“Architect Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer admits that he needs to rethink his stance in light of the escalating climate crisis – or at least really develop it! Just like the vast majority of architects. But he has his doubts. On the one hand, everyone says the same thing; on the other, there are contradictions at every turn. Before Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer can find his stance, he has to go through the labyrinth following a guiding thread. Der Nachhalt is the title of a series of publications that documents and underpins the transformation of the architecture office of caspar. into a specialist in sustainable construction. The Prologue is dedicated to the prerequisites for this task. This volume presents numerous facts and positions relating to sustainability in an informative, graphic manner, with just the right sense of irony and provocation.”
This is the blurb from our second publication, Retail in Transition, and it provides a good synopsis of its contents. It exists because we’ve heard the shot again and again, and yet again. We, too, have received platinum medals and installed a lot of greenery and PV around and on our buildings. But it’s not enough. We know it, and you know it. Everyone knows it. Shot. Let’s be honest. That’s what The Prologue, published by Wasmuth & Zohlen Verlag, is primarily about: being honest. We, caspar., despite all our expertise, are just beginning. And we dare to admit it because we know that it’s the same with many of our colleagues. The Prologue is a starting point, a beginning for us and – to the degree that it succeeds in expressing our views – a potential beginning for many others. Its purpose is to inform, entertain, and provide concrete suggestions. Furthermore, it can, at best, contribute to a theory, and maybe even a philosophy of sustainability. And all this in German, too!