Silvio, you are a master painter, clay builder, and building damage and mold expert. Why did you become a Building Biology Consultant IBN?

I worked for „conventional“ companies for a long time. I realized early on that this was not what I wanted. Houses built that way lack soul. While completing my training to become a master painter, I spent four months exploring the training program for master church painters. Afterwards, I studied and mastered old plastering and painting techniques through continuing education courses. Since 2015, I’ve specialized in ecological renovations and new builds through my own company. In 2017, I came across the Building Biology Consultant IBN training program at just the right time. It was the perfect complement to my professional career and exactly what I had been looking for. I completed the program in 2018, immediately opening a Building Biology Consulting Office IBN.

1 In designing this living room, Silvio Stolpe applied a glaze of red and orange pigments mixed with a silicate binder to the existing lime plaster finish.
2 A sample panel behind the picture illustrates the concept of illusionist painting.
3 Drawing inspiration from historical trompe l’œil paintings, the photograph blends seamlessly into the wall.

What are your favorite materials?

I love working with clay, wood, and metal. I especially like working with rusted metal because of its beautiful brown tones.

Why do you prefer clay?

First, sustainability is important to me. Clay is also a fascinating building material. It’s incredibly versatile and has great properties. It offers a wide range of design possibilities. You can use it to create minimalist, modern living spaces, as well as rustic or unconventional ones. Working with clay helps me slow down and feel grounded in my daily life.

In my opinion, healthy building and living shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for the wealthy. That’s why I’ve invested in the machinery necessary to work with moist clay plaster from the ground, which is significantly more affordable. It also has a much smaller environmental footprint than the dried version.

4 The dark clay walls of the bedroom create a cozy and protective atmosphere.
5 The wall heating and moisture-buffering properties of the clay work together to create a comfortable indoor climate. The design featuring stones and broken tiles transports you to a fairy-tale world.
6 The natural rust around the switches evokes warm tones and free-form shapes reminiscent of clouds in the sky.
7 Custom-designed, handcrafted light fixtures provide subtle lighting accents.

What innovative materials do you use?

The materials I work with are actually quite traditional. In today’s world of synthetic materials, however, straw, clay, and wood could be considered innovative again. One of my most exciting projects was an energy-efficient renovation in which we used 20 cm (8 in) thick straw insulation panels. It was a great experience. Even the smell of the straw when we unpacked the pallets was pleasant. So far, this type of project has been unique, at least in our county.

Have you ever worked with hemp-lime bricks?

Yes, we used them when we renovated a barn. We replaced the crumbling tuff stone bricks with hemp-lime bricks and covered everything with lime plaster.

8 For an energy-efficient renovation of an apartment building, we used innovative straw panels to insulate the facade.
9 We finished the panels with a lime plaster system and ochre-tinted silicate paint.
10 Inside, sculptural clay ornaments adorn the windows, …
11 … contrasting strikingly with the clay plaster.
12 The bedroom has a calming atmosphere thanks to its rock-effect clay finish.

As a building expert, what kinds of pollutants do you deal with?

Most of the cases I’m called in for involve mold. However, we’ve also conducted pollutant measurements in old prefabricated houses. Some time ago, I was assigned to one such house because the owner wanted to sell it, but potential buyers kept asking how contaminated the building was. Fortunately for the seller, however, we only detected very low levels of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) and formaldehyde. The situation can be significantly worse in such houses.

What constitutes successful contaminant remediation?

Recently, we worked on a case involving a massive mold infestation in the attic of an apartment building, which was caused by water damage. The remediation process was relatively complex and challenging. During the demolition phase, we implemented the appropriate containment measures. Working in full protective gear, including respiratory protection, in a poorly insulated attic when the outside temperature was 29°C (84°F) was unpleasant. But that’s just part of the job.

At the Institute of Building Biology + Sustainability IBN, you teach the seminar „Building Biology Interior Decoration.“ What makes this seminar special to you?

I love the diversity of the people who attend. There are people of all ages and professions, from doctors to tradespeople. Everyone is on equal footing. Building biology serves as the connecting link, fostering a harmonious atmosphere. It’s also consistently educational for us instructors, especially since most participants have fairly open perspectives, whereas we instructors tend to be set in our ways. We often gain new perspectives from their questions and ideas when we interact with participants.

13 At the IBN seminar „Building Biology Interior Decoration,“ Stolpe created a display wall using hemp-lime bricks with an ornamental light straw clay finish.
14 The courage to experiment: In this case, oil toughens the clay flooring and carnauba wax hardens it.

In this seminar, participants create sample panels with patterned surfaces. Which sample panel was the most beautiful recently?

Die schönste Platte gibt es gar nicht. Beim letzten Kurs wurden sehr viele kreative Ideen ausgeführt und alle waren sehr tolle Ergebnisse. Mal war die Gestaltung sehr floral und verspielt, mal sehr anmutig oder sie erinnerte an asiatische oder afrikanische Kulturen. Die Vielfältigkeit der Teilnehmer spiegelt sich hier auch in den Mustern wieder.der.

To complete the holistic range of building biology services, water damage must also be repaired. What kind of work does this involve?

We cover leak detection, drying of buildings, and restoration. It’s very diverse and exciting. Often, the cause isn’t obvious. In those cases, I feel like Sherlock Holmes, setting out on the search with detective-like zeal and care.

How do you ensure that an insurance company pays for a high-quality, building biology-based restoration?

Above all, comprehensive documentation is essential. We use materials recommended by building biology for the repairs we carry out whenever possible. Insurance companies usually have a coverage limit. As long as this limit isn’t exceeded, they don’t care how the renovation is done, as long as it’s done professionally.

15 It is best to continue renovations using similar materials.
16 The tuff stone infill was sometimes damaged.
17 After continuing the work with hemp-lime bricks, we plastered the infill with lime. The residential building also received a lime plaster finish.
18 Calligraphy is a beautiful design element.

Which project was the most exciting for you?

There are many. One that stands out is when we had the opportunity to design an entire beverage store. For example, we modeled trees and a globe.

What are you working on right now?

We’re renovating a two-family home. For the drywall, we used gypsum fiberboard on a wooden substructure. For all the interior, we used clay. For the exterior, we used wood fiber insulation and a lime plaster system.

What is your vision?

Professionally, I’d like to downsize my painting business and focus more on building biology. In collaboration with a civil engineer, I plan to renovate old houses according to the principles of building biology. I would like to hire a building biology interior designer and a Building Biology Testing Specialist IBN. With this team, we could oversee the entire construction phase, from design to completion. That is why I am planning to obtain my TÜV certification as a construction manager this year.

On a personal level, I hope that humanity will show more humility and not view itself as so important. We can only solve the problems of our time together. If we build defensive walls and only think of ourselves, we will disappear without a trace. We must finally understand that we are only a small part of creation. We cannot survive without our beautiful planet Earth, but it can survive without us.