Program Cologne
Cologne is one of the cities facing the greatest challenges in educational building. New constructions, renovations, the expansion of all-day schooling, and scarcity of space require innovative concepts and close collaboration among all stakeholders. This is precisely where our SCHULBAU trade fair comes in, on September 30 and October 1, 2026: It offers a platform where municipalities, planners, operators, architects, and industry representatives can jointly develop solutions for the educational buildings of tomorrow. From daycare centers to universities, from extensions of existing properties to the largest transformation project.
How can the numerous school construction projects in Cologne be implemented efficiently? What role do modular construction methods, open learning landscapes, climate adaptation, and the multiple use of educational buildings play? The SCHULBAU Trade Fair Cologne brings together planners, municipalities, architects, and manufacturers to discuss solutions for the current challenges in educational building and to develop new impulses for practical application.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Opening hours from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Focus: More Speed for Educational Building
Cologne faces the task of simultaneously creating new schools, modernizing existing buildings, and advancing the expansion of all-day schooling. This requires not only innovative construction methods but also new forms of collaboration. The SCHULBAU Trade Fair program shows how modular concepts, integrated planning processes, modern learning landscapes, and sustainable solutions can contribute to realizing educational buildings more quickly, flexibly, and future-proof. The focus is on the exchange between municipalities, planners, architects, and industry – because challenges can only be overcome together.
| 10:00 a.m. | Time for a quick tour Our guided exhibitor tour for architects and planners, school construction authorities, school heads, and educators |
Meet and Greet |
| 10:30 AM | Kirsten Jung, Founder and Managing Director of the SCHULBAU Trade Fair | Opening of the SCHULBAU Trade Fair |
| 10:35 – 10:45 AM | Anne Lena Ritter, Head of the Office for School Development of the City of Cologne | Welcome address |
| 10:45 – 11:05 AM | Vera-Lisa Schneider, Head of the Internal Services Unit, Construction and Property Matters, Ministry of Schools and Education of North Rhine-Westphalia Georg Salomon, Advisor for Educational Architecture in Division 3 at QUA-LiS NRW |
“Modern Pedagogy Meets Space” How does a school become a successful place for learning? This is best achieved when pedagogical and architectural requirements are meaningfully linked at an early stage. To this end, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia offers schools and municipalities involved in the process a free consultation service in the context of “school construction,” particularly as part of the “Pedagogical Architecture” project. |
| 11:05 – 11:20 | Eva Bienefeld, Architect for School Development Planning at the Office for School Development of the City of Cologne | Presentation title to follow |
| 11:20 – 11:50 AM | Kirsten Jung in conversation with Anne Lena Ritter, Head of the Office for School Development of the City of Cologne Florian Kretzschmar, certified Learning•SPACE•Developer, co-designer of the Pedagogical Architecture project at QUA-LiS NRW and teacher at a school in Winterberg |
Q&A – At the kitchen table: Experts in conversation |
| 11:50 AM – 12:20 PM | Relax and networking with exhibitors and speakers | |
| 12:20 – 12:35 PM | Nina Lorenzen & Jörn Lorenzen, Managing Directors of Lernbauten GmbH, Pedagogical school construction consulting for future-proof educational centers | Between space shortages, all-day schooling, and existing buildings: How municipalities develop future-proof learning spaces |
| 12:35 – 12:50 PM | Marco Bingel, Regional Sales Manager ALHO Systembau | Experts Lab – An expert speaks: ALHO Modular Construction |
| 12:50 – 1:05 PM | Tilmann Kramolisch, Managing Director of natureplus e.V. | Building climate-fit schools: Creating climate-fit learning spaces with bio-economic building materials and advancing municipal climate protection. Natural building materials for climate-fit schools: Using concrete projects, the presentation shows how sustainable construction conserves resources, creates healthy learning spaces, and strengthens municipal climate protection. |
| 1:05 – 1:20 PM | Annette Paul, Architect and Founding Partner of Lorber Paul Architekten GmbH | The village community The new comprehensive school building on Knappenstraße sees the school as part of the neighbourhood and as an open place for learning and meeting. Several polygonal building volumes fit into the heterogeneous surroundings at an appropriate scale and enclose a sheltered schoolyard with mature trees. The shared green centre becomes the spatial and educational heart of the school: a place to arrive, to find one’s bearings, and for informal learning. |
| 1:20 – 2:00 PM | Relax and networking with exhibitors and speakers |
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| 2:00 – 2:15 PM | FAGSI René Sahre, Head of Product Development and Standardization at Fagsi |
Experts Lab – An expert speaks: |
| 2:15 – 2:30 PM | Heike Brauer, certified school development consultant and school construction consultant, Heike Brauer. Raum. Bildung. Beratung
