… and even a toilet.
Heroes wear gloves, not capes.
Part Two – Speaker Prof. Elisabeth Krön
“The Interim Use of Empty Buildings – Optimistic Ideas for Change”
Empty buildings ≠sustainable.
More than 50% of the UN Sustainable Development Goals are directly linked to the building and construction sector. That means: architecture isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a climate issue.
From VUCA to BANI – Making Sense of Complexity
Prof. Krön opened her session by highlighting the world we live in: one that’s often unstable, unclear, and difficult to navigate.
Welcome to the VUCA world:
- Volatile – Things change quickly and unpredictably.
- Uncertain – The future is unclear; we can’t always predict outcomes.
- Complex – Many interconnected parts make situations harder to understand.
- Ambiguous – Information can be interpreted in different ways; there’s no single clear meaning.
But even that term, she pointed out, may no longer be enough. That’s where BANI comes in:
- Brittle – Systems look stable but can break suddenly under stress.
- Anxious – Constant uncertainty creates stress and fear.
- Nonlinear – Cause and effect aren’t proportional or predictable.
- Incomprehensible – Situations are so complex they feel impossible to fully understand.
“Our decisions and our thoughts aren’t always the same.
Be confident!”
— Prof. Krön
This shift in perspective helped us understand just how challenging it is to make sustainable decisions in today’s world—and why clarity, creativity, and courage are so essential.
The 5 R’s – Rethinking Use Over Demolition
With this mindset in place, we explored the concept of circularity in construction. Sometimes, sustainability doesn’t mean building something new—it means rethinking what already exists.
“Creativity is not only for artists.”
— Prof. Krön
Instead of demolition, we looked at the 5 R’s, which are guiding principals for a circular economy:
- Refuse – Say no to things you don’t need, especially single-use items.
- Reduce – Cut down on what you use to minimize waste.
- Reuse – Use items more than once instead of throwing them away.
- Repurpose – Give old things a new function or use.
- Recycle – Process used materials into new products.
“A creative mindset will be key to taking on the climate challenge.
Fostering a creative mindset can be a pathway to building climate optimism and confidence — and thus engagement in building climate solutions.”
— Solitaire Townsend
🔗 Creativity builds climate optimism – Solitaire Townsend
Group Work: Reimagining Karstadt
Then came the hands-on part.
Together, we brainstormed new possibilities for the currently unused Karstadt building in Augsburg.
We came up with all kind of ideas how to reuse the Karstadt building.
Here are a few examples:
Aquaponics System:
A sustainable, closed-loop system where nutrient-rich water from fish tanks nourishes plants. The plants, in turn, purify the water, which is then recirculated back to the fish—an efficient example of circular ecology.
Rooftop Terrace:
A panoramic terrace for gatherings and relaxation—perfect for enjoying sundowners with a view over the city, or to plant some Basil or other plants.
Green Facades:
Vertical greenery enhances air quality and provides natural cooling, contributing to a healthier and more energy-efficient building environment.
Energy-Generating Gym:
A fitness area where exercise equipment converts human movement into usable energy, encouraging healthy living while supporting sustainable power use.
Educational Exchange:
Intergenerational learning where retirees engage with children through storytelling and book reading—fostering community, connection, and lifelong learning.
Central Atrium:
A large, open void in the heart of the building brings natural light to all levels, creating a bright, inviting, and energy-efficient space.
One thing became clear:
You don’t always have to change the structure—just its story.
🔗 Karstadt Augsburg – What’s next? (Augsburg Journal)
Reflection – What Will Stay With Us
Before this session, we both saw sustainability as a global issue—and optimism as something emotional.
Now, we see both as tools. Tools we can use to engage with the world around us. Tools that start where we live.
Next time we walk past a closed storefront, we won’t just see empty windows. We’ll see opportunity—and a question: What could this become if we dared to imagine something different?
What’s Next?
👉 Got ideas for transforming city spaces sustainably?
👉 Know a great project or want to start one at THA? We will discuss this on June 24th during our final session.
Share your thoughts and let’s be honest – we’re not saving the world overnight.
But we might just be planting the seeds. (Literally. Probably basil ✨.)
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