Planning for the community | Interview with Michael Ziller
Nov. 19, 2025
In times of climate crisis, housing shortages and growing complexity, how can we create homes that are more than just private retreats? Michael Ziller discussed this topic with Robert Uhde.
The entire interview can be read in Carlisle CM Europe's architecture magazine in the current BLACKPRINT DIGITAL issue 03.
Three aspects from the conversation are summarised below:
Robert Uhde
In many of your projects, you work with building groups and cooperative clients. What appeals to you about this and what opportunities do you see in this collaboration?
Michael Ziller
That certainly depends on how you want to live yourself. And if I take that seriously, then I almost inevitably arrive at a greater mix of functions and communal concepts. This attitude can also be applied to cooperative or communal housing construction in particular. Such projects usually have greater depth of content because they are driven by genuine needs and the commitment of future residents. This can give rise to forms of housing that work in the long term – socially, economically and ecologically.
RU
At the same time, the topic of building renovation also plays an important role for you. How do you approach such projects and what role does sustainability play in them?
MZ
When embarking on a new project, it is always crucial for us to first understand the context in which we are building and to involve the people who use and enliven the location in question. In this respect, even the ‘Heimatmole’ can be understood as ‘building within existing structures’. Based on this understanding of the respective location, we can then begin the actual work of designing and set the right course for the intended use. The aspect of ‘sustainability’ then naturally emerges as a result of such a process.
RU
Looking ahead, what issues will shape architecture in the coming years? And how can architecture become more sustainable?
MZ
Times of change in particular demonstrate how crucial it is to adopt a holistic, process-oriented approach that takes social, economic and societal changes into account in equal measure. Instead of focusing on rapid urban expansion, as was the case in the 1970s, we should learn from these experiences and consciously plan for the long term while remaining flexible. This also includes accepting that architecture always has a certain inertia: ideally, what we build today should still be standing in a hundred years' time, when it may then be adapted again. In my view, this balance between permanence and adaptability to social change will be the central challenge of the coming years. This requires very long and forward-looking political decision-making processes. However, we often feel that leaving the beaten track initially causes uncertainty or even fear. This makes it all the more important to consider the issue of change management: we must make visible the improvements that change can bring. This is precisely what we want to use to develop a positive narrative – a narrative that encourages courage and awakens a desire for something new!