The Timber-Earth Campus on the B&O premises in Berlin-Weissensee reflects, in both its construction and appearance, the various aspects of simple and sustainable building.

Conversion, refurbishment and careful additions give shape to a campus that picks up on the neighbouring small-scale structures. An exhibition area, inserted between two existing buildings, becomes a window display to the outside. A single-storey, flexible and multifunctional space for temporary exhibitions or events is situated in the courtyard. Serving as an orientation point, it connects the inner courtyard with the existing building and a new two-story office building. The courtyard itself will be depaved, thereby contributing to an improvement in the urban microclimate.

The façades of the single-storey structures are largely transparent to allow as many views as possible. The event area features four large sliding door elements, reminiscent of workshop doors, that enable the interior to extend into the exterior. For the office extension, the classic punched façades of the existing buildings have been reinterpreted using floor-to-ceiling windows. The simple striped timber façade echoes the wall structure externally.

The objective was to maximise the use of local pine wood. The supporting structure consists of columns and load-bearing wall panels, both made of timber, in the façade area. The firewall to the neighbouring building is also made of timber. Even the floor slab is a ventilated timber construction. All ceilings are load-bearing timber beams infilled with extruded earth blocks. Two load-bearing bracing walls are built using an earth block construction, and non-load-bearing interior walls are constructed from straw or paludiculture materials, making them fully recyclable. The materiality remains visible and, in addition to its aesthetic effect, contributes to a pleasant office climate.

The project is both a research initiative funded by the DBU and a collaborative effort developed together with the client, Bauhaus Erde, as well as Industrieverband Lehmbaustoffe e.V. and Landesbeirat Holz Berlin/Brandenburg e.V.