Building at the Limit

A Blog Post from Sylvia Klein

Is Affordable Housing Becoming a Privilege?

Housing is a human right – as stated in the United Nations Charter. But the global situation is becoming increasingly dire: housing is growing scarcer, prices are rising, and the construction industry is in crisis. In Germany, for example, many building projects are on hold because costs and financing have spiraled out of control. At the same time, the construction sector is one of the most climate-damaging industries – responsible for around 40 percent of CO₂ emissions and more than half of all waste.

Against this backdrop, more than just cosmetic corrections are needed. What is required is more innovation and a fundamental rethinking: in planning, in construction, and in financing.

A Building Block for the Construction Shift

A few months ago, civil engineer Alfons Schwiderski and his brother, architect Udo Greif, presented a new type of building element: the BONO.BLOCK. Initially developed as a prototype, the building block has since matured and is now patented across Europe. Its promise: to enable more sustainable, resource-efficient, and cost-effective construction – without compromising on efficiency or functionality.

The BONO.BLOCK is made using a minimum of wood and can be filled with natural, recyclable insulation materials. It is modular, easy to work with – and stands as a clear example that ecological building can be combined with practical implementation. For an industry desperately seeking solutions, the BONO.BLOCK could point the way forward.

Innovation Needs New Financing Models

But how can innovation in construction be financed? Through banks? Not likely. Institutional investors? Declining – especially when it comes to physical, non-scalable solutions. Government grants? Perhaps. But these are often just as complexly regulated as the construction sector itself and therefore time-consuming. Which leaves the question: What if we also rethink financing?

Our answer is a licensing model that not only supports product development but also builds a fair partner network. Together with experts from various fields, a B2B network was created that enables entrepreneurs to actively drive the construction transition – and benefit from it. In this way, we are jointly laying the foundation to implement real construction projects and bring innovations such as the BONO.BLOCK – or the newly developed, fully recyclable RE.CK – into practice.

More Than Just one or two Products

Our goal goes beyond individual building elements: it’s about the structural transformation of the entire industry. Because sustainable solutions will only prevail if they are both ecologically and economically viable. Achieving that takes courage, cooperation – and models that empower innovation rather than hinder it.

One thing is clear: Without a fundamental shift in construction, affordable housing will become either a privilege for the few – or simply an empty promise.