KNOWLEDGE & CONTEXT
Knowledge that improves construction projects.
Regulations, standards, funding conditions and technologies are constantly changing. We monitor developments, assess their practical relevance and interpret them from the perspective of owners, investors and developers.
Our objective: not to collect as much information as possible, but to identify the topics that genuinely change decisions in real construction projects.
Current. Source-based. Practical.
Not every new development matters to every project.
New regulations and technical developments only become valuable when their effects on cost, schedule, approvals, design and operation are understood.
We therefore focus particularly on two areas that regularly matter to our projects and clients. We explain selected developments concisely, state their current status and, where useful, link directly to the primary source.
TOPIC 1
Planning Law & Approvals
German planning law · State building codes · Housing acceleration · Change of use · Urban densification
TOPIC 2
Commercial Viability & Standards
Affordable Construction · Hamburg Standard · Project definition · Standards · Life cycle
Construction Knowledge
PROJECT VISITS · DELFT AND UTRECHT · OCTOBER 2026
Climate-adapted construction is becoming increasingly relevant to design, use and commercial viability. During our visits to Delft and Utrecht, we explored The Urban Woods timber development and The Bridge laboratory transformation, exchanging insights with architects, engineers and the construction team.
Our detailed analysis, technical questions and knowledge transfer are available under “Climate-Adapted Construction & Resource Efficiency”.
Housing acceleration: § 246e German Building Code
Status: 2 October 2026
Section 246e of the German Building Code allows, until the end of 2030 and subject to municipal consent, certain deviations for new housing, extensions and conversions to residential use. Public interests, neighbouring interests and, where applicable, environmental assessments still have to be considered.
Important: the three-month period relates to municipal consent after the approval authority submits its request. Public participation can extend this period. It is not a guarantee of a building permit within three months.
We clarify the appropriate approval route early with the competent authorities.
Hamburg Standard: rethink construction cost
Status: September 2026
Hamburg’s initiative for lower-cost construction addresses standards, design, processes and approval procedures. Based on the initiative, Hamburg states a potential saving of up to €2,000 gross per m² of residential floor area.
Important for projects: this is not a blanket savings guarantee. What is transferable is the approach: identify cost drivers early, challenge requirements and optimise design, construction and procedures together.
Heritage Buildings: design and tax interfaces
Status: September 2026
For protected buildings, design, construction, coordination with the heritage authority and documentation must be considered together from an early stage. For tax incentives in particular, it is important that measures and design changes are coordinated with the competent authority before work begins.
Important for projects: technical project organisation and tax advice must remain clearly separated, but coordinated early.
Primary source: German Federal Ministry of Finance on § 7i EStG
Knowledge that helps projects move forward.
Technical rules, planning law, procurement strategies and new construction methods matter to owners when they lead to a concrete project decision. We therefore interpret developments according to their effect on feasibility, cost, schedule, quality and risk.
Current focus: housing acceleration (§ 246e BauGB), Hamburg Standard, heritage buildings, and new structural and material approaches.
Funding & Financing
Status: 2 October 2026
EH55 new-build funding: applications to KfW must be submitted no later than 31 December 2026, subject to available funds. Approvals, contracts and start of construction should be coordinated early.
Housing funding in Schleswig-Holstein 2027: the regular pre-qualification deadline has passed. The current procedural status and coordination with IB.SH and the municipality are now decisive.
Municipal infrastructure: applications in Schleswig-Holstein have been possible since July. Project preparation, costs and procurement readiness are critical.
Climate-Adapted Construction & Resource Efficiency
Sustainability and climate adaptation concern more than energy performance; they affect the quality and commercial viability of the whole project. We therefore focus on selected topics that influence concrete decisions for owners and developers.
Current focus: Delft and Utrecht – insights from The Urban Woods timber building and The Bridge laboratory transformation for technically sound, commercially viable and resource-efficient solutions.
Design for People – Usability & Quality of Stay
How well do buildings and outdoor spaces work in everyday life? We consider usability, comfort, orientation, interaction, retreat and quality of stay as integral parts of good project development – indoors and outdoors.
Delft and Utrecht · Learning on site
How can architecture, structure, greenery and commercial viability be combined so that buildings respond better to increasing heat and climate change?
This is a question that KRINGS INGENIEURE XPERTEN is currently exploring in greater depth. A ZDF documentary presents very different European approaches: The Urban Woods in Delft as multi-storey timber construction without a conventional concrete core, moss greenery in Leiden, Tiny Forests and reflective surfaces in Athens, and natural water- and earth-based cooling principles in Seville.
For us, one point is clear: climate-adapted construction is not only a question of adding more building services. Material choice, architecture, structure, greenery, passive cooling, outdoor-space design and commercial viability must be considered together from the outset.
Knowledge transfer as part of our owner’s representation
For KRINGS INGENIEURE XPERTEN, qualified project management and owner’s representation mean more than observing market developments. We test new construction methods and technical approaches under real project conditions – technically, commercially and with later delivery in mind.
In climate-adapted construction, the added value often lies not in one individual measure, but in the interaction of structure, material, building services, outdoor space and use.
Our objective: use innovation where it genuinely benefits the project. Not every new solution suits every building. Our task is to identify early which measures are technically sound, commercially viable and robust over the long term.
Current developments for owners and developers
01
DiPlan|SH – digital land-use planning
Since 28 September 2026, new public-participation procedures for land-use planning in Schleswig-Holstein have been set up via DiPlan|SH. What this changes for municipalities, owners and developers.
02
Social housing funding in Schleswig-Holstein 2027
€400 million for 2027. The regular pre-qualification deadline ended on 30 September 2026; project selection is expected at the end of November or beginning of December.
Events that are genuinely relevant to the profession.
We list only upcoming events, trade fairs and specialist conferences that are genuinely relevant to owners, developers, housing companies and construction practice. Past dates are removed from the public overview.
Focus: Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and northern Germany.
Does a current topic affect your project?
We interpret new regulations, funding conditions, standards and technical developments not in the abstract, but for the specific project situation.
