Urban Mining Project in Korbach, Hesse, Germany
About this good practice
The new town hall in the County and Hanseatic town of Korbach is a combination of the renovation and remodelling of the medieval building and a new construction, which replaced an extension from the 1970s. The extension/the latter was carefully dismantled so that most of the concrete and even some of the clay bricks could be reused in the new building. At the same time, the architects created an identity-forming overall appearance by continuing the existing roof landscapes and a design language that blends discreetly into the image of the city centre. The project was recognised by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) as a pioneer of the urban mining principle, while at the same time meeting high standards in terms of building culture.
Resources needed
The planning team was supplemented by an architect specialising in urban mining design. The whole construction process was accompanied by experts. These additional expenses were financially supported by the state of Hesse.
Evidence of success
The declared aim was to reuse as much of the primary building materials as possible as recycled aggregate in situ. Around two thirds of the demolition material from the existing building could be utilised in different qualities for the new building. Based on this experience, the new town hall extension was planned and built according to circular principles so that the materials can be separated by type at the end of the building’s life cycle.
Potential for learning or transfer
The example shows that a considerable amount of primary raw materials can be saved in building construction if the raw materials resulting from demolition measures are recovered in a targeted manner and incorporated into new buildings. For example, the exposed concrete for the façade was replaced with mineral demolition materials from the clay brick rubble of the dismantled old building. In terms of design, this refers to the use of recycled materials from the previous building. Around 15 % of the broken concrete could be recycled to a high quality for the structural concrete construction. The example also shows that building owners can plan and build in a resource-conserving and circular manner without incurring significant additional costs. With this in mind, the project is seen as a practical contribution from Hesse to bringing the idea of a European Bauhaus, which was initiated as part of the Green Deal, to life.
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