A Discussion Grounded in Holzmarkt’s History

The event took place in Berlin’s Holzmarkt district, a vibrant cultural cooperative that evolved from a once-vacant brownfield. “The Holzmarkt that we are in used to be one of Berlin’s central lumber ports [...] and it ended up left as a vacant brownfield,” explained Moojin Park, co-founder of Office ParkScheerbarth. Today, Holzmarkt draws nearly a million visitors annually, with Haus 2+ playing a key role in its continued development.

A Model for Sustainable Infill

At the heart of the discussion was Haus 2+, a three-story timber building designed with sustainability in mind. “Last year we added Haus 2+ to this creative village,” said Park, adding that the building is “a three-story timber building, clad in bright red and marking the main entrance.” The project was designed to minimize its environmental impact by reusing existing infrastructure. As Park described, “It’s attaching itself to the existing staircase of the concert venue [...] to reduce the CO2-intensive circulation space.”

The building offers affordable spaces for small businesses like a bakery and tattoo studio, serving as an example of how urban infill can create vibrant, community-centered spaces while reducing environmental impact. Park also highlighted the project’s flexibility and sustainable design, noting, “It is all regionally prefabricated and assembled with screws instead of glue for easy disassembly and reuse in the future.”

Engineering Challenges and Solutions

Nils Maevis, Senior Engineer at Buro Happold, addressed the engineering complexities of building with timber in an urban environment. While small in scale, Haus 2+ was not without its challenges. “It has roughly the same amount of complex and challenging details and connections as any other way bigger structure,” Maevis noted. Timber, however, proved to be an ideal solution, allowing for a lightweight structure and rapid assembly. As Maevis explained, “The construction itself of the timber part of the building took roughly two weeks.”

The project also featured innovative techniques to further reduce its environmental impact, such as using engineered wood and hollow-core slabs to minimize both material use and weight. Maevis described this as “one of the key factors of a carbon-reduced construction.”

Contributing to the Urban Fabric

Beyond its technical achievements, Haus 2+ has contributed to the social fabric of the surrounding community. “Urban infill is successful if it contributes something to the community,” said Sven Fuchs, Partner at GRAFT. The design of Haus 2+ achieved this by creating a more intimate public space at the entrance to Holzmarkt. Park elaborated on this, describing how the project’s design aims to create “a little more vibrant, intimate space,” inviting people into the area and enriching the overall visitor experience.

Reflecting on the broader significance of urban infill in Berlin, Fuchs highlighted the value of such projects in revitalizing underutilized spaces and contributing positively to the urban environment.

The Berlin edition of the Holcim Foundation Awards Talks showcased the potential of urban infill to shape more sustainable, socially engaging cities. By prioritizing innovative design, thoughtful engineering, and meaningful community contributions, projects like Haus 2+ offer valuable insights into the future of urban development.

Reflections by Priya Pawar

Program Manager, Holcim Foundation Awards and Curator of the Panel

The Holcim Foundation’s work is grounded in four key principles: viable economics, uplifting places, thriving communities, and a healthy planet. These goals guide the Foundation's recognition of projects that champion sustainable construction. The recognition of Haus 2+ at Holzmarkt 25 with the 2023 Holcim Foundation Award exemplifies how the project successfully addressed all four of these principles.

It represents a successful example of commercial urban infill development, balancing modern sustainable growth with heritage preservation (viable economics). Alongside many other urban infill projects in Berlin like the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg industrial conversions, it demonstrates how policy frameworks including the Bebauungsplan and public engagement requirements can foster innovative adaptive reuse while preserving specific neighborhood identity (uplifting places). The project's integration of sustainably developed infrastructure creates affordable and vibrant ecosystems serving both business and community interests (thriving communities). Haus 2+, as an outstanding example of sustainable construction, demonstrates how thoughtfully integrated sustainability strategies (healthy planet) and planning policies can strengthen a city's forward-thinking identity while preserving cultural heritage. The Award affirms the global significance of sustainable urban development strategies in addressing contemporary urban challenges.