Impact Hub Berlin’s Coworking Space
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Europe's biggest Impact Hub is home to a new generation of impact entrepreneurs. Located in the heart of Berlin with 3,500m² of community coworking, offices, café and maker labs, the space embodies circular thinking in all aspects of its creation and operation. With its circular and barrier free design, the application of reuse materials wherever possible as well as the zero-waste and renewable energy focused operational concept, the building is a showcase for sustainability and inclusive design
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Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
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Summary
Impact Hub Berlin empowers entrepreneurs and organizations to create innovative solutions for people and the planet. Since 2014, they combine collaborative workspace, individual business advice and connection to a global network into a sustainable support system for impact-driven entrepreneurs and those who want to work with them. As part of the Impact Hub global network with 100+ locations and 24,000 members worldwide, Impact Hub Berlin is both locally rooted and globally connected in its mission, to support innovative solutions in four core ecosystems: inclusion, green tech, sustainable food and the circular economy.
As its community grew, in 2020 Impact Hub Berlin stated a growth process by identifying a unique opportunity to plan, build and operate their new significantly larger space. They joined the cooperative TRSFRM that was in the process of pioneering circular construction and resource-saving building in Berlin by developing the historic Kindl Brewery estate. After 18 months of close collaboration, Impact Hub Berlin's new location opened its doors Feb‘22 in Berlin’s Neukölln district. Embracing a completely innovative approach, the space embodies circular thinking in all aspects of its creation and operations. This includes reusing materials such as timber and bricks from the pre-existing warehouse and numerous other sources wherever possible, running zero-waste and renewable energy focused operational concept and working closely withothr useres on the esstate as well as the local neigbourhood.. The interior comprises community spaces, coworking and offices and workshop and function rooms for Impact Hub Berlin’s entrepreneurial support programs and events. Maker labs will allow innovators across industries to create the prototypes and products of tomorrow. Local residents will have access to the zero-waste café and terrace. Impact Hub Berlin’s new home is a prototype for future circular economic practice, work, and life.
Key objectives for sustainability
Being one of the biggest polluters in the world, 40% of CO2 emissions and 60% of waste are linked to the construction sector. While there have mainly been improvements in energy and insulation efficiency, most emissions occur in the resource intense construction phase. Taking the whole lifecycle of a building into account, the approach of the building cooperative was to pioneer towards a circular transformation. This means pushing boundaries in methods of construction, materials, and regulations. In particular, as much reuse of resources that normally are considered as “waste”, such as old windows, bricks, and timber of the former warehouse and other buildings that would have been disposed otherwise. Furthermore, natural, regenerative, and healthy materials were maximized, such as wood and clay. The design for the interior is as well rooted in sustainability principles, for example insolation with hemp chalk, reusing materials from Impact Hub Berlin’s former space and other warehouses. The materials and installations are dismountable and easy to maintain over time or be reused elsewhere in the future. The coworking, meeting and office spaces are equipped with the circular “furniture as a service” model. This means the furniture is rented, which is more sustainable, due to durability, repairability, and adaption when needed. Other components of the interior are build and maintained in the maker spaces. The interior is build modular and can be adjusted to the needs of usage.
Analogue to the design and construction approach, the entire facility management of Impact Hub Berlin will aim to be emission-free and low-waste all the way to the on-site gastronomy that will also take these principles into account. Impact Hub Berlin refers to this approach as “walking the talk” as they not only support their community to have a positive environmental and social impact but run their own operation as a lighthouse for exactly these principles.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Impact Hub Berlin aims to build a state-of-the-art support system for impact-driven entrepreneurs and organizations, setting new standards for inclusive and circular design.
The key objective in terms of aesthetics is to meet high standards of look and feel, whilst still telling the story of circularity and sustainability to users and visitors.The trusted implementation partner for the interior design was LXSY Architects who won the German Design Award in 2017 for their work on Impact Hub Berlin’s first space. In the collaborative process, LXSY Architects are implementing circular construction methods, aspects such as reuse of components, flexibility, recycled materials, future changes of use, and reversibility of structures are considered. Materials from exhibitions, e.g., Yoko Ono have been “rescued” and given a new life and unique aesthetic to the new space. Simple standards, and modular components stay adjustable to future needs to continue learning from how people need to use the space and to continuously adapt it.
The key objectives in terms of experience is to provide a state of the art work environment build on Impact Hub Berlin’s core principles of trust, collaboration, and courage. Whether introverted or extroverted, concentrating or collaborating, one finds a cozy and effective place to work. Members can choose to work from the open coworking areas, focus area, lounges, restaurant, or even on the outdoor terrace. Taking calls from the phone booth, chat or huddle at the lounge, or take a nap in the sleeping box. Workshop and Meeting Rooms are excellent spaces to host collaboration sessions, board meetings, conference calls, and ideation sessions. The roof terrace with urban gardening provides a wider view over the lively site of the former Kindl brewery. Well designed atmospheric community and recreation spaces invite to social exchange and relaxation. The open gastronomy and terrace facing the public space invites visitors and the neighborhood in.
