Sustainable Construction and Development
850 Cubic Meters of Wood for Sustainable Construction
Sixty new apartments and a commercial unit have been constructed at Amendestraße on the corner of Herbststraße in Berlin using resource-conserving wooden modular construction systems. On October 5, 2021, the new building was opened after only 18 months of construction. Three-quarters of the apartments are barrier-free.
Timber construction offers numerous advantages when it comes to sustainability. The production process generates less than 30% of the carbon emissions of conventional solid construction. In addition, the timber also permanently absorbs CO2 – approximately one ton per cubic meter. It is also possible to deconstruct and reuse a large number of individual parts from the timber construction. Finally, the tenants benefit from a pleasant and healthy indoor atmosphere.
Modular construction approaches can cut construction time by a long way, and can drastically reduce the impact that the construction has on the residents of the surrounding buildings. In addition to the specific environmental advantages of modular timber construction, the project at Amendestraße incorporates yet more features of sustainable building design. The complex has been equipped with an air-to-water heat pump, a photovoltaic system and a green roof. Rainwater will largely be allowed to seep into the property grounds and will not be released into the sewer system.
“Modular construction combines several pioneering elements of sustainable construction ranging from building materials to energy supply. In addition to saving resources, we were also able to save valuable time with the modular construction approach and see the process used at Amendestraße as a recipe for success that we plan to apply to other similar projects in the future.” Sebastian Jung, Managing Director – East, Vonovia