Franziska Zeumer, Architect, Energy Consultant and Partner at surPlus Zukunftsfähiges Bauen |
More space in the hallway – two perspectives on the learning space between classes Hallways are much more than traffic areas – they offer great potential for learning, meeting, and spending time. In this impulse session, you will learn how hallways can be conceived spatially and pedagogically and how they can be carefully further developed even in existing buildings. Architect F. Zeumer opens up the spatial perspective – from daylight, zoning, and fire protection to the possibilities of high-quality design. School construction consultant Heike Brauer shows from a pedagogical perspective how hallways can support learning processes, independence, and social interaction. |
| 2:30 – 2:45 PM | Gesine Appel, Architect and Partner at baut Architektur PartmbB | Building faster, learning better – Modular school buildings between interim solution and future strategy The increasing demand for school space requires new answers to the challenges of municipal school construction. Building concepts in modular timber construction enable short construction times, high predictability and sustainable building methods. The presentation examines realized school projects to show how timber modular buildings can both meet temporary space requirements and support long-term educational strategies. The focus is on insights from planning practice and concrete recommendations for action for municipalities. |
| 2:45 – 3:00 PM | Jens Rauber, Managing Director of Kölner Schulbaugesellschaft | What is your limiting factor: Staff, money, space, or all three? School construction projects fail or are delayed because of a lack of specialist staff, tight budgets, or simply because no land is available. Often it is even a combination of all three. Added to this are the issues of sustainability, time, and changing pedagogical requirements. Potential solutions using the example of Cologne. |
| 3:00 – 3:20 PM | Relax and networking with exhibitors and speakers | |
| 3:20 – 3:35 PM | Florian Kretzschmar, certified Learning•SPACE•Developer, co-designer of the Educational Architecture project at QUA-LiS NRW and teacher at a school in Winterberg | Build schools, not walls: Future-oriented learning space design In his contribution, Florian Kretzschmar shows how “space-forgotten” school development leads to innovative pedagogical concepts failing due to rigid classrooms, and why learning spaces must be considered as the “third educator” from the very beginning. He advocates for future-oriented, activity-based learning space design and participatory planning processes such as Phase Zero, which sensibly repurpose existing buildings and thus create sustainable, flexible learning landscapes for the school of tomorrow. |
| 3:35 – 3:50 PM | Maren Bella, Head of the Department of New Construction and Major Projects for the City of Bonn | Insights into the OGS Offensive |
| 3:50 – 4:05 PM | Timo Schlosser, Consultant and Speaker for pedagogical school construction at the Pedagogical State Institute of Rhineland-Palatinate | Beyond the Classroom – How New Learning and Modern School Architecture Work Together The basic structure of the classroom has barely changed in over 170 years. Even though the blackboard is now electronic, the clearly forward-facing structure still usually prevails. Unfortunately, this structure and the floor plan based on it no longer meet the demands of contemporary pedagogy. This article shows how teachers, school authorities, and planning offices can close this gap through a participatory process. Because only in this way can modern school buildings with multifunctional solutions and high utility value be created. |
| 4:05 – 4:20 PM | Jan Hertel, Partner and Project Manager at v-architekten GmbH | Vocational School Centre for Construction and Crafts in Munich Project report on the refurbishment of a listed vocational school centre, taking into account current educational and building-technology requirements. |
| 4:20 – 4:35 PM | Prof. Christian Heuchel, Partner of the School Construction Team & Owner of URBANLUST | “Let’s build beautiful schools” School buildings shape generations—and thus our society. Prof. Christian Heuchel demonstrates why good architecture is not a luxury, but a social responsibility. His keynote pleads for schools with identity, atmosphere, and beauty—as a guarantee for sustainable building culture and better places of education. Invitation to the Blue Hour. Followed by: Invitation to the Blue Hour |
| 4:35 PM | Invitation to the Blue Hour Networking with all speakers, exhibitors, and cooperation partners (with snacks and drinks) |
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Opening hours from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Focus: Learning from Each Other: Educational Building Beyond City Limits
The challenges in educational building do not end at city limits. Therefore, the SCHULBAU Trade Fair focuses not only on Cologne but also on the entire region. Municipalities, planners, and experts from the region share their experiences on existing building development, investment needs, modern learning spaces, and innovative construction concepts. Practical presentations, discussions, and an excursion create space for professional exchange and show how cities can learn from each other to jointly shape educational building for the future.
