Berlin

Strategy for Future Schools in Wood, Urban Farming, and Accelerating Green Energy Development

 

Berlin is a complex city, grassroots-driven, green, and continually evolving since the fall of the Wall. With a less robust economy compared to Northern Germany, large-scale urban development projects are not as prevalent. Innovation in Berlin thrives from the bottom up, scattered across various parallel domains.

 

We tailor your program based on prioritizing the following six themes:

 

Innovative Energy Forms and Climate Adaptation:

The energy crisis in Germany is pressing, with 60% of city residents using outdated gas radiators. Explore an innovative energy and mobility hub developed in an area with old gas tanks, engaging university students and private companies in finding solutions like battery recycling for electric cars and local power generation.

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Urban Farming and Biodiversity:

Berlin ranks among the world leaders in urban gardening, with rooftop gardens utilizing wastewater irrigation and parts of cemeteries transformed into vegetable plots. Political initiatives support green spaces and biodiversity. Visit urban gardening projects, delve into operations, and understand the self-sufficiency of city dwellers in cultivating produce like salad, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

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Sustainable Urban Development:

Affordable Housing and Car-Free District

Since 2022, efforts have been underway to construct a mixed, car-free urban area, including affordable housing, 10% student residences, schools, green spaces, all powered by a low-energy network. This initiative connects to a nearby tech hub with 1000 companies housed in the former Tegel Airport, originally built in brutalist style.

 

32 New Wood/CLT Schools – Focus on Rainwater Management:

Berlin's senate administration mandates future public schools to be constructed with wood/CLT to streamline the building process. In Schöneberg district, a sustainable school with four wood structures, emphasizing ecological construction and minimal non-permeable surfaces, demonstrates rainwater management promoting biodiversity through open basins and infiltration systems. Collaboratively designed play areas feature wild vegetation by students, parents, and teachers.

 

Urban Development: Revitalizing a 1990s Icon:

Potsdamer Platz, once Europe's most prestigious urban development project, now stands as a ghost environment in glass and steel. After 30 years, the area aims for a more humane scale, incorporating green spaces and residences to ensure vitality between buildings.

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World-Class Architecture:

After a decade of monumental museum renovations, Berlin now excels in museum restoration. Projects led by David Chipperfield Architects, including the sensitive renovation of Neues Museum and the extensive refurbishment of Mies van der Rohe's Neue Nationalgalerie, showcase world-class architecture both indoors and outdoors.

 

Duration: 2-3 days. Transportation options include train or bus.

 

Contact us for a presentation and a customized proposal.