Wooden high-rise on Nordwestring: UmweltHaus celebrates topping-out ceremony

• UmweltBank organizes a celebration to mark the completion of the timber construction work at the new company headquarters in Nuremberg
• ZÜBLIN Timber congratulates all those involved in the project

Together with craftsmen and planners, UmweltBank today celebrated the topping-out ceremony for its UmweltHaus on Nuremberg's Nordwestring. The construction project focuses on ecological sustainability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In addition to UmweltBank's headquarters, the building will also house modern office space for rent and commercial space from 2025.

Today's topping-out ceremony marks the completion of the timber construction work on the tower of the 13-storey UmweltHaus, which has now reached its final height of 52 meters. "What began as a visionary idea in 1994 is now UmweltBank. A company with around 350 employees who make the world a better place to live every day from Nuremberg - for us and future generations," explains UmweltBank CEO Goran Bašić. "In the UmweltHaus, our team will find a common home - under one roof and in an environment that is as modern as it is sustainable and healthy."

In addition to all those involved in the project, representatives of the City of Nuremberg also visited the site. For Lord Mayor Marcus König, the project is representative of the importance of environmental protection and economic development in the metropolitan region: "The UmweltHaus is a living example of how sustainable development paves the way for future projects. With its combination of ecological and economical construction, the building helps to meet the demand for modern commercial space and position our city as an attractive business location."

Sustainability according to the platinum standard
During the topping-out ceremony, the UmweltHaus was also officially awarded the pre-certificate according to the platinum standard of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). "As a timber-concrete hybrid building, the new construction contributes to ecological sustainability, the reduction of greenhouse gases and energy efficiency as well as the conservation of resources," explains Prof. Amandus Samsøe Sattler, President of the DGNB. The UmweltHaus is also one of the first office buildings in Germany to be built to the "KfW Efficiency House 40 NH" energy efficiency standard. The construction project thus follows UmweltBank's principle of harmonizing economy and ecology.

Future location made from renewable raw materials
A total of around 3,000 cubic metres of wood will be used throughout UmweltHaus. In addition to the underground parking garage, only the stairwells are made of reinforced concrete for fire protection reasons. Roman Kreutmayr, Technical Division Manager at ZÜBLIN Timber, emphasizes the rapid speed at which the timber high-rise has grown in height over the past year: "Last year, the UmweltHaus grew by an entire floor every week. This enormous speed is possible because we can prefabricate the wooden exterior wall elements in our factory, deliver them to the construction site and simply assemble them there!"

Occupancy planned for 2025
The completion of the UmweltHaus is planned for 2025, and the so-called long structure of the building on Nordwestring is currently under construction. The interior work and the installation of the façades will begin shortly. The latter will be fitted with highly efficient photovoltaic panels manufactured in northern Bavaria. This means that more than 2,000 m² of façade area can be used to generate solar energy. "For us, this project is more than just a construction site - it is an expression of our vision," concludes UmweltBank CEO Bašić: "I would like to thank everyone who is supporting us in the realization of our heartfelt project in our home city."

Further information about the project and the construction site is available on the UmweltBank website: www.umwelthaus-nuernberg.de

Photo source Image 1: Happy about a successful topping-out ceremony: Dietmar von Blücher (Spokesman of the UmweltBank Management Board), Nick Baumann (Construction / Project Management Timber Construction, Züblin Timber), Prof. Harald Bolsinger (Environmental Council of UmweltBank), Goran Bašić (Member of the UmweltBank Management Board), Prof. Amandus Samsøe Satt.Amandus Samsøe Sattler (President DGNB), Dr. Michael Kemmer (Chairman of the Supervisory Board UmweltBank), Heike Schmitz (Member of the Management Board UmweltBank), Marcus König (Mayor of the City of Nuremberg), William Houk (Züblin Timber) (from left to right) | Photo: UmweltBank

Source: Press release UmweltBank 14.2.2024