Presentation of the results of the study "Large-volume residential construction in timber construction in Germany and Europe - players, costs, motives

Prinz-Eugen-Park wooden housing estate in Munich. Photo: Johann Hartl

There is a shortage of housing in Europe's conurbations; Germany alone lacks about 1.5 million residential units (WE). For this reason, the federal government has decided to build 400,000 WE annually. At the same time, the federal government's climate protection plan foresees a significant decrease in building emissions from 209 million to 67 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalents by 2030, which would correspond to an emission reduction of 68 % since 1990. Other European countries have also committed to implementing far-reaching climate protection targets. Against this background, many of those involved in construction are increasingly relying on wood as a renewable building material, in addition to energy-efficient construction and the use of renewable energies.

The Construction cost study on large timber housing estates and quarters in Europe (short Wooden housing study), financed from funds of the funding programme FUTURE CONSTRUCTION of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMWSB) and based at the Rottenburg University of Applied Sciences (HFR), systematically researches and records those projects in timber and timber hybrid construction that have already been realised or are currently in planning. In the process, the construction costs of the buildings are analysed as well as the motives of the investors and clients to build with wood. Another goal is to show how timber construction methods can be further established in the segment of housing estates and urban districts in order to expand the range of large-volume housing projects with an environmentally and climate-friendly variant.

The first results of the study will be presented at the 15th Congress Efficient Building with Wood in Urban Areas on 19 October 2022 in Cologne presented. So far, 118 large-scale housing projects with more than 100 units have been identified across Europe by the HFR researchers, 47 of which are located in Germany. Final results will be presented at the beginning of December at the 26th International Timber Construction Forum in Innsbruck presented on 30 November 2022 and also published in a brochure by the Information service wood published.

Link to holzwohnbau.eu

Supported by funds from the "Zukunft Bau" funding programme

Keywords: Construction and operating costs, Building materials / Construction, DE-News, Research, Wood construction, New books and studies, News Blog Europe (without DE), Quarters, Settlements, Housing, XXL settlements

Published 11 August 2017

Karlsruhe Reallabor receives award from the Sustainability Council

Image: German Council for Sustainable Development

Making life in the neighbourhood more ecologically, socially, economically and culturally sustainable together with the residents; that is the aim of "Real-world laboratory 131: KIT finds the city" at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). In Karlsruhe's Oststadt district, researchers in this laboratory are looking for ways to reduce CO2 emissions, conserve resources, strengthen neighbourhoods and improve the health of people in the district. The project has now been honoured twice by the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE).

"The special thing about this project is that we work directly with the people living and working on the ground at eye level and can therefore not only incorporate specific local knowledge and think ahead. Rather, this makes it possible to take action for sustainable development," says Alexandra Quint from the project team at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS). Ways to make neighbourhoods more pedestrian-friendly are being researched, as are new methods for energy-efficient building refurbishment, and services for sustainable living and sustainable mobility behaviour are being developed. The researchers' work is highly interdisciplinary: "Architects, philosophers, landscape planners, cultural scientists, environmental scientists and geoecologists work together in this team," says the urban geographer.

This is not just research, but also very practical work: "For example, there is a newly developed energy concept for increasing the proportion of renewable energies in existing buildings or initiatives for slowing down our increasingly hectic everyday lives," reports Dr Oliver Parodi, Head of Reallabor 131. In the "Beds and Bees" project, citizens and scientists have jointly designed a snack bed with herbs, fruit and vegetables in public spaces and set up a hive as a home for bees. Quint explains that this not only serves to raise environmental and nutritional awareness, but above all to build community. All of this is done in co-operation with civil society groups, the city administration, associations, businesses and, above all, the local citizens who regularly take part.

A series of events also provides approaches and ideas for alternative consumer behaviour. Parodi mentions plant swaps, clothes swap parties and a regular repair café. "Reallabor 131 is designed as a platform for participation and has a strong networking character." The project's own "Future Space for Sustainability and Science", a former shop, combines the characteristics of a neighbourhood office, a science shop and a community centre and is now a popular meeting point, event and educational venue.

According to Quint, the concept is attracting worldwide interest: "The laboratory is a model, is designed to be transferable and has so far been researched by scientists from the Netherlands, Spain and Australia, with requests for cooperation coming from Mexico, Russia, Switzerland, the USA, Estonia, Portugal and Spain."

Honoured as a transformation project
The German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), which advises the German government on sustainability issues, has now honoured the Reallabor twice: with the "Project Sustainability 2017" seal of quality and as one of four "transformation projects" nationwide. With this seal, the RNE recognises initiatives from society that make a special contribution to sustainable development in Germany and the world. Around 240 projects applied for the award. According to the jury, the transformation projects honoured have particularly great potential to make the world more sustainable. The awards were presented at the end of May at the RNE's annual conference in Berlin.

The website provides information on all the activities of the real-world laboratory: www.quartierzukunft.de

Photo of the award ceremony under:
www.tatenfuermorgen.de/galerien/jahreskonferenz

Source: Press release 076/2017 from 09/06/2017

Keywords:
Stock, News Blog Baden-Württemberg, Quarters, Contests & Prizes