| 10:00 a.m. | Time for a quick tour Our guided exhibitor tour for architects and planners, school construction authorities, school heads, and educators |
Meet and Greet |
| 10:30 AM | Kirsten Jung, Founder and Managing Director of the SCHULBAU Trade Fair | Opening of the 2nd day of the trade fair |
| 10:35 – 10:45 AM | Gesche Arns-Büsker, Vice President of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Architects | Welcome address |
| 10:45 – 11:00 AM | Anna Montag, Head of the “School Construction Initiative” at the Office for Schools and Education Düsseldorf; responsible for implementing major school projects
Dominik Thoma, Head of “School Development Planning” at the Office for Schools and Education Düsseldorf; responsible for shaping Düsseldorf’s school landscape |
Düsseldorf School Building Program |
| 11:00 – 11:15 AM | Prof. Juan Pablo Molestina, Managing Partner Molestina Architekten + Stadtplaner GmbH | Learning from Bolivia: a new daycare center building In 2026, a daycare center was completed in Cochabamba, Bolivia, which breaks new ground through an experimental planning and construction method. Under the direction of Professor Juan Pablo Molestina, an interdisciplinary university team developed a project that combines traditional construction methods with innovative planning approaches. The result is a building that relates technology, society, and art in an extraordinary way and raises important questions. |
| 11:15 – 11:45 AM | Kirsten Jung in conversation with Gesche Arns-Büsker, Vice President of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Architects Andreas Grosse-Holz, Head of the Municipal Real Estate Management Department for the City of Dortmund Ahmet Gönen, Deputy Head of the Municipal Real Estate Management Department for the City of Dortmund Prof. Juan Pablo Molestina, Managing Partner Molestina Architekten + Stadtplaner GmbH Mirja Montag, Head of Facility Management of the City of Wuppertal |
Q&A – At the kitchen table: Experts in conversation |
| 11:45 AM – 12:10 PM | Relax and networking with exhibitors and speakers |
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| 12:10 – 12:25 PM | Mirja Montag, Head of Building Management Operations for the City of Wuppertal |
Presentation title to follow |
| 12:25 – 12:40 PM | Franziska Müller-Rech, Member of the State Parliament from Bonn | Building schools instead of obstructing the future – what modern learning environments need now |
| 12:40 – 12:55 PM | Nicole Wentzel, Project and Team Lead for Building Construction at Gebäudemanagement Wuppertal | Presentation title to follow |
| 12:55 – 1:10 PM | ConceptK Jürgen Luga, Education Editor and Design Thinking Coach, Project and Workshop Leader focusing on “New Work – New Learning” in the context of educational and administrative architecture |
Experts Lab – An expert speaks: Startchancenprogramm: involve, design, accompany, and implement |
| 1:10 – 1:50 PM | Relax and networking with exhibitors and speakers | |
| 1:50 – 2:05 PM | Fabromont Philipp Stranzinger, Regional Sales Manager at Fabromont |
Experts Lab – An expert speaks: |
| 2:05 – 2:20 PM | Andreas Grosse-Holz, Head of the Municipal Real Estate Management Department for the City of Dortmund
Ahmet Gönen, Deputy Head of the Municipal Real Estate Management Department for the City of Dortmund |
Class(room) spaces for Dortmund: Innovation and speed in urban school construction. The city of Dortmund decided to restart a school construction program 7 years ago. Since then, the construction volume has been increased from €50 to €200 million per year. The result is high-quality, climate-neutral modular buildings that meet the current requirements of modern pedagogy. |
| 2:20 – 2:35 PM | Christian Fensterer, Dipl.-Ing. Architect and authorized signatory at Hahn Helten Architektur Planung GmbH and Hahn Helten Architektur Generalplanung GmbH | More school on less space – school concepts in tight spaces Space for new schools is becoming increasingly scarce. Especially in densely built-up city centers, often only small plots or difficult-to-use residual areas are available. Innovative school construction concepts are therefore required that combine compact building forms with high spatial quality. |
| 2:35 – 2:50 PM | Barbara Eitner, Board Member and Chair of the Interior Architecture Committee of the AKNW, Managing Director of null2elf innenarchitekten, Lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf (PBSA)
Birte Riepenhausen, Managing Director of null2elf innenarchitekten |
Old School ? New School! Renovating and expanding existing buildings for full-day educational concepts Can pedagogical learning space principles, cluster concepts, spaces for self-directed learning and all the spatial requirements that we consider from the start of a project in greenfield new construction be transferred to existing buildings to make old schools fit for the future? |
| 2:50 – 3:15 PM | Relax and networking with exhibitors and speakers | |
| 3:15 – 3:30 PM | Lecture on the Excursion | |
| 3:30 – 3:35 PM | Closing words: We say goodbye and see you next time! |
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| 3:35 – 5:00 PM | Now we’re off on an exciting excursion by bus Registration required in the ticket shop! |
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The School Construction Fair
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Experts
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