Light pollution, radioaktiver Abfall, CO2 Ausstoß – sind nur einige Themen der Umweltproblematik. Auch Taiwan ist zunehmend daran interessiert, seinen Beitrag für eine grünere Gesellschaft zu leisten. So wurde beschlossen bis Ende diesen und Anfang nächsten Jahres 32.000 Straßenlaternen mit LED-Lichtquellen auszustatten.

Die Vorteile von LEDs liegen klar auf der Hand: bis zu 85% geringerer Stromverbrauch und 20mal längere Lebensdauer als herkömmliche Leuchtmittel, geringerer CO2 Ausstoß, keine Giftstoffe und damit Verringerung von Sonderabfall wie etwa bei herkömmlichen Energiesparlampen.

Der Einzug der LEDs in den öffentlichen Raum wäre für Gemeinden wegen der langen Lebensdauer und damit wegfallender Wartungskosten interessant. Für Museen etwa die Tatsache, dass LEDs vergleichsweise viel weniger Wärme entwickeln und keine Infrarot oder UV-Strahlung abgeben.

Wie kommt es dann, dass man sie nicht überall sieht?

Die größte Hürde ist, laut dem deutschen Geschäftsführer des taiwanesischen LED- Herstellers Everlight, Bernd Kammerer, der deutlich höhere Anschaffungspreis. Diesen hat man aber bei der deutlich höheren Lebensdauer und der Energieersparnis bald wieder drin. Kammerer meint, es bedarf hier einer klaren Aufklärung der Konsumenten, die oft vor denhöheren Anfangskosten zurückschrecken.

Oder einer Förderung durch die Regierung. Taiwan plant derzeit einen Zuschuss von 50% für 5-10 LED-Leuchtmittel pro Haushalt.

Showroom der Firma Everlight. Photo: Everlight

Über den Autor:
Ruben Ranke arbeitet als freier Journalist und Übersetzer in Taiwan. Er studierte Sinologie, chinesische Sprache und Ostasiatische Kunstgeschichte in Berlin und Taipeh. Derzeit schreibt er unter anderem für das Blog-Projekt der Robert-Bosch Stiftung “Stimmen aus China” und die Deutsch-Chinesische Allgemeine. Neben seiner journalistischen Tätigkeit arbeitet er als Übersetzer und Dolmetscher u.a. für das historische Museum Bern, die Audi AG, Mercedes Benz Taiwan, das Archäologische Institut Berlin, Display International.

Wang Shi and Prof. Lutz Engelke in his office in Berlin. Photo courtesy of Triad Berlin GmbH

Vanke's Wang Shi and Triad in the Reichstag in Berlin. Foto: Fabian Schludi

On September 17, Triad had the honor to welcome Mr Wang, the chairman of Vanke in the offices in Berlin. He was accompanied by Mr Ding, Vice CEO of Vanke, Ms Chen from the General Management Department in Beijing and Mr Qian, Architect from Vanchuang of Vanke.

Triad had a meeting to discuss the Vanke Experience Centre – a project Triad already successfully works on for more than a year. Having Mr Wang himself contributing to the creative process of the project, shows the importance of the Vanke Experience Centre for their headquarters in Dameisha.

Wang Shi and Prof. Lutz Engelke discussing the Vanke Experience Centre in the new Triad Lounge. Photo courtesy of Triad Berlin GmbH

After a quick lunch in Triads’ new lounge, we visited the Reichstag and were guided to see the various art pieces of the parliament. After that impressive visit, Mr Nowak from the Deutsche Bank Foundation “Alfred-Herrhausen-Gesellschaft” welcomed Mr Wang in the offices of Deutsche Bank Berlin. This very fruitful meeting was followed by a friendly and outspoken dinner in a relaxed atmosphere. Topics of discussion between Mr Wang, the representatives of Deutsche Bank and Triad circled around German philosophers like Heidegger and Nietzsche. Mr Nowak even extended an invitation to Mr Wang to visit Freiburg and wander in the footsteps of Martin Heidegger’s original walk.

Enthusiasm at the event. Photo courtesy of Triad Berlin GmbH

Right after our Chinese customer’s visit in Essen, I rushed back to Berlin to visit Triad’s Carbon War Room Event. Along with around 150 professionals from all around the world new ways of sustainable economy were discussed.

During a cocktail reception and a perfect dinner the guests had the chance to recapitulate the topics of the several working tracks. Everyone obviously enjoyed the very creative and inspiring atmosphere in the old Siemens Villa in Berlin .

About Carbon War Room:

Sir Richard Branson founded it and brought it to worldwide fame. Numerous leading businessmen and top politicians from all over the world have joined the effort. The goal: to reduce carbon emissions at a large scale and make significant profit this way.

Sir Richard Branson and Triad CEO Lutz Engelke (middle). Photo courtesy of Triad Berlin GmbH

Having created and implemented the event design for the Creating Climate Wealth Summit 2012 in Washington, Triad Berlin is now in charge of designing, planning, and realizing the first Creating Climate Wealth Summit in Germany, including sponsor acquisition, attendee management, website support, and press relations for this two-day conference. In addition, Triad also provides support in program and content development for the conference. For the future, Triad is planning to build a long-term strategic partnership with Carbon War Room.

Photo: Fabian Schludi

Fabian Schludi, Essen, Germany

Zeche Zollverein  in Essen is one of the finest examples of how an old, useless factory and former coal mining facility can be revived and turned into a modern museum and art area. More than 1,5 Million visitors to Essen every year to see the Ruhr Museum, the Red Dot Museum and enjoy concerts and exhibitions on site.

Industrial ambience at Zeche Zollverein. Photo: Fabian Schludi

It was an easy choice when our Chinese customers from 751 Design Park  asked us to take them to a German “role model” for their ongoing project of renovating the old boiler factory and power plant in Beijing. Seeing the Zeche area and understanding how Germany and the Ruhr Area had been confronted the challenge of dealing with old industrial areas and filling them with new purpose, the Chinese Delegation was deeply impressed with what they experienced and learned.

The Chinese delegation with Triad China GM Fabian Schludi. Photo: Peter Wolkowicz

Along with the head of 751 Design Park and the head of 798 Art District came the chief of the “State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission“ of Beijing – both obviously finding inspiration for his more than 30 companies which will have to face similar challenges in near future. The high-ranking delegation had a meeting with the EU Representative of the Regionalverband Ruhr Mr Schwarze-Rodian. They learned about  history and political implications of the whole area before being guided through the Zeche Zollverein area.

Where it all began 18 years ago - Gasometer Oberhausen. Photo: Fabian Schludi

A special highlight was the visit of the Gasometer in Oberhausen for Triad. 18 years ago it was the first venue for a Triad project ever – and thus symbolical birthplace of Triad Berlin when Prof. Lutz Engelke kicked off the company with his “Dream of Vision”.

The trip to Essen inspired both the representatives of SASAC, 798 and 751 as well as Triad to keep on developing the Boiler Factory Project within the 751 Design Park Area.

Panorama of the VANKE HQ designed by Stephen Holl Architects. Photo: Peter Wolkowicz

Team Triad on arrival. Photo: Peter Wolkowicz

At the end of August, Triad visited the VANKE Headquarter in Dameisha, Shenzhen for another time, once more holding a workshop with China’s biggest real estate developer for its future VANKE EXPERIENCE CENTRE.

Inspecting the site. Photo: Peter Wolkowicz

Being the first visit for the senior team to inspect the site of Stephen Holl Architects magnificent building, plans had to be revised, measurements taken and possible bottlenecks and upcoming challenges and problems analyzed. Especially layout, construction height, entrance situation gave repeated rise to thoughtful consideration. The planned adjacent design hotel and direct vicinity like training centers, conferencing, etc had to be carefully analyzed in order to achieve perfect composition, interplay and effect of the different parts integrated.

On the verge for the next phase of the VANKE EXPERIENCE CENTRE, Triad CEO Lutz Engelke will meet VANKE’s Chairman of the Board and Super-Entrepreneur Wang Shi in Berlin in September. Both met already in Luzern recently and agreed on working closely and in regular meeting intervals throughout the end of this year. They share the same vision on responsible management, change of emission policy and enjoy each other’s interest in art and philosophy. Being the core and an initial chemical reaction for a creative project, these the two and their teams strive for best results in this gigantic project.

Prof. Lutz Engelke dwelling around the VANKE HQ. Photo: Peter Wolkowicz

Just one year ago, on August 26, 2011, Triad China Ltd. had its Opening Party on the rooftop of the Waterhouse in Shanghai. Now – one year later – the team celebrated on the same spot again. Back then we had 4 persons representing Triad in China welcoming about 120 people. This time we had 9 colleagues enjoying themselves.

After one year of turbulences, fun, hard work and lots of lessons learned Triad China had an intimate get-together to at least take one day off of work and relax.

The turbine

In 1931 Fritz Lang, famous German director of the “Weimarer Cinema”, created the vision of a dark future in a city called “Metropolis”: The vast majority of the human race is forced to work on huge demon-like machines, that produce seemingly intangible and almost invisible products. He depicts a future in which the workers only exist in order to serve these machines and not the other way around. It seems as if the machines are constantly running and the only purpose of the workers is to fix problems here and there and push buttons as if the machine want to be touched once in a while. In the course of the movie the machine even kills workers and willingly acts evil.

When we arrived in Beijing’s new 751 Design and Fashion Park, finally able to visit the site of our new project, we were reminded of that “Metropolis”. The Boiler Factory No. 1 and No. 2 were built in the early fifties with the help of East-German architects. In the first five-year plan of the newly founded Chinese People’s Republic it was decided to build an electricity plant on the military area of nowadays 798 art district and 751. The boilers inside the old beautiful Bauhaus-Style building were still running only a few years ago – leaving us in awe at sight of the state they were in after 50 years of nonstop operation.

When we interviewed workers, who were actually working for almost 40 years in exactly this boiler-factory, our comparison to Lang’s hallucination became even more obvious: the boilers that turn coal – through heating water – into electric energy were literally running 24 hours and 7 days a week. The workers were working in 3 shifts, each 8 hours to serve the machine around the clock. Our interviewee gave us the impression as if the only duty of the workers was to solve steadily upcoming problems. It was a dangerous, hard and enduring job. In winter it was cold in some places of the factory while others were unbearably hot, not mentioning the Beijing summer in the higher floors of the factory, where water was turned into steam with a temperature of approximately 450 degree.

Nowadays one or two persons on a computer can control any modern boilers, the former dust-sweeper said. Back then they needed to have 10 persons every shift, steadily monitoring the whole machine, tackling problems and making sure that every parameter was normal.

Just like in Lang’s “Metropolis” the workers in Boiler No. 1 and No. 2 were serving the machines 24-7. Their only purpose was to make sure; that the machine was running smoothly and every imperfection of the technical design of the machinery was straightened out by human hands. Contrary to the disastrous ending of the movie, our interviewee – the former dust-sweeper – made it to a respectable position, sitting behind a huge stylish desk with a well-fed appearance. His attitude shows pride when he speaks about his former job, not a hint of regret.

The School of Design of the East China Normal University (华东师范大学) invited Triad CEO Prof. Lutz Engelke to give a keynote speech about Design in the 21^st century. Numerous students, doctors and professors attended the unconventional speech on May 30.

Prof. Lutz Engelke at his best. Photo: ECNU

Prof. Engelke argued, that design of the 21^st century has to be considered in the context of a systemic change and a change of societal and human values and virtues. Design should play its part in the transformation of our society from an over-ambitious, un-sustainable and money-driven conglomerate of individuals into a sustainable and more value-orientated cosmopolitan society.

Beyond that, he motivated especially the youngest among the listeners to consider their role as young designer within this new society and as part of a groundbreaking transformation process in the coming decades. One repeated claim Prof. Engelke pointed out throughout the whole speech particularly moved the young audience and stimulated discussion and thought long after his speech: “We cannot continue to use our resources and exploit the earth the way we did before; we have to change! We only have one world! Design must adapt to this awareness and can be its driving force!“

The Smile Angel Founders Wang Fei and Li Yapeng in the Center surrounded by board members (Photo: Goetz Lehmann).

SmileAngel Foundation has devoted itself for the last 6 years to children who have been born in China with birth defects. We are now expecting our first ‘baby’ SmileAngel Children’s Hospital to be born on the 27th of May, 2012. There is no better job than working for children because they are the future. ‘The Foundation is future-oriented, and you must think big about it.’ Pro. Lutz Engelke told me two and half years ago when I started my role at the Foundation. I know that not only the Foundation, but also Triad, and maybe many more companies, are all sharing a similar spirit and we can perhaps foresee the future because we have love and passion about what we do.

I have been a fan of Triad since my first visit to the company in 2009, and I really admire the energy of the staff and how you transform knowledge through art and culture, and provide your clients with an artistic way of life. Thank you Heike, Beatrice, Tim, Daniel and all the others who have worked on the SmileAngel Children’s Hospital project. Thanks for your beautiful ideas, delicate work and generous support!

Let’s spread the love!

Superstars and founders Wang Fei and Li Yapeng (Photo: Goetz Lehmann).

Triad China realisiert aktuell für die GROHE AG einen Flagship Showroom sowie zwei Retail Stores in Shanghai. Dabei werden die Markenräume im Kontext der Implementierung der neuen Untermarke GROHE SPA in China komplett neu inszeniert.

Tatkräftige kreative Unterstützung auf den letzten Metern wurde für zwei Wochen direkt aus Berlin eingeflogen. Die Bauleitung sorgt dafür, dass das westliche Know-how entsprechend den Kundenwünschen umgesetzt wird.

Die Grohe AG ist europaweit führender Badarmaturenhersteller sowie Weltmarktführer bei Premium-Badarmaturen und weltweit führender Hersteller von Sanitärarmaturen.