Why Are We Demolishing Homes During a Housing Crisis? | Olaf Grawert | TED

Overview

Architect Olaf Grawert explores the human, social, and environmental costs of demolishing homes during a housing crisis. He critiques the profit-driven real estate system and advocates for renovation as a sustainable, affordable alternative to demolition and new construction.

Notable Quotes

- The most sustainable house is the one already built. – Olaf Grawert, on the ecological and economic benefits of renovation.

- Demolition is just as outdated as food waste, animal testing, or single-use plastics. – Olaf Grawert, challenging societal norms around demolition.

- If one million people can show support for one home lost in fire, imagine the impact we can make together for the millions of homes up for demolition right now. – Olaf Grawert, on collective action for systemic change.

🏠 The Hidden Costs of Demolition

- Demolition destroys not just buildings but also memories, communities, and a sense of belonging.

- The real estate system prioritizes profit over social and ecological values, treating homes as commodities rather than places of human connection.

- Hidden costs of demolition include the loss of family bonds, community ties, and environmental sustainability, none of which are reflected in financial spreadsheets.

💰 Profit-Driven Real Estate and Its Consequences

- Real estate speculation drives demolition because new buildings promise higher profits than renovating old ones.

- The value of a building is reduced to economic factors like square meters, location, and market potential, ignoring its social and ecological significance.

- This profit-centric approach exacerbates the housing crisis, with rising rents, homelessness, and unaffordable property prices.

🌍 Environmental Impact of Demolition

- The building sector is the largest CO2 emitter (38%) and waste producer (36%) in Europe, far surpassing industries like aviation.

- Demolition and new construction consume massive energy, worsening climate change and resource depletion.

- Renovation offers a sustainable alternative by preserving the energy and materials already embedded in existing structures.

🔧 Renovation as a Systemic Alternative

- French architects Lacaton and Vassal demonstrate the potential of renovation by transforming social housing in Bordeaux without displacing residents.

- Their approach uses prefabricated elements to add space, light, and energy efficiency at a fraction of the cost of new construction.

- Renovation costs €55,000 per apartment compared to €165,000 for new builds, proving its economic viability.

- Renovation preserves the social and ecological value of buildings while addressing housing needs sustainably.

📜 Rethinking Legal and Economic Systems

- Current laws and incentives favor demolition and new construction, making renovation less profitable and more challenging.

- Grawert calls for systemic change to prioritize renovation, comparing the shift to societal progress on issues like food waste and single-use plastics.

- His initiative, Renovate, Don’t Speculate, seeks to mobilize one million EU citizens to advocate for new laws that make renovation the norm.