It characterises many places in Brandenburg: the EW 58 house type, a symbol of over 265,000 owner-occupied homes from the GDR era. A symposium on 6 November 2025 at the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences will focus on how these serially built houses can be modernised efficiently, digitally and sustainably.

The symposium is organised by the Future-Oriented Conversion team of the joint project InNoWest - Einfach machen! and shows practical ways in which the preservation and further development of this characteristic house type can succeed.

Refurbishment with foresight

The event makes it clear that the refurbishment of EW-58 buildings has a major leverage effect - ecologically, socially and economically. Standardised concepts can enable cost-efficient solutions, while digital planning tools increase the quality and energy efficiency of modernisation.

"EW 58 is not a problem case, but a learning object for transformation," says Prof Dr Ulrich Schwarz from the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE). "It's not about demolition, but about new beginnings in existing buildings."

InNoWest combines research and practice

The joint project InNoWest brings together the expertise of three Brandenburg universities - HNEE, Potsdam University of Applied Sciences and Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences. Together, research, practice and social stakeholders are linked in order to promote sustainable and digital solutions for regional development. The project is being funded until the end of 2027 as part of the "Innovative University" funding initiative.

Participation in the symposium is free of charge - either on site in Potsdam (limited places) or online via livestream.

Further information and registration:
www.innowest-brandenburg.de/veranstaltungen