Learn more about the Baukultur Foundation

The Federal Foundation of Baukultur is an independent entity. Its purpose is to promote Baukultur, given that it contributes significantly to the quality of life in both cities and the countryside. The Foundation’s mission is to make the built environment a shared concern, which is why it promotes high-quality building design and construction. In addition, it functions as a platform for promoting public discussion on Baukultur through events, joint projects, and publications, and for expanding and strengthening existing networks.

The Baukultur Foundation has its headquarters in Potsdam and aims both to anchor the subject of Baukultur in society at the national level and to convey its meaning and importance to the general public. The Foundation encourages an all-inclusive dialogue because not only residents but also building professionals of all disciplines are the users of buildings, streets, and squares.

Since 2013, the work of the Baukultur Foundation has been focused on the subject of “Built Living Spaces of the Future”; in 2013/14, as part of an overall focus on cities, the Foundation is pursuing the topics of “Housing and Mixed Neighbourhoods”, “Public Space and Infrastructure”, and “Planning Culture and Process Quality”. In 2015/16, it is dedicating its efforts to “Built Living Spaces of the Future in Town and Country” with an emphasis on the topics “Lively Communities”, “Infrastructure and Landscape”, and “Planning Culture and Process Quality”.

The Foundation is one of the few institutions in Germany that is entitled to submit a report to the Federal Cabinet and the Federal Parliament through the relevant jurisdiction. Thanks to this authority, the third Baukultur Report was presented in 2014 – the first report under the leadership of the Federal Foundation of Baukultur. In addition to an introductory report on the current status of Baukultur in Germany, the Baukultur Report 2014/15 deals with the themes that were the subject of the Baukultur Workshops in 2014: “Mixed Neighbourhoods”, “Public Space and Infrastructure”, and “Planning Culture and Process Quality”. The Baukultur Report 2014/15 was discussed at a plenary meeting of the Federal Cabinet in October 2014 and referred to the German Bundestag and the Bundesrat. Since the Convention of Baukultur in November 2014, the Report has been available to the public on our website.

The Baukultur Report 2016/17 “City and Village” focuses on small and medium-sized urban spaces and rural areas. It builds upon its predecessor and likewise contains recommendations for action to increase Baukultur. It was presented to the public for the first time at the Convention of Baukultur, held in Potsdam from 3 to 5 November 2016.

The Baukultur Reports are available as PDF downloads from our German language website where you can also can order a printed copy free of charge.