Sustainability Collider – 03.2026 ‒ Sustainability ‐ EPFL

Sustainability in Construction and Urban Futures

The construction and urban development sectors stand at the center of the global sustainability transition. Buildings and infrastructure shape how we live, move, and consume resources. They also represent one of the largest sources of material use, energy demand, and carbon emissions worldwide.
As cities expand and societies face increasing pressure to decarbonize, the challenge is no longer incremental improvement, but systemic transformation: rethinking how we design, build, select materials, and develop urban environments from the ground up.

Research and industries intersect on sustainable construction and urban development

>> Video recording of the conference

On March 6, 2026, during the Sustainability Days, the Sustainability Collider brought together over 80 participants, including representatives from EPFL research labs, startups, and industries to explore how innovative building materials, circular construction approaches, and forward-looking urban development strategies can dramatically reduce environmental impact while enhancing performance, resilience, and quality of life.

Francois Girod and Clemens Wögerbauer / © EPFL 2026

Mélanie Lutz and Mattia Pretolani / © EPFL 2026

Sustainability in Construction and Urban Futures

Programme of 6 March 2026

15h00 – 16h30

Welcome notes by Prof. Katrin Beyer, Dean School of Architecture, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Introduction by Dr Rue Munemo, Centre for Worldwide Sustainable Construction
Prof. Karen Scrivener, Laboratory of Construction Materials: Decarbonising Global Growth: The Scalable Role of Low-Carbon Cement
Prof. David Ruggiero, Concrete Behaviour and Structural Design Laboratory: The structural diet: Designing more material-efficient buildings
Dr Francois Girod, Head of Circular Economy, Holcim (Suisse) SA: The challenges of sustainability in cement & concrete production
Prof. Gabriele Manoli, Laboratory of Urban and Environmental Systems; Planning the Unplannable: Navigating Wicked Urban Problems
Short pitches by Startups and organisations
- Nicolas Hermant, Medusoil: From the lab to the building site: how biocementation connects science and environmental responsibility
- Dr Zuhaib Batra, GBDI: Filling the gaps with Data: Global Building Data Initiative
- Mélanie Lutz and Mattia Pretolani, Coopérative Origo: Knotweed : from a local invasive plant to an effective insulator
- Artem Polsky, SEPAR, Making decommissioning smarter, cheaper, and more valuable
- Dr Thibault Demoulin, Oxara AG: Towards sustainable, circular, and affordable housing

16h30 – 17h00 | Panel discussion moderated by Rue Munemo, Centre for Worldwide Sustainable Construction
17h00 – 17h05 | Synthesis and key messages by Dr Frédéric Dreyer, Vice-presidency for Innovation and Impact & ENAC
17h05 – 18h00 | Cocktail reception – Poster presentations – Networking