Key objectives for inclusion
Trust, collaboration, courage, and care - these are integral parts of the way Impact Hub Berlin builds and maintains their community. A vibrant cultural offering ensures an open, diverse and welcoming environment. This is key to making the ecosystem accessible and attractive for anyone looking to actively experience, engage, and co-shape a future that works for all. All floors will be wheelchair accessible via a central elevator and have barrier-free bathrooms on each floor. Many of the events and programs hosted will have hybrid components, to accommodate participants remotely. The makerspaces are run by innovation collectives dedicated to topics like plastic upcycling, sustainable fashion, the future of food and circular design, in mid- to long-term arrangements and at moderate prices. Many of them were also involved in the co-creative conception and construction process of the space. Facilities will be available for usage to the community and civil society in various events and set-ups, e.g. inviting the neighborhood to the gastronomy and terrace, events and workshops, such as cooking sessions at the food-lab. Furthermore, regular impact stipends are rewarded to help entrepreneurs create impact. The key challenges Impact Hub Berlin tries to support with are access to networks, capital, talent, and visibility. But what the members value most is the way the community supports each other with feedback, introductions and passing on of opportunities.
Results in relation to category
Impact Hub Berlin’s circular space means more opportunities for the next generation of impact entrepreneurs to join the many successful businesses to have flourished within the Impact Hub Berlin community to date. Such as jobs4refugees, a social enterprise who support Berlin’s newcomer community to find fulfilling work, and Minespider, a fast-growing startup using blockchain technology to make supply chains more sustainable.
By the soft opening on February 28th, the community members more than doubled vs. the start of the year, increasing to 265 members being part of Impact Hub Berlins impact ecosystem. Moreover, maker collectives and organizations fully rented all available labs and offices. This is the first proof of concept for the relevance and need of creating collaborative circular ecosystems for the growing community of local changemakers.
The space itself showcases how to work with the existing built environment, how to adapt and recreate structures with used and sustainable materials in a co-creative process. Pushing boundaries and questioning the status quo, all materials used in building construction are either reused or reusable, unless legal regulations prohibit this. The Interior fittings can be largely dismantled in the event of a change of use. New circular models such as “furniture as a service” have been implemented. Moreover, the design and construction process is fully collaborative, including consultations with users, neighbors, and experts. The building management focuses as well on circular principles like closing cycles, waste minimization, and efficient rentable energy use. Once fully operating, more collected data can measure the impact of the circular approach. The impact measurements of the circular construction are still ongoing. Due to the complex adaptive circular construction process, measurements can only be taken retrospectively, due to the undetermined reused component availability.
How Citizens benefit
Under the stewardship of the Edith Maryon Foundation, the site of the former Kindl brewery in Berlin’s Neukölln district is already home to many sustainable and socially-oriented organizations. The interplay of community-oriented living and working is the guiding theme for the participatory development of the entire site. As part of the collective, Impact Hub Berlin participates in the ongoing co-creation process, dialogue formats within the neighborhood, and expert rounds. Well aware that new projects have the potential to change neighborhoods, districts, and communities, the participatory process serves to figure out the needs and concerns as well as to build trust within the neighborhood. This creates ownership of the space and adds value to the community.
Building on experience from the former space and the gained community building expertise, the co-creation processes let by Impact Hub Berlin especially concentrated on the user's needs to state-of-the-art space experience to be implemented in the design process. E.g., the collaboration with an NGO aiming solutions for more participation and accessibility let to the creation of an inclusive and barrier free space concept for the Hub’s interior design. Furthermore, the large existing network of divers actors from various disciplines let to a vital and ongoing knowledge exchange and peer learning across sectors
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
Even though the construction industry needs to make a drastic change in order to reduce resource consumption and waste pollution, less than 1% of the construction industry is building unconventionally. Impact Hub Berlin’s circular coworking space is a prototype that contributes to reimagining circular systems. It showcases how a disused factory building can turn into a resource and emission reduced, inspiring home to a new generation of changemakers and impact entrepreneurs. Across all initiatives, and programs, circularity will be a key driver in accelerating the transition to a circular economy that respects planetary boundaries. In order to build a better future, a holistic sector-inclusive approach needs to be taken. A lighthouse project for new unconventional and co-creative circular building processes, Impact Hub Berlin is a pioneer of pushing boundaries and setting new standards for circular construction, maintenance, and thinking.
Learning transferred to other parties
Although many materials are technically reusable, only about 1% of building resources are recycled in the industry. This is due to a lack of experience and fragmentation of the stakeholders in the process. There is no common knowledge on how to do it and a lack of shared examples of how co-creative circular construction can succeed. Guided by the ethos of sustainability and inclusive design, Impact Hub Berlin’s space serves as a lighthouse project for circular architecture and sustainable operations.
Reusing building components and materials with a history of use, applying biological and technical circularity to reuse components. To make this possible, all components are catalogized and mostly build modular with accessible screws in order to be disassembled and reused in the future. Additionally, the space will be a tangible living exhibition of circularity, providing visible material structures such as hemp chalk surfaces. Attