Collaborative research on carbon reinforced concrete structures in the CRC/TRR 280. New materials afford new building designs and construction types. Yet, first application projects using the new materials show that traditional construction principles are used, i. e. that conventional materials are merely substituted. Only combined with intelligent construction strategies it is possible to exploit the full potential of the innovative material carbon reinforced concrete. Detached from today's established thought patterns, the fundamentals for a new way of building with concrete shall be created in the frame of the Collaborative Research Centre Transregio (CRC/TRR) 280 “Design Strategies for Material-Minimised Carbon Reinforced Concrete Structures – Principles of a New Approach to Construction” at Technische Universität Dresden and RWTH Aachen University, based on profound insights into the mechanical behaviour of novel mineral structures. Innovative construction strategies and material composites reduce the resource and energy consumption by means of novel lightweight construction principles and offer a high serviceability, ultimate capacity and durability. Furthermore, they are reflected in ambitious aesthetics evolving to a novel “art of construction”. The long-term research alliance of TUD and RWTH pools the existing excellent competences, which will inspire research into material-minimised construction with mineral composites. The article highlights the research activities planned for the period July 2020 to June 2024.