Environmentally friendly mobility for a booming neighbourhood
Electric engines and shuttle services aim to take the pressure off local traffic
‘Mobility is changing the way we work and the offices we work in,’ says Dirk Germandi. As the managing director of the real estate company Projektgesellschaft Gartenstadt Adlershof, Brain Box Berlin (BBB) is much more to him than an office and business complex with a 34-metre-high tower overlooking a vast area. To him, Adlershof is a ‘thoroughly loveable and green neighbourhood.’
The Science and Technology Park is booming. Many new jobs and university courses are being created. The site is bustling with construction and delivery vans. This has resulted in a tense traffic situation: congested streets, not enough parking, and crowded trains. The team at Brain Box Berlin is committed to alleviating the situation with an ‘efficient and environmentally friendly mobility concept.’ Its most important building blocks are electromobility and shuttle services. The advantages are obvious: less emissions, less noise, but better accessibility.
The 400-metre-long complex, which boasts 24,000 square metres of useable space, will create 1,800 jobs and 229 parking spaces in the basement carpark. It will be completed in the third quarter of 2020. Schönefeld Airport/BER can be reached in a matter of minutes thanks to direct motorway access. The trip from BBB to S-Bahn station Schöneweide, the area’s most important public transport hub, takes only a few minutes longer using an electric shuttle bus.
Moreover, users of e-cars can look forward to 20 charging stations, ten of which are quick chargers, and numerous chargers for e-bikes. ‘We also offer a sharing services for tenants to rent electric car and bikes,’ says Germandi.
Delivery cars will access the building via a separate driveway. A well-thought-out facility management concept will ensure that deliveries are made efficient and hassle-free. The building also has a central rubbish pick-up to facilitate waste management. ‘We aim to ensure efficient waste disposal and prevent empty runs,’ says the company’s CEO.
Future Living Berlin (FLP) also aims to promote hassle-free mobility in Adlershof. Their pioneering model for smart urban living was developed by the real-estate companies Gesellschaft für Siedlungs- und Wohnungsbau Baden-Württemberg GmbH and Unternehmensgruppe Krebs.
Local technology companies integrating their own services and products are also part of the concept. In Adlershof, this concept applies to 69 units and 12 commercial properties, studios, and an exhibition area with a cafeteria. FLB offers preconfigured flats, which can be controlled through an app or voice control and amended with additional smart applications according to one’s needs.
Daimler AG is also involved in these projects. ‘Playing a part in further developing mobility solutions is very important to us,’ says Daimler’s speaker Tim In der Smitten. Moreover, the company also wants to contribute products and services that go beyond mobility. In der Smitten cites linking cars with affiliated products and smart home applications. Daimler’s most important contribution to the FLB project comes courtesy of the Smart brand, which provides ‘closed community carsharing’ with emissions-free and battery-powered cars. Closed community means that the shared use of one or more cars is limited to FLB residents, who have exclusive access via an app to five ‘Smart EQ fortwo’ and ‘EQ forfour’ as of January 2020, which they can park in a predetermined ‘home zone’ after use. Several charging stations for Smart batteries are scattered across the FLB premises. Batteries can also be refilled at so-called ‘plugsurfing’ stations. The cars are suitable for people with mobility impairments because they can be driven without using a clutch pedal. ‘We also aim to encourage community members to support each other by carpooling,’ says In der Smitten. The knowledge gained throughout this process can later be applied to other projects.
By Paul Janositz for Adlershof Journal