Schüco and Urban Beta at the 2022 Greentech Festival

Mobility of the future

On foot, on two or four wheels or carried by cushions of air and rotor blades – we still don't know exactly how we will move through cities in future. What is certain, however, is that the mobility of the future must be carbon-free. BetaPort is designed for a wide range of different vehicle types. Electric and driverless vehicles can be charged, cargo bikes are available, there are charging stations for e-bikes, and future air traffic has even been taken into account, for example with landing areas to be reserved for air taxis and cargo drones in future BetaPorts.

Systems for spaces that grow with you

Modular, scalable and circular, but also suitable for long-term use – the start-up Urban Beta ticks all of these boxes with its modular timber construction systems. The flexible modules enable not only mobility hubs to be built but also cost-effective living spaces, for example. Social, economical and ecological sustainability go hand-in-hand. Urban Beta has recently completed the BetaHood research project together with the Berliner Stadtmission (Berlin City Mission), Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and the professional services firm Arup. Supported by the research initiative Zukunft Bau, the project partners developed a concept for social residential construction as an interim use on brownfield land. The guiding principle behind it all is “Space as a service” – the buyer purchases the space, but the building materials are just rented and can be given back at the end of the usage period.

The Urban Beta start-up

The start-up Urban Beta describes itself as a spatial innovation studio, with the intention of being much more than a traditional architectural practice. Founded by four architects – Anke Parsons, Paul Bart, Marvin Bratke and Florian Michaelis – it has two sites, one in Berlin and one in Kiel, and a global network of partners from New York to Shanghai. The work of Urban Beta is based on four principles: Impact to Empathy, Foresight by Design, Space On Demand, and Circular Realization. In short, this means that social goals are a core value for the company, research and practice go hand in hand, and circular construction is a non-negotiable. All of the company's activities are based on a network philosophy. Instead of developing their projects and business models behind closed doors, the team takes an open source approach and works with experts from a variety of disciplines, industrial firms and the intended users.

Solutions for greater energy efficiency, regenerative energy supply and a circular economy are hot topics at the Greentech Festival. Schüco has all the right products and systems for this: building envelopes with the highest thermal insulation standards, building-integrated photovoltaics and Cradle to Cradle-certified façade systems.

Next stop: Düsseldorf. On 2-4 November 2022, the first "KlimaFestival für die Bauwende" (Climate Festival for the Building Revolution) will take place at the metropolis on the Rhine. In the Alte Schmiedehallen (old forging halls), town planners and architects, industry experts and scientists, investors and politicians will discuss what the construction sector can do about climate change. Schüco is on board as a main sponsor of the event.

If you would like to learn more about sustainability at Schüco, read our

Sustainability article.

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