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CORPUS Magazine

CORPUS Magazine

Corpus is the BASF magazine for construction, infrastructure, architecture and urban planning. In our magazine you will find inspiring stories, interviews and product news from the world of construction around the globe. Have a look and discover now how we will live and build tomorrow.

Top Stories

Check out more articles and stories from our magazine

BASF_CORPUS_Ray_Kappe_triesch-residence

California Comes to Berlin

It all started when Lars Triesch, a young design publisher in Berlin, fell in love with the architecture of the American star architect Ray Kappe. From then on, everything revolved around building a house in Berlin in the Mid-Century Modern style based on the designs of the Californian model. 

More Space for Community

Every city is not only space, infrastructure and architecture, but above all social fabric. Which is reason enough to look at it from this point of view as well. We talk to Christine Hannemann, professor of the Sociology of Architecture and Housing at the University of Stuttgart, about the challenges facing our cities, new ways of living, and the changes in store for us. A new installment of the City of the Future series.

Designing for the Future: Harmony of Health, Home and the Environment

Derek Satnik, Vice President of S2e Technologies, and developer of smart communities in Canada discusses designing sustainable living for a healthy relationship between people and planet.

Rethinking Cities

Vibrant, sustainable, and creative cities that fit in well with the surrounding cultural landscape and are worth living in for people. This is how experts envision the city of the future. But how do you put this into practice? The concepts of urban planners and architects worldwide are very different.

In the series "City of the future", CORPUS examines which aspects are in focus, what role climate change plays in this, and how socio-cultural needs and geographical aspects can best be combined. Take part in our journey through the global world of ideas in urban architecture. 

Keeping Cool - How We Can Equip Our Cities for Rising Temperatures

In the first part of this story, we showed how climate change is affecting our cities now and in the future. And we presented smart ideas to enable our urban eco-systems to thrive even in hot times. Now we are presenting further approaches and showing where in the world really cool solutions are already in use today. A new part of the City of the Future series.

Summer in the City – How Our Urban Eco-Systems Stay Cool Even in Extreme Heat

As a result of global warming, temperatures in our cities will continue to rise – with serious consequences for health and the environment. Individual buildings can be cooled, but what about entire cities? We have been scouring the globe for strategies and solutions. A new part of the City of the Future series.

Looking ahead – The art of designing modern city concepts

How should the city of the future look? This question, which is so central to society, is now the subject of a dedicated series that will create a forum for different perspectives, approaches and opinions. To start off, we are talking to the architect and urban planner Professor Christoph Mäckler about aesthetics, individuality and the question of whether the wheel really does have to be completely reinvented.

The Sky’s the Limit - The Finalists of the International Highrise Award

High-rise construction has been experiencing a genuine renaissance for some time now. And where expansion at ground level is complicated and expensive, the only way is up. But what is state-of-the-art in high-rise construction? This question is answered by a look at the list of finalists for the International Highrise Award, which in 2020 comprises three buildings in Europe and two in Asia.

On Track for Success – Sports surfaces for sustainable fitness

Sport is a key aspect of modern life. It provides a valuable counterbalance to everyday living, fosters team bonding and is proven to enhance health and fitness. Whether you are a professional athlete or recreational sports practitioner, the right surface is crucial for a safe sporting experience.

Wrapped up in the icy expanses
– how the right insulation makes a polar station habitable

Thermal insulation is usually all about comfort and energy efficiency. In some places, however, it is also vital for survival – as on King George Island in the Antarctic where the temperature stays below zero even on “mild” days. This is why the BASF Elastopir® insulation material was chosen for the construction of a new research station. 

Eco-architecture: Facade for butterflies

Buildings are still thought of almost exclusively from a human perspective. There are only a few small oases for other species - an insect hotel in the back of the garden or a beehive on the city roof. What is possible when whole ecosystems are integrated right from the start is shown by a planned residential building for the New York district of Nolita: it is to provide a home not only for people but also for monarch butterflies. BASF helped develop the special facade.

The City as a Pantry

Urban planners, architects, politicians and residents all agree that cities need more greenery. There are numerous approaches to this. Green façades, roof gardens and the targeted redevelopment of industrial wastelands, to which New York owes its Highline so popular with locals and tourists alike. But what if it’s not just about creating pockets of greenery amid pavement, steel and glass? Urban farming is going a step further, for it aims to bring food production into the city.

To be an architect is an enormous privilege

The renowned Pritzker Prize was again awarded in Chicago at the beginning of March. This year the highest international award for architecture went to the two Irish women Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara from Grafton Architects. Our picture gallery provides an insight into their work.

More stories

Lean solution – Renovation of old buildings without compromises

The demands placed on modern interior insulation are many and varied. It must reduce energy consumption, fit seamlessly into the architecture and also create a pleasant indoor climate. The new high-performance insulating material SLENTITE® meets all these requirements and has now proven this under challenging conditions - when used in a listed Hamburg brick villa. 

Safeguarding against climate change: How cities respond to the need of coastal protection

As climate change continues to intensify, how will Asia contend with current and future environmental challenges? We take a look at the solutions of three Asian countries, and how the cities of today and tomorrow can build a sustainable future for all.

Floating Cities - Utopia or Future?

The expected rise in sea levels is one of the most feared effects of climate change, along with the accumulation of extreme weather events. The warming of the earth by half a degree caused the oceans to rise by 20 centimetres during the last century. This may not seem much when you look at your own front door - but for coastal inhabitants and island states the search for solutions is becoming more urgent. Floating cities could be one of them.

High-performance newcomer

Flexible, non-combustible, breathable and at the same time highly efficient - SLENTEX® belongs to a completely new generation of high-performance insulating materials. Expert and project manager Dr. Wibke Lölsberg will tell us first-hand where the material can best play to its strengths and what makes it special.