Building sustainably

Building sustainably means breaking new ground. This is exactly what we are doing: with our "Sustainable Building" working group.

The result? A wide range of measures to design and implement our projects in an even more climate-friendly and resource-optimised way. Starting with planning - using the DGNB certifications as a framework for orientation - through to production and the use of materials. We endeavour to reduce these through intelligent structural optimisation. And we also consider potential deconstruction ("cradle to cradle") right from the start. This applies in particular to our subsidiary nyoo. To achieve this, we rely on intelligent designs and are gradually increasing the proportion of reusable and recyclable materials.

The potential impact we have on nature of course goes beyond buildings. We know that. That is why we are also optimising our construction site infrastructure and energy supply, and will be switching to green electricity across the board by 2030. We are also working on minimising water consumption on our construction sites and in our residential quarters and generally using the valuable resource of water responsibly - e.g. with rainwater collection basins, infiltration and tree trenches. As an early adopter of the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), we are also sensitive to the important issue of biodiversity - and are currently the only project developer in Germany that does so.

Sustainable building materials

What would a world look like if we were to build only using sustainable materials? We are working towards this vision of the future.

With an innovative selection of building materials that allow us to significantly reduce CO2 and thus help safeguard health and the environment. For example, in our Friedenauer Höhe project in Berlin. Here, for the first time, we were able to prove that the technology developed by one of our partners also works in practice.  By using resource-saving recycled concrete ("RC concrete"), we can further improve our carbon footprint by saving up to 20% of harmful greenhouse gases.

Of course, we already comply with our legal obligations for all Instone projects. Nevertheless, 28% of our total GHG footprint is generated during the building phase of our projects. We think that's too much. Which is why we continue to pursue ambitious goals. With the help of a building product matrix, we have identified the key building materials and named specific alternative products - examples include an eco-limestone and CO2-reduced concrete block paving. In addition, the team at our subsidiary nyoo is conducting intensive research into the use of innovative, resource-saving hybrid timber solutions By binding CO2 in timber over the long term, this can make a significant contribution to creating a CO2 reduction and thus support the achievement of climate targets.

Sustainable energy and mobility solutions

Renewable energies are an important component of a more sustainable future. As property developers, we are literally helping to build this future.

Because what we implement will be used by residents in the long term. Concrete ideas and innovative concepts are being developed by our "neighbourhood infrastructure" working group. To save energy wherever possible and do away with fossil fuels, we developed an energy supply matrix based on an analysis of 14 different parameters including CO2 emissions, energy efficiency class, future and energy supply stability with the aim of selecting the most efficient energy supply for our projects.
Our measures in this regard also include the standard use of photovoltaic systems on the roofs of our buildings - such as in our "Thumenberger Weg" project in Nuremberg, which, in combination with heat pumps, will be able to operate completely autonomously without using fossil fuels. And the topic of mobility is also an important lever here: we are making our residential districts fit for electromobility with the appropriate charging infrastructure and developing comprehensive future-oriented mobility concepts with which we can save parking spaces and reduce motorised private transport.