The scope of the Chair in Sustainable Construction is closely aligned with the goals of the Holcim Foundation: promoting and supporting initiatives and projects that identify construction-related solutions to today’s pressing technological, ecologic and socioeconomic challenges and fusing these solutions with architectural excellence and a high quality of life.

Prior to his appointment as Chair in Sustainable Construction, Holger Wallbaum was an advisor at the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy (Germany) since 1995; and a co-founder and managing partner of triple innova, (Germany) since 2002. He became executive manager of mipsHAUS-Institute for Sustainable Construction, (Germany) in 2004.

Wallbaum is a member of diverse international boards, official delegate at the World Summit 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa and a partner of the CSR Values Alliance. His work focuses on sustainable enterprises; water- and building-related material flows; energy and resource efficiency; life cycle analysis; and new technologies.

The initiative is part of the traditional partnership between ETH Zurich and Holcim. The teaching and research remit of the assistant professorship covers all scientific questions relating to the sustainable planning, construction, use, development and recycling of buildings and civil engineering structures.

Holger Wallbaum has also been appointed to the Technical Competence Center of the Holcim Foundation. The ETH Zurich operates as the global Technical Competence Center of the Holcim Foundation and provides academic and technical credibility by developing, supporting und implementing the Holcim Foundation’s initiatives on the scientific/technical level in close cooperation with four partner universities.