SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE: ALL-NATURAL MATERIALS FOR BERLIN SCHOOL EXTENSION

Contemporary architecture and sustainability are becoming inseparable. The energy efficiency of buildings, the sustainable use of construction materials and the ways in which buildings can contribute to reducing the impact of climate change are inspiring and motivating architects across the world. The extension of the Free Waldorf School in Berlin is one of those cases that makes us dream of a well designed, eco-friendly tomorrow.

In 2015, German architectural practice MONO Architekten was assigned a very ambitious redevelopment project at the Free Waldorf School in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. Their task was to extend the original prefabricated building from the 1970s by creating a brand new after-school building.

For this new structure, architects at MONO chose to completely depart from the school's original architectural style and use more contemporary, organic shapes instead. Their design for the new after-school center consists of a cluster of curved pentagonal volumes of different sizes and heights, with the roof slopes going in different directions. Topped with green roofs, the overall effect is reminiscent of lush mossy stones.

Sustainability was at the core of the project, and MONO Architekten used natural and renewable materials wherever possible. The structures of the extension are timber framed and walls are built from straw and clay plaster. Untreated larch wood planks of various widths serve as exterior cladding, which truly evokes the feeling of a calm oasis in the middle of the busy European capital. The extensive 450 m² green roof perfectly completes this approach by providing more space for nature while being perfectly waterproofed by Elevate’s RubberGard EPDM roofing membrane underneath it. And it’s not just about looks.

In addition to their aesthetic value, green roofs offer many benefits, particularly in urban settings. To start with, they have an overall positive effect on people’s health and well-being, providing a good environment for social interaction, something especially important in a public space such as a school. For the extension of the Free Waldorf School, a mix of low-growing herb grasses was the vegetation of choice. During the flowering season, it will offer a colorful picture to the children and attract beneficial insects such as pollinators, improving  local biodiversity.

Green roofs also help mitigate the “urban heat island effect” by returning moisture to the environment. Moreover, they provide thermal and sound insulation. Both advantages are very important in school settings. 

To accommodate the creative vision of the architects, the roofing membrane for the new after-school extension had to be sustainable, efficient, versatile and flexible, offering a perfect fit for the irregular shapes of the building. It also had to be lightweight and robust enough to provide a durable basis for the green roof system.

With this long list of requirements, MONO Architekten specified an EPDM roofing membrane for the project. 

The sustainable features of EPDM are widely recognized by institutions and environmental organizations. Greenpeace, GreenTeam and the Dutch Institute for Building Biology and Ecology (NIBE) have named it as the roofing membrane with the least environmental impact that offers a durable, long-term solution for modern architecture. In its latest evaluation, NIBE states that EPDM roofing membranes are the most environmentally friendly choice for flat roofs. What are the specific criteria of this evaluation? Carried out every two years, it compares the initial costs (material and installation costs) as well as all hidden environmental costs (raw material consumption, energy consumption during production) of roofing membranes from different manufacturers. 

How exactly did Elevate’s RubberGard EPDM roofing membrane make a good fit for the Free Waldorf School project in terms of design freedom? First of all, it’s single-ply, which means it can adapt to irregular shapes very easily, following the geometry of the support and accepting its various expansions and retractions without ever saturating or breaking and always returning to its original shape. It can be used in all kinds of climates and can be fully adhered, mechanically attached or ballasted.  RubberGard EPDM is also environmentally friendly. In combination with green roofs, it maximizes its sustainability advantages.

Finalized in June 2017, the project was one of the winners of Germany’s Federal Timber Construction Plus 2018 competition, in the category "Public Building - New Buildings & Existing Buildings". The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture grants this prize every two years, rewarding exemplary buildings made with renewable raw materials.

This project was  also nominated for the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) Award for Architecture 2020, one of the most renowned architecture awards in Germany.

EPDM is the most future-proof roofing solution when it comes to sustainability, performance and design freedom. Learn more about the role it played within this project and many others by discovering its benefits.