Historical techniques and materials for the construction of the future – Innovation workshop

Historical building methods are characterised by durable structures, repairable solutions and, in many cases, a particularly resource-efficient use of materials. However, many of these approaches cannot be directly applied to today’s requirements and processes. The HISTECH project – ‘Historical Techniques and Materials for Sustainable Building’ – is therefore investigating how traditional empirical knowledge can be combined with modern materials development, digitalisation, automation and robotics. At the interactive kick-off workshop at denkmal 2026, participants from the skilled trades, heritage conservation, planning, research, public administration and industry will contribute their perspectives. Together, they will identify the strengths of historical materials and techniques, current obstacles and possible approaches to adaptation. The focus will be on, amongst other things, traditional woodworking, binding agents, and masonry, rendering and flooring techniques. The results will form an initial pool of topics and ideas for further work within HISTECH. The aim is to connect relevant stakeholders and to identify promising areas for adapting HISTECH for future workshops and prototype testing.