Living Lab

At the B(e) Ware living lab, Berlin waste (supposedly “B-grade” material) is transformed into a valuable resource (“A-grade” material) for the construction sector, and a unique concept is being developed to simplify the construction of sophisticated building structures using local waste materials—here, everything (innovation, materials, and waste) is Made in Berlin. Like a circuit board, the real-world lab—as a transformative incubator—bridges organizational, legal, capacity, financial, and time-related gaps in traditional construction projects and creates missing interfaces between construction research and planning practice to facilitate the circular organization of value chains in Berlin, Germany, and Europe.

After focusing on construction timber during the concept phase, the B(e) Ware model is now being applied to other material groups, with suitable sources being identified within the established network. Existing material is identified, examined, recovered using minimally destructive methods, and stored in a central warehouse in Spandau. There, it is prepared for further processing to enable its reuse in load-bearing structures. Material sources from across Berlin are being incorporated and then used in new construction and renovation projects in various Berlin neighborhoods: a construction project in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf; a construction project in Treptow-Köpenick; and a construction project in Lichtenberg.

In addition, the concept phase aims to identify further implementation sites and collaborating projects. For example, B(e) Ware is testing a concept for the simplified construction of complex building structures using local secondary materials and for the circular organization of value chains in the construction sector.

Berlin as a testing ground for a socio-ecological transformation of economic life—the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises (SenWiEnBe) is pursuing this idea with a pilot program to support business-oriented real-world laboratories. The aim is to provide financial support for testing innovative and complex system solutions under real-world conditions. Priority will be given to initiatives that demonstrate high potential for value creation and knowledge transfer and that facilitate regulatory and administrative learning. Of the 56 projects submitted, three were selected for funding. During a three-year implementation phase, the ideas from research will now be transferred to practice, tested, and scaled up (project duration: June 2025 to October 2028).

Concept sketch for the living laboratory, Quelle: nbl.berlin/projects/reallabor-be-ware

Concept sketch for the living laboratory, Quelle: nbl.berlin/projects/reallabor-be-ware

Waste Wood as a Resource, Quelle: nbl.berlin/projects/reallabor-be-ware

Thematic Approaches:
#Circular Economy #Construction Transformation #Architecture

Spatial Approaches:
#Buildings #Neighborhood #Charlottenburg Campus

Project Website – Natural Building Lab – TU Berlin