{"id":21765,"date":"2025-03-28T16:28:40","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T15:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/rethinking-existing-structures-how-atelier-gardens-house-1-became-a-laboratory-for-sustainable-building\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T13:41:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T12:41:40","slug":"rethinking-existing-structures-how-atelier-gardens-house-1-became-a-laboratory-for-sustainable-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/rethinking-existing-structures-how-atelier-gardens-house-1-became-a-laboratory-for-sustainable-building\/","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking Existing Structures: How Atelier Gardens, House 1 Became a Laboratory for Sustainable Building"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Transformation Instead of Demolition: An Office Building in Berlin Creates Sustainable Educational and Workspaces<\/h2>\n\n
\"Atelier
Credit: MVRDV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The campus at the former Tempelhof Airport was long considered an urban planning interstitial space. Today, the area, known as “Atelier Gardens<\/a>,” is an address for social change \u2013 and House 1 is its architectural statement. Originally a conventional office building from the 1990s, it was transformed by MVRDV together with Hirschm\u00fcller Schindele Architekten into a versatile working environment. The goal was to preserve the existing structure while creating a place that fosters exchange, creativity, and responsibility. <\/p>\n\n

In close proximity to the Berliner Union Film Ateliers, once a significant production site in German film history, a place was created where NGOs, start-ups, and activists work together on solutions for social and ecological challenges. House 1 forms the entry point to this new district. The striking yellow structure makes the idea visible: existing buildings can become carriers for societal visions. <\/p>\n\n

Architecture for Collaboration and Community Spirit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Inside, House 1 creates an atmosphere characterized by openness and flexibility. Co-working spaces, retreat areas, and a caf\u00e9 lounge as a social meeting point enable vibrant use. The rental model deliberately focuses on redistribution: while established companies pay market-standard prices, smaller initiatives benefit from subsidized conditions. This mix creates a working environment that structurally integrates encounters and synergies. <\/p>\n\n

The design promotes functionality and also contributes to the building’s resilience: spaces can be altered, uses adapted \u2013 without having to rethink the structural framework.<\/p>\n\n

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Sustainability as an Architectural Mandate<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

The structural transformation follows a clear principle: conserve resources, utilize existing structures, close cycles. The new roofscape with a modular wooden pavilion was greened and integrated into the site’s water management system. Rainwater is collected, and heat is buffered. Energy-efficient lighting and passive cooling complement the concept. Even the sanitary facilities were designed for water recycling. <\/p>\n\n

The idea of reuse is also reflected in the choice of materials. Instead of radical new construction, a hybrid model emerged that activates the potential of the existing building \u2013 both ecologically and economically. <\/p>\n\n

Atelier Gardens as an Urban Development Model<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

House 1 is part of a master plan that progressively rethinks the entire campus. The focus is on mixed-use, connecting education, work, culture, and environmental issues. Architecture is not seen as a backdrop but as a tool for change. In the heart of Tempelhof, it becomes clear: sustainable urban development often begins on a small scale \u2013 with the decision to preserve an existing building. <\/p>\n\n

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House 1 in Berlin-Tempelhof: Transformation Instead of New Construction
\nThe project by MVRDV and Hirschm\u00fcller Schindele Architekten demonstrates how an office building can be transformed into a space for sustainable work and education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21767,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":""},"categories":[100,93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-work","category-impulses"],"acf":[],"ticketed":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21765"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21765\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21784,"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21765\/revisions\/21784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schulbau.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}