Location
Freiburg, Germany
Typology
Office
Year
2014-2023
Status
study
Client
City of Freiburg
Size
96,000 m² GFA | 3,7 ha site area
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The Freiburg Townhall Ensemble extends the city’s pioneering legacy in sustainable architecture, shaping a civic campus that reaches beyond net-zero. Conceived as a compact ensemble of three administrative buildings, it consolidates municipal and district services while generating more energy than it consumes. The first structure, completed in 2017, became the world’s first net-surplus-energy public building, powered by geothermal and photovoltaic systems integrated into its timber façade of locally sourced larch. Its open courtyards and “green campus” layout encourage interaction between departments and foster public accessibility.
The next development phase expands this model. Townhall 2 - the “Family Townhall”- unites family and education services under one roof, with an underground bicycle garage for 600 bikes and fully electric, emission-free operation. Townhall 3 continues the progression from linear to circular design. Extensive green roofs, vertical planting and earthen noise barriers form a climate-active surface, enhancing biodiversity and CO2 sequestration. Prefabricated timber modules, dismantlable joints and recycled materials embed circular-economy principles, reducing emissions by half compared with standard benchmarks. Across the ensemble, façades and roofs host photovoltaic systems producing 870,000 kWh annually, feeding surplus energy into the grid and turning Freiburg’s civic heart into a regenerative energy landscape.
Location
Freiburg, Germany
Typology
Office
Year
2014-2023
Status
study
Client
City of Freiburg
Size
96,000 m² GFA | 3,7 ha site area
Read more
