In Berlin-Dahlem, on the grounds of Berlin’s Free University (Freie Universität Berlin), a new research building for Supramolecular Functional Architectures at Biointerfaces (Supra-FAB) has been built on behalf of Berlin’s Senate Department for Urban Development. Scientists from the fields of biology, chemistry, pharmacy and physics work together here. With its floor area of 3600 m², the building houses interdisciplinary and highly specialised laboratories, technically sophisticated low-vibration and air-conditioned measuring rooms, and offices, meeting rooms and lounge areas.

• Optimisation of energy efficiency
• Resource-efficient structure
• Supporting the “materials cycle” through the use of recycled concrete

Germany has had recycling laws since 1996, which have the objective of promoting the environmentally friendly management of waste. However, a current demolition project shows how implementation can often fail to achieve this goal. The Fass-Salzerei building in Rostock’s fishing port dates from the 1950s. The hall-type building has a reinforced concrete frame and brickwork structures at either end. It has a floor area of 5,040 m² and a volume of 42,000 m³, and it is estimated to have been constructed using 11,500 tonnes of mineral materials. Demolition work commenced in early 2022 to make way for a new building, with the old structure being dismantled in a controlled and selective manner to enable as much as possible of the materials to be recycled. The work is complicated by several factors.

• Circular design and construction

Following completion of the new Axien-Mauken floodwater retention basin, the flood-risk region on the Elbe will be better protected against flooding. The project includes the new construction complete with inlet, connection and outlet structures, the creation of further new polder dykes for floodwater retention. The variant investigation shows: The bulky wall elements of the inlet, connection and outlet structures could be designed with strutting, enabling their volume – and the amount of concrete and reinforcing steel required – to be reduced, thereby improving the eco-balance of the flood polder. As a result, the CO₂ emissions of an 8m-high section of wall could be reduced by 36 % (approx. 1000 kg of CO₂-eq per meter of wall length).

• Flood resilience
• Resource-efficient structures

Inros Lackner was commissioned with the structural design of the building on behalf of Kranichschutz Deutschland GmbH (Crane Conservation Germany). The new building, a well-insulated timber structure with self-protective larch wood cladding, was designed to be resource-conserving and ecologically friendly. The building materials were selected to meet a very high ecological standard and to be recyclable. The use of a photovoltaic power system with battery storage also supports the aim of achieving sustainability and an energy supply that is as self-sufficient as possible. In addition, the roof of the new timber-frame structure will be largely covered with plants.

Benefits of constructing with wood:

• Ecological, renewable building material
• High strength-to-weight ratio
• High flexibility
• Moisture regulation, heat storage and good insulating properties
• Local availability reduces CO2 emissions

The Spree Bridge in Spremberg, eastern Germany, was closed due to damage and, thanks to its insufficient clearance height, already represented a bottleneck for the River Spree in case of flooding. In the preliminary design stage, a two-span aluminium truss design was developed as the preferred option. The main reason for this decision was the expected long service life and low maintenance costs. The substructures of the pedestrian and cyclist bridge were deeply founded by means of bored piles, and the superstructure was designed with two simply supported spans of 36.7 m and 20.6 m. Inros Lackner was responsible for the planning and structural design work in all phases of the project.

Benefits of constructing with aluminium

• Low weight and low space requirements during installation
• Long service life, low maintenance costs
• Recyclability