In a few weeks’ time we’ll know the nominees for the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture. In the first edition in 2007, this international prize brought distinction to Hermann Kaufman, a specialist in passive housing, for his research on innovative contemporary architecture marked by improved performance in the areas of energy consumption, environmental friendliness, materials and technologies. It was in this context that he was awarded the order for the first "Collection Manifeste of sustainable architecture" built in France's Yvelines region*. A small town lodge and conference centre, this "wood on wood" built on 10x10 m piles on two levels of untreated wood, is a "super passive house" insofar as the architect is betting on consumption five times lower than that of a traditional passive house. Born in 1955 in Vorarlberg, Hermann Kaufmann spent his childhood in the family sawmills, where he learned first-hand about the possibilities of the wood medium and how to master the techniques related to wood. Let's not forget that Vorarlberg, the region in Austria that was traditionally the home of the wood industry, also played host to a movement that united architects and builders around unrivalled traditional know-how in the search for industrialised wooden structures. After studying architectures in Innsbruck and Vienna, Hermann Kaufmann returned to his native Vorarlberg. The central theme of the projects of the agency he created in Schwarzach with Christian Lenz is aspiring to meet a commitment to society: to produce environmentally-friendly housing accessible to all. Wood is his material of choice. Hailed for its energy performance and characterised by highly insulated façade elements made of natural larch, punctuated by coloured elements, the Mühlweg residential complex attests to the feasibility of constructing multi-storey wooden social housing. The community centre in Ludesh sets a passive house standard. The entire building process and all of the materials used were chosen for their durability (at an added cost of just 1.9%). Its "laboratories" are individual homes, such as the Mathis house, a wooden building with large windows, protruding on three sides with terraces protected by wide overhanging roofs. Good thermal insulation, a heat pump over vertical drilling and solar sensors allow for minimum energy consumption.

As a wood specialist, Hermann Kaufmann, who also happens to lecture at the Technical University of Munich, has landed an impressed deal in France: A collective habitat in Lyon, which he received after winning a contest. This project, consisting of 77 housing units, designed in cooperation with Hervé Vincent architects, is characterized by its resolutely compact and sturdily built architecture. Its uniqueness is manifested through the warm use of wood, directly or indirectly visible through a second glass shell. A noteworthy aspect of the project, the "Passivhaus" label is a first for collective housing in France. This performance is made possible by the innovative choice of a wooden frame, the exceptional water tightness of the envelope, and systematic triple-pane joinery. The overall energy consumption of the homes is thus lowered to 29.5 Kwh/m2/year. In Austria or elsewhere, the work of Hermann Kaufmann is based on an ongoing quest for architecture that takes into account sustainable management of resources, optimisation of energy use and stunning wood construction possibility.

In 2058, 51 creations will make up an open-air museum on the habitat of the first part of the 21st century.