Nils works on two conceptual models for improving train stations. “At my firm, we base our work on a EMC2B approach: energy, material, carbon, climate, and biodiversity. These five themes challenge the potential impact of our construction and inform any design from the start. Especially difficult is biodiversity, which does not speak for itself but requires a representative stakeholder.” The other model is ‘urban metabolism’: analysing all the in- and outflows of an existing station. This approach can highlight where sustainability gains can be made, or where to apply circular innovations. “For example, which machines in a train station use the most electricity? Many old stations have no idea!”

Nils pictures the train station of the future as circular material and energy systems which are fully permeable for living beings. “Everything, from people to materials to animals, flows in and out without causing ecological damage.” Each station could be generating electricity, recycling waste, and purifying water. “That last part is vital. Currently, braking trains and weeding soil creates a lot of local water pollution. One way to tackle this issue is creating water-filtering railway stations.” At a larger scale, he imagines how the train network could function almost as a living organism, exchanging resources and materials to optimize circularity. “Bring food where it is needed, ship plastic to the best processing station… We can create a system that is both resilient and better for the planet.”