Last updated: November 2024
On the site of a former malthouse in Berlin, a company has developed a sustainable rainwater storage system to prevent flooding in the sealed environment, which had been vacant for several years. Once used for malt production, the site is now home to offices, studios, manufacturing businesses, and hosts sustainable events. The site's transformation includes natural gardens, tenant gardening beds, green roofs, and two outdoor water basins that retain rainwater, creating a blue space for recreation. (Ref. 1) The two ponds are filled with filtered rainwater, and an underground tank stores additional water, allowing it to seep away gradually. Native plants surround the ponds, creating a habitat for local wildlife. Given that much of the surrounding area is sealed, the ponds help mitigate urban flooding by managing and storing rainwater, reducing the site's reliance on the urban sewage system. Additionally, as Berlin faces extreme heat in summer, the project offers a cooling effect and provides access to filtered water during droughts. (Ref. 1; Ref. 2) The project is managed and financed by IGG Malzfabrik mbH, which oversees the entire site in Berlin's industrial area and rents out office spaces to various companies. This initiative is part of a broader sustainability strategy that addresses social, economic, and ecological factors, and it is featured in the company’s common good economy report (Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie Bericht). (Ref. 5)
Overview over the Malzfabrik
FirmenGärten Berlin
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Lakes/ponds
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Conversion of former industrial areas
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Drought
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Poor water quality
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of green roofs and walls, Creation of semi-natural blue areas, Creation of lakes or ponds, Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat restoration, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Post-industrial site regeneration, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces
Project objectives
To create a recreational space for both humans and animals in an industrial environment. (Ref. 2)
To improve the microclimate through evaporation processes. (Ref. 2)
To implement a rainwater management system for sealed and built areas to prevent urban flooding. (Ref. 2)
To improve rainwater quality through filtration processes. (Ref. 2)
To increase biodiversity by providing habitats for animals and planting native plant species. (Ref. 2)
To foster CO2 sequestration through the creation of aquatic ecosystems. (Ref. 4)
Implementation activities
The property was bought in 2005 and expanded in 2010 with the purchase of the neighbouring natural wasteland to the south. The former malthouse was to be given a new lease of life, taking ecological and historical aspects into account. The sustainable use of rainwater was considered from the outset and the soil survey carried out prior to the conversion work revealed good infiltration capacity for the area. (Ref. 1)
The open areas of the southern part of the site were redesigned with two water basins that represent natural carbon sinks (‘pond’ and ‘leisure basin’). Beforehand, 900 m² of green roof had already been laid, which retains rainwater. Rainfall from roofs and traffic areas is channelled down a slope to the cistern, where the first suspended particles settle. The water is then channelled through a soil filter and a drainage layer to purify it. Only then does it flow into one of the two water basins, the natural pond. The leisure pool is fed by a reactivated deep well. Excess water flows from the basins into an underground buffer tank where it seeps away. The total water surface area is 1,230 square metres and cools down the surrounding through evaporation. The banks of the basins are planted with native plants, some of which are endangered, to increase biodiversity and provide a habitat for animals. (Ref. 2; Ref. 3)
The managing company created a sustainability strategy, which the baisins are part of, and a report about its contribution to the community (Ref. 5).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore native species
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The company managing the buildings and property financed the implementation itself and created a sustainability strategy for the property, including the retention ponds. (Ref. 3) Several engineering, landscape and gardening companies planned and implemented the project. (Ref. 2) Assessments of the grounds (soil) and property had to be conducted prior to the implementation to ensure good infiltration capacity, wherefore an office for water management and civil engineering was furthermore involved in the project. Several expertises had to be commissioned to obtain approval from the water authorities as the project's pipes were going through adjacent property. (Ref. 7).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Achieved lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Achieved improved water quality
- Improved stormwater management
- Achieved improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Achieved increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Economic impacts
- Reduce financial cost for urban management
- Achieved reduce financial cost for urban management
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Berliner Regenwasseragentur (n.d.). Malzfabrik. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
2.
FirmenGärten (n.d.). Firmenpark mit Wasserbiotop und Naturgärten. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Nawi Berlin (n.d.). Ein Industriedenkmal blüht auf: Wie die Malzfabrik Flächen und Gebäude nachhaltig gestaltet. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Bürger für Denkmale (n.d.). Malzfabrik. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
5.
malzfabrik (n.d.). Nachhaltigkeit: Auf dem grünen Weg. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Berlin-Brandenburg Statistical Office (2024). Statistischer Bericht. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Malzfabrik (2022). Büro am Wasser. Accessed on October 4, 2024, [Source link];
The pond is used for recreational activities by employees and citizens
Nils Krüger
Malzfabrik
https://regenwasseragentur.berlin/projekte/malzfabrik/
Malzfabrik
https://regenwasseragentur.berlin/projekte/malzfabrik/
Malzfabrik
https://regenwasseragentur.berlin/projekte/malzfabrik/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.