Build4People

In mid June 2026, Prof. Dr. Lutz Katzschner, co-founder of INKEK, the Institute for Climate and Energy Concepts, Germany, and retired professor from University of Kassel, Germany, presented on Urban Climate at the Department of Geography and Land Management of the Royal University of Phnom Penh. He did this as Visiting Professor based on his previous role as leader of the Build4People Work Package “Urban Climate”.

Attendants were students of the Bachelor and Master Degrees guided by Assistant Professor Dr. Bunleng Se as part of his course on urban climate.

During the lecture Prof. Katzschner introduced about basic principles of climate-proof urban design.

He also presented the first urban climate map of Phnom Penh, developed by INKEK, the Institute of Climate and Energy Concepts, during the Build4People RD Phase.

Beside the presentation on urban climate, Geography sutdents were assigned to join in urban climatope design with the purposes of micro-climate measurement based on climatope map and instructed to conduct interviews the local population on their perceptions on thermal comfort in select locations using the B4P-RUPP Thermal Comfort App and weather measurement instruments.

Build4People is very grateful to Prof. Dr. Lutz Katzschner to continue his efforts to teach about the relevance of urban climate.

His stay as a Visiting Professor at Royal University of Phnom Penh got funded through the Johann Gottfried Herder-Programm of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) of the German Federal government.

Prof Serey Sok, Head of the Research Office of the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), supported the Build4People project team and is providing a course on “Research Analysis” for Master of Science (MSCs) in Biodiversity Conservation, cohort 2020.

The course aims to equip students with data analysis skills and to help them write academic papers for dissertations and journals. To complete the course, each student is required to write a manuscript of at least 5,000 words for the final term paper and present the paper for the mid-term exam.

To practice in the real world, students were asked to use the RUPP-B4P Citizen Science App developed by Build4People in cooperation with the RUPP IT Center and the RUPP Research office.

The data collected from a clone of the Citizen Science App, the so-called RUPP-B4P Thermal Comfort App, were used by students, analyzed, and presented as part of the course.

Due to the high-quality data collected by the RUPP-B4P Thermal Comfort App, students were able to conduct advanced analyses, including correlation and regression. The students benefited greatly from the App, which provided scientific, reliable data for analysis.

Now, students are working on a manuscript for publication in a local journal, which will be submitted in July or August 2026.

This example from teaching demonstrates that the RUPP-B4P Citizen Science App has strong potential as a scientific diagnostic tool.

Build4People strongly supports the further dissemination of the RUPP-B4P Citizen Science App not only as a scientific diagnosis tool but also as a public participation tool, and will continue its empowerment efforts for RUPP staff.

#citizenscience #Build4People #citizenscience_app #publicparticipation

On 8 May 2026, Rolf Messerschmidt, CEO of Build4People’s project partner Eble Messerschmidt Partner, spoke during the topping-out ceremony of a pioneering eco building, the We-House Baakenhafen at HafenCity Hamburg. This was because Eble Messerschmidt Partner designed this lighthouse project.

The We-House Baakenhafen building combines abundant sustainable features, among others:

♻️ Life-cycle optimized climate-friendly hybrid wood construction with a renewable energy concept.
♻️ A rooftop forest and garden, as well as the green facades, improve the microclimate in summer and create habitats for birds and insects.
♻️ A large rooftop greenhouse which will provide the space for growing about 3 tons of crisp lettuce, herbs, and micro-greens for the we-house restaurant, as well as for several other gourmet spots in Hamburg.
♻️ Heat recovery from living space exhaust air is used to heat the rooftop greenhouse.
♻️ Rainwater harvesting for the rooftop greenhouse.
♻️ Heat recovery from the restaurant’s ventilation system.
♻️ Greywater from showers and sinks is treated into service water and used for toilets and garden irrigation.
♻️ Glue-free solid wood exterior walls for optimal indoor air quality and maximum comfort.
♻️ Concrete ceilings made from low-carbon cement providing optimal sound insulation between apartments.
♻️ Low heating requirements and low operating costs.
♻️ PV rooftop solar installations meeting the building’s electricity needs and powering the charging stations for e-vehicles in the garage.

Opening of this lighthouse project which has received six platinum certificates for its various sustainability qualities, in total, so far, is scheduled for October 2026. 💚

Wat Phnom is one of Phnom Penh‘s most important cultural and public landmarks, attracting both locals and tourists. However, the surrounding roundabout creates difficulties for pedestrians trying to access the park. Narrow sidewalks, tree obstructions, informal parking, and the lack of safe pedestrian crossings make the area uncomfortable and unsafe for visitors.

This proposal focuses on improving pedestrian safety, accessibility, and overall public space quality around the roundabout. The design introduces a raised pedestrian crossing, wider sidewalks, accessible tree grates, and small urban amenities such as benches and waste bins. By reorganizing the pedestrian space and improving accessibility, the proposal aims to reconnect people to Wat Phnom Park and create a safer, more welcoming environment for all users.

Delicate sound effects were added to the clip to strengthen the vision of an inclusive and sustainable urban transformation.

Build4People ultimately aims to show the B4P Visual Utopias clips at the permanent exhibition of the recently opened Phnom Penh Smart City Hub located at the site of Wat Phnom.

Background / Rationale
Inspired by the German artist Jan Kamensky’s Visual Utopias, exhibited at CityLAB Berlin, among others, Build4People has facilitated the development of visual utopias for Phnom Penh, aiming to create narratives and to use them as a state-of-the-art communication tool to foster inclusive and gender-sensitive urban transformation.

Under the guidance of the association of WAE, Women in Architecture and Engineering, founded by Ms. Sokunlanita May and Build4People, led by Michael Waibel, William Cheav, student of Architecture and Urbanism at Norton University developed a visual utopia which he labelled “Wat Phnom Temple Site: Reconnecting Pedestrians to Wat Phnom Park”.

About the clip editor
William Cheav [williamcheav.sps@gmail.com] is a student of Architecture and Urbanism at Norton University. He is particularly interested in designing public and green spaces that encourage people to gather, interact, and reconnect within the city, through design, visual arts, and architectural visualization to communicate ideas clearly and effectively.

Survey support
Kimleng Keam [Kimlengkeam08@gmail.com] is a student of Architecture and Urbanism at BELTIE International University. She is particularly interested in exploring creative design approaches that shape meaningful and engaging spaces within the urban environment. She also uses design, visual arts, and architectural visualization to communicate ideas clearly and effectively.

Mentors
Vathana Meng & Daro Hor

Overall Guidance
Sokunlanita May [lanitamaysokun@gmail.com], Founder of WAE, Women in Architecture and Engineering, which is a cooperation partner of Build4People during Implementation phase

Jan Kamenski’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@visualutopias

#Build4People #BMFTR_SUREregions #inclusiveurbantransformation #visualutopias #gendersensiveurbandevelopment #justcities #urbansustainability #visioning #urbanvisioning #phnompenh