Berlin: Ecological building renovation of a pre-fabricated housing complex

Abstract:

The slab-constructed housing complex in the Hellersdorf district of Berlin is one of many hundreds of large-scale estates in Eastern Europe which face the problems of irreparable damages and low ecological standards. Since 1993 the area has been the target of ecological modernisation as part of the upgrading construction programme. The project can be characterised as a best practice case for the following reasons:

• Study of the ecological dimensions and potentials of a large-scale estate;
• Evaluation and elaboration of a standard catalogue of easy handling of community administration;
• Designing and implementation of improved waste collection, re-use and re- cycling systems;
• Pilot project on ecological building renovation;
• Staging of participatory environmental forums;
• Opening of a community information centre.

Concept and aims

Large estates with prefabricated apartment blocks are the outstanding characteristic for the urban development the cities of the former communist countries. In total it is estimated that some 170 million people live in more than 70 million flats, usually in large housing complexes on the outskirts of cities. In Berlin about 700,000 people are living in large-scale estates in approximately 240,000 apartments. Besides Hellersdorf there are also large prefabricated housing complexes in Marzahn and Hohenschönhausen. Most of the buildings have defects of the concrete slab construction and often the damage is irreparable. In addition, the areas are suffering from monotonous architecture and a lack of neighbourhood contacts.

The Hellersdorf renovation area is located in a typical large slab-constructed housing estate with mostly six- or seven-storey buildings. In total there are 42,000 apartments for approximately 107,000 people and the area covers approximately 2,000 hectares. The Hellersdorf district was founded between 1985 and 1992 as a self contained new town on previously agricultural land. The Hellersdorf district has a population of 136,000 and is some 15 km from the eastern city centre of Alexanderplatz. The average age in the district is 27, and a third of the population are children and young people. Only 4% of the people are retired.

Against this background the potential strategy of sustainable development in town planning is obvious:

• Improving the buildings with the best available ecological technology;
• Preferring renovation instead of expensive new construction;
• Improving the areas` connections to public transport;
• Upgrading social infrastructure by a lively mixture of community activities.

As the area has been a prominent case for the deficits of urban development in the former East Berlin, it has soon became a focus of programmes for building modernisation. Between 1992 and 1995 the Federal Government has paid special attention to the district within its project in the sector of apartment buildings and urban construction. In particular, this project has focused on the ecological considerations of completing the Hellerdorf housing development. This project should investigate the distinctive features of a slab-construction complex. Furthermore, the project should include an open planning process and proposals for sustainable ecological city planning. In 1994 the project was named Eco-Map (Öko-Stadtplan Hellersdorf). This ecological part of the so-called Hellersdorf for the slab programme includes two sub-projects. Firstly, ecological model renovation of Eisenacher Straße and, secondly, a courtyard design with ecological orientation at Schweriner Hof. The responsibilities for the inclusion of the ecological dimension into the urban master plan has been taken by the Ministry for Construction, Housing and Transport of Land Berlin.

The ecologically oriented renovation project for prefabricated slab-constructed buildings have to take into account two major factors. On the one hand the original construction standard had been poor and, on the other hand, the current standards are based on the former West Berlin standards from 1990. Therefore, the projects have to comprise two fundamental areas of action. The first phase of the renovation measures is concerned with the renewal and modernisation of basically technical installations in the areas of water and waste water, central electrical installations, new roofing, repair of loggias, mounting of new balustrades, insulation against damp etc. The second phase is devoted to the implementation of ecological optimisation measures above the required standards (e.g. thermal insulation of facades and cellar floors, renewal of windows, use of rain water for flush toilets, water saving tap fittings, use of solar energy for heating water, photovoltaic technology for the lighting of stairwells and ventilation systems, reducion of building materials like PVC and aluminium, billing system for waste removal).

The functions of courtyard design with ecological orientation has also to include different social elements for later use:

• The green living areas should attract different groups of residents which means that separate areas have to serve different functions, like playgrounds for small children, play and sport facilities for young people, and seating and walking areas for parents and grandparents;
• The micro-climate should be improved by the collection of rainwater from surrounding buildings in a pond;
• Individual and sometimes private areas in a courtyard increase the feeling of responsibility and commitment to the entire facility. Safeguarding of the area should be handled responsibly in order to prevent vandalism;
• A smooth running of courtyard facilities can be easily extended to other areas, like sport facilities in schools. Such an upgrading of leisure infrastructure is normally beneficial for the social contact in the community.

The areas of action include the following principles:

• The existing courtyard design is not changed but integrated into the overall planning (e.g. path surfaces, sandpits);
• The new designed area is divided into space between the living area and the courtyard and the courtyard itself. The redesigning of space between the living area and the courtyard is a step in the direction of living in an green area. Measures related to this theme include new plantings in entrance areas and in inner areas of the building;
• Measures in the courtyard focus on tree planting in sparse and dense groups as well as planting in rows. Spatial differentiation and variety lead to an increase in functional uses.

Implementation

1. The ecological renovation project

The ecological model renovation of a typical Hellerdorf building includes the following measures which should demonstrate an integrated and standardized process of rehabilitation:

• implementation of an optimized strategy of thermal insulation of the facade and cellar floor;
• use of rain water from the roofs to water gardens and lawns and to flush toilets;
• installation of water saving sanitary facilities and tap fittings;
• use of solar energy to heat water;
• use of photovoltaic technology for illuminating stairwells and for ventilations systems;
• mimimum use of PVC and aluminum;
• technical equipment for the separate billing of waste.

2. The courtyard design with ecological orientation

In most cases the initial position of a courtyard design project is favourable from the point of view that the project can implement new measures in inhospitable spaces that are hardly used by the residents. Therefore, the stimulation of tenant self-help is an essential element of the creation of green living areas in courtyards. Usually the measures of the projects are oriented to the following basic guidelines:

• The implementation of tenant ideas is a vital condition of success;
• The use of material should be typical for the area and the materials should be reasonably priced;
• The carrying out of measures should take place without the use of expensive machinery and transport;
• The future care of the courtyard facilities has to be by the tenants themselves.

At the special project of Schweriner Hof the set of measures includes the multi-functional design of the courtyards with different playgrounds, the implementation of a rain-cycle installation, the recycling of the asphalt street, and the recycling of concrete construction materials for the building of tenant gardens.

3. Community planning and Environmental Forum

A distinct element of the philosophy of the ecological renovation project is the participation of the community as a whole. The Hellersdorf Environmental Forum brings together all relevant people from housing associations, social institutions, schools, kindergartens, environmental interest groups, government authorities, planning experts, and the interested citizens.

The process of planning includes 30 public forums, 40 project discussions, and 10 site inspections and bicycle tours.

Since then some activities of the planning process have encouraged the inhabitants to organise regular environment-related events in the Hellersdorf district, like the annual environmental festival, the environmental film festival, the environmental prize award, and the info-mobile advice contact.

Results and Impacts

In total the planting activities amount to 150 green projects which up to 1995 include the planting of 9,000 new trees, the creation of 40 green courtyards, the reshaping of 90 house entrance areas, and the greening of 500 facades and gables. Other courtyard measures include the reorganisation of 500 waste collection sites and the creation of 40 new playgrounds.

Actors and Structures

With some 560 buildings and 33,000 apartments the Hellersdorf Housing Association (Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Hellersdorf WoGeHe) is the largest property owner in the Hellersdorf district. Its buildings comprise about 80% of the buildings of the renovation area and they are administered by a staff of 380. It is a non-profit, client-oriented private housing and building association. Within the process of renovation the housing association has set up a new administration and management system and has opened a community based customer information centre. Of the remaining 20% of flats on the Hellersdorf large-scale estate some 9% belong to co-ops and 11% are in private ownership.

Finance

A special support programme, the so-called for the slab programme, has been set up by Land Berlin and the Federal Government. In total the credits from the Berlin Investment Bank and the national Credit Agency for Reconstruction amount to 1 billion DM.

The total investment for the ecological projects amounted to 2.8 million DM. The financing was shared between the national Ministry for Construction (1.15 million DM), Lnad Berlin (1.25 million DM), and the Hellersdorf Housing Association (0.4 million DM).

Source of Information

IfS Institut für Stadtforschung und Strukturpolitik GmbH, (Hg.) 1995: Internationaler Community Planning Workshop Berlin-Hellersdorf 12.-16. Oktober 1995, Berlin

Senatsverwaltung für Bauen, Wohnen und Verkehr, (Hg.) 1996: Berlin Hellersdorf district: a sustainable strategy for industrially pre-fabricated housing developments - best practice nominated for HABITAT II, Berlin

Contact:

Cities:

Berlin :

Berlin has a population of almost 3.5 million of which approximately 11% are foreign citizens. The wider conurbation has an additional population of nearly one million. The city covers 889 square kilometres; 38 km from north to south and 45 km from east to west. 24 per cent of the city’s surface is water and navigable waterways are 197 km in length. In size it is almost as large as the densely populated Ruhr area in North Rhine Westphalia. Berlin is the largest city in Germany, and one of the sixteen regional States (Bundesländer) of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The unified municipality of Berlin is a decentralised body divided into 23 districts (Bezirke). The districts have between 50,000 and 300,000 inhabitants. They carry responsibility for local politics and their own administration. Unlike independent municipalities, however, they do not have financial autonomy but are allocated funds by the City Government, the Senate of Berlin. The main authority for the City as a whole is the Senate which is divided into different administrative departments (comparable to Ministries in other German Länder).

Although Berlin has experienced a steady decline in industry, there are still over 200,000 people working in the manufacturing sector. Approximately 230,000 of the 1.5 million citizens in the workforce are employed in trade and about 750,000 people have jobs in service, primarily in the public sector.

In addition, Berlin is a centre of environmental research as well as technology, and a great number of businesses are engaged in environment-related activities. According to a study by the ifo Institute in Munich and the IÖW (Institute for Ecological Economic Research) in Berlin, 400 companies with 13,000 employees are directly involved in environmental protection (engineering offices, and producers and distributors of environmental technology). This number has tripled within the last ten years, and half of the companies have started as new businesses since 1990. Furthermore, Berlin is a stronghold of scientific research with approx. 100 companies involved in measurement and analytical activities, approx. 80 eco-research institutes (including universities), and 45 public administrations and authorities in charge of environmental matters.

Population:

Project was added at 28.06.1996
Project was changed at 17.08.2001

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