In the face of the climate crisis, the transformation of existing buildings plays a central role. In the master's course Anti-Monument, led by Prof. Jacob van Rijs at the Technical University of Berlin, architecture students took on this challenge. The focus was on a climate-conscious and responsible approach to the built heritage of the capital. The software CarbonScape, developed by MVRDV, was used in the process. This tool makes it possible to visualise the hidden CO₂ emissions of materials and constructions.

This exhibition presents work from the course in which students explored how existing buildings can be reimagined, repurposed, and further developed in the context of climate protection. CarbonScape served not only as an analytical tool to evaluate how these structures can be adapted to meet current needs and building regulations, but also as a design compass in a creative process that prioritises the reduction of CO2 emissions.

"CarbonScape offers significant added value, especially in education," says Arend van Waart, who co-led the course alongside Van Rijs. "The software makes the climate relevance of design directly tangible and helps to understand sustainability not just as a technical parameter, but as an integral part of architectural expression."

The works on display exemplify how architecture can be understood as a progressive and adaptable medium. They also demonstrate how digital tools like CarbonScape can facilitate the transition between theory and practice, bridging the gap between analysis and application, between academic discourse and real-world construction.

And they underscore the core message of Carbon Confessions, that the transformation of the building sector is not a one-off measure, nor a responsibility that can be delegated. It is a collective learning process — one that begins right here, in our shared reflection on the existing built environment, responsibility, possibilities, and change.

• Carbon Confessions is on display at the TU Berlin from 19 June with the opening at 17:00, until July 10.
• Location: Mezzanine in lobby of TU Berlin Faculty of Architecture | Ernst Reuter Platz, Straße des 17. Juni 152, 10623 Berlin.