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DIGITAL GOES HUMAN: Drees & Sommer at EXPO REAL 2022

At this year's EXPO Real, the Drees & Sommer experts once again proved that digitization and the human touch are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary: From October 4 to 6, we united the contrasting worlds of ‘digital’ and ‘human’ real estate under the motto ‘DIGITAL GOES HUMAN’.

How can the construction and real estate industry use BIM, the digital twin and the metaverse to fully exploit new potential? These were some of the topics discussed and examined at the Drees & Sommer booth, because digitization, in particular, helps us to develop sustainable solutions and new ways to network.

The highlight for booth visitors was that they were able to create their own avatar in the life-size holobox. As the center of attention, the holobox also made the seemingly impossible happen by allowing speakers – some of whom were hundreds of kilometers away – to appear ‘live’ at the Expo.

Drees & Sommer also successfully positioned itself as the innovation leader in the areas of sustainability, New Work, urban mining, and ESG. In three fascinating keynotes presented at the booth, speakers explored topics in depth using practical examples.

Jürgen Odszuck, First Deputy Mayor of the City of Heidelberg and Dreso Executive Board Member Steffen Szeidl, for example, presented Heidelberg’s future-oriented urban mining concept, which currently serves as a blueprint for the public sector. In Heidelberg, an entire urban district is aiming to recycle building materials and components used in its buildings. Drees & Sommer acted as technical advisor and helped with the digital capture of the necessary data.

There was a fascinating exchange between Andreas Stieglbauer and Kristina Frank, the municipal consultant to the City of Munich – who participated virtually as a hologram. The experts talked about important topics such as Munich’s new work environments, appreciation of employees and how New Work concepts allow very efficient use of space.

During his keynote dialog on the metaverse, Patrick Theis spoke with facilitator and digitization specialist Christiane Stein. Their conclusion: The potential of technology is of key importance for the real estate industry, because the virtual environment offers the sector ideal growth perspectives for land, buildings, transactions and products.

The bottom line: From holography to the metaverse – at EXPO Real, Drees & Sommer experts once again demonstrated that, with innovative approaches, we can create a livable future. Good to know: The Cradle to Cradle®-inspired trade fair booth, first used in 2019, was used for the third time this year.

You can find the showreel of the trade fair here. In addition, you can watch individual videos on the Urban MiningNew Work and Metaverse topics and presentations.