The partnership between CREE GmbH and the German Zech Group is now bearing fruit. The CREE system is going to be used in a major, prestigious project at Südkreuz station in Berlin’s Tempelhof-Schöneberg district. Within just 24 months, two seven and eight-storey office and commercial buildings will be constructed on a 10,000m2 site using CREE’s patented hybrid timber building system.

Upon completion, the main tenant will be the energy group Vattenfall Europe, which plans to set up its headquarters in the complex. CREE founder Hubert Rhomberg emphasises: “This project clearly shows how wood is gaining ground as a building material for large-volume projects, and it is becoming increasingly attractive to larger companies. This is a real breakthrough for us.” Technology group Siemens is of the same opinion, as the next CREE project in Germany – the Siemens Campus in Erlangen – is set to kick off in autumn 2019. This underlines the group’s commitment to building a sustainable site while benefiting from the many advantages of this particular construction method. Individual elements such as ceilings, façades, columns and the building’s core are prefabricated in a standardised way so that they can simply be installed on site. This reduces noise, dust and the time required, as well as saving resources and money. The carbon emissions usually generated by a construction project of this size will be reduced by around 90%. According to Rhomberg, it now has the tools to help architects and planners to design buildings quickly and safely using the BIM process. The entire lifecycle of the building can be mapped out even before the initial groundbreaking by creating a “digital twin”.

 

35,000m2 in 24 months

More specifically, the timber construction firm involved in the project at Hildegard-Knef-Platz are using CREE’s LCT system (LifeCycleTower) to construct a block development with an atrium and a free-standing building with a shared basement and underground car park. Restaurants and sports facilities on the ground floor will also revitalise the neighbourhood, creating a brand-new city square at Berlin’s Südkreuz. A special feature of the first building will be a covered atrium with 1,500m2 of unusual terraces and staircases known as “trees”.

 

About CREE GmbH

CREE’s name is borrowed from one of North America’s First Nations, who lived in close harmony with nature. It also stands for Creative Resource & Energy Efficiency, and as part of Rhomberg Ventures – CREE’s owners along with the renowned Zech Group – it is the natural result of four generations of construction experience. Founded in 2010, the company aims to use innovative strategies to provide inspiration and ideas for improving the way we live and work with nature. New approaches focus on reducing the use of resources and energy over the whole lifecycle of buildings, taking into account the need to combat climate change. CREE has awarded international licences for its hybrid timber building system so that other companies can share in its groundbreaking approach.

 

About the Zech Group GmbH

The Zech Group GmbH is a strategic management holding company incorporating six divisions, each with their own operational management companies. The sheer variety of services offered makes the company an expert partner in the following sectors: construction, real estate, hotel, environment/technology, industry and international & consulting. As a broad-based, diversified group of companies, it concentrates on the real estate value chain. As a medium-sized, owner-managed company, the Zech Group is able to rapidly seize opportunities and adapt its structures to meet the demands of the market.

 

Image captions

Image 1: A brand-new city square with office and commercial buildings constructed using the innovative hybrid timber building system is planned for Berlin’s Südkreuz station.
Image 2: The atrium in the complex will have a special feature – unusual terraces and staircases known as “trees”.

Contact:

 

CREE GmbH

Färbergasse 17b, 6850 Dornbirn, Austria

www.creebuildings.com

Volker Weissenberger

Director Global Licensing

T. +43 664 8314852

volker.weissenberger(at)creebuildings.com

Press enquiries: media(at)creebuildings.com

General enquiries: info(at)creebuildings.com