Research for Better Quality of Urban Life: the Build4People Project
The Build4People project aims to research and promote the use of sustainable buildings and sustainable urbanization through re-configuring the urban transformation pathway of Phnom Penh. Thereby, it focuses on people’s aspirations and their behaviour. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Our project promotes sustainable buildings and sustainable urban development from a people-centred perspective. We aim at lowered greenhouse gas, pollutant emissions, a better indoor environment, an increase of urban green, a healthier urban climate. Read more.
The trans-disciplinary Build4People project connects scientific-conceptional and analytical aspects. The superior normative bracket is always the urban quality of life. We align people’s needs and aspirations with tools to benefit their living. Read more.
Cambodia’s traditional architecture took climate conditions into account. Today dynamic economic growth affects the way buildings are built and operated which is not energy-efficient nor tropical climate adapted. Reasons enough for B4P. Read more.
10 partners across continents join forces to implement 7 work packages: from Behaviour Change, Sustainable Buildings and Neighbourhoods, to Urban Green, Urban Climate to Sustainable Urban Transformation and Coordination. Read more.
Project Approach
The Build4People project considers sustainable, people-centred urban development as a crosscutting task. A genuinely people-centred planning system can neither be expected to “evolve by itself” nor is it feasible through legal regulations only. Our diverse team includes Cambodian and German partners which cooperate on a trans-disciplinary basis. Together they will develop innovative concepts aimed at urban sustainability that are based on scientific and regional expertise. The integrating link of our scientific-conceptional, analytical and normative dimension is the urban quality of life, which we consider to be the general foundation for our people-driven approach. The research consortium will carry out field research together with the most renowned local universities. Based on these insights, context-specific interventions will be implemented together with a number of core actors most important of all the Phnom Penh Capital Hall and the developer company Peng Huoth Group. Locally established multipliers such as the European Chamber of Commerce or the Center for Khmer Studies will support the dissemination of our approaches.
A strong partnership to deliver research results
Academic Quality We gathered a team with a proven record of academic excellence, extensive regional expertise and solid project experience.
Transdisciplinary Approach We draw from expertise and methods from Human Geography, Architecture, Urban Planning, Enviromental Psychology, Civil Engineering, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics and Climate Research.
Cross-border cooperation German Universities and private sector actors collaborate with Cambodia partners from the academic arena, the municial setting and responsible ministrial offices.
The work package teams cooperate together, share their findings and develop joint deliverables as part of action research processes. Tools and products systematically build upon each other. Learning curves and feedback loops are incorporated into the project design.
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
Build4People is thrilled to announce about the publication of a full documentation of the first B4P Transition Manufactory 2026 process.
It is the follow-up format of B4P Ecocity Transition Lab series undertaken in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024 with the city government of Phnom Penh together with major local property developer companies, various universities, and CIUS – Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies as local facilitator.
The B4P Transition Manufactory 2026 #1 follows a living lab approach, involving multiple stakeholders to initiate a visioning process to create a clear, inspiring, and shared image of an alternative sustainable urban future.
The urban site we worked on during the B4P TM 2026 is Mekong Key Riverfront City, a 200-ha-development along Mekong River opposite Koh Norea developed by TP Moral Group. It is at an early planning stage which we expect to allow for sustainability interventions from side of Build4People.
Adding to technical digital design solutions we used the opportunity of the B4P Transition Manufactory 2026 to develop visual utopias of inclusive urban transformation in partnership with the assocation WAE (Women in Architecture and Engineering), and to explore potentials of AI to visualize urban dynamics in partnership with the Cambodian Academy of Digital Technology (CADT), CityLAB Berlin and the GIZ founded Digital Transformation Center (DTC).
During the final Presentation Conference, the comprehensive results of different working groups were presented. The participating students received official Certificates of Appreciation to honour their dedicated and engaged work. After the presentation part, a Letter of Intent was exchanged between the Build4People representative and the CEO of TP Moral Group.
The whole Build4People team would like to express its deep gratitude to all participants of this exciting and inspiring collective endeavour, particularly the engaged students of six participating institutions of higher education, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia, Norton University, Royal University of Fine Arts, Western University, and Cambodian Academy of Digital Technology. Our special thanks go to Steven Petit, creative director of OMGEVING, based in Ho Chi Minh City, who support us in regard of the development of blue-green infrastructure solutions.
The outputs of the B4P TM Presentation Conference will get further refined over the next months until the 2nd B4P Transition Manufactory, due to December 2026.
A second shorter and more concise clip to document the first B4P Transition Manufactory 2026 process is under preparation and will get published soon.
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.
Many discussions about urban development remain academic and technical, often making them difficult for the general public to access. Build4People therefore regards visual utopias as starting point of public awareness rising about inclusive, people-centered urban design, moving beyond purely technical planning.
This is particularly needed because, in Phnom Penh, as our empirical research has shown, the share of urban citizens with a deeper understanding of matters of urban sustainability seems to be rather limited. Furthermore, Phnom Penh suffers from urban issues like many cities in the world, such as limited public spaces limited, persisting accessibility barriers, domination of streets by car-traffic, and urban environments that are not always inclusive for women, children, older people, or people with disabilities.
Therefore, the first step was to observe and to analyze specific urban spaces in Phnom Penh with regard to different target groups and behaviors. In a second step animated digital “bevor- and-after” visualizations were created to illustrate alternative visions of sustainable urban development.
This first clip focuses on a major landmark of Phnom Penh, the Central Market, an iconic architecture from the French colonial era and the vibrant economic heart of the city.
Under the guidance of the association of WAE, Women in Architecture and Engineering, founded by Ms. Sokunlanita May and Build4People led by Michael Waibel, two students from the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia – Va Meng Er and Prak Norak – developed a visual utopia which they labelled “Central Market for All”.
Their concept aims to promote walking by prioritizing pedestrians, particularly when crossing the road by the introduction of an elevated crosswalk that functions both as a speed bump and an accessible path for people with physical disabilities. Other measures suggest fixing the market stalls with a material that retains less heat and installing solar panels to improve energy efficiency. Finally, it is suggested to replace some parking spaces with green space and trees to reduce heat on the street and to orient the space for pedestrians rather than cars.
Delicate sound effects were added to the clip to strengthen the vision of an inclusive and sustainable urban transformation.
Build4People finally 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.
About the video clip editors:
Va Meng Er is currently a student of architecture and urban planning of Pannasastra University of Cambodia. She had previously participated in various workshops and activities with Build4People and City Hall. Besides architecture and urban planning, she also has interest and experience in video editing (vamengerva@gmail.com).
Prak Norak is an architecture and urban planning student at Pannasastra University of Cambodia. He has an interest in designing spaces that are livable, foster human activities and interactions (norakprak@gmail.com).
Further information:
Sokunlanita May, Founder of WAE, Women in Architecture and Engineering, cooperation partner of Build4People: lanitamaysokun@gmail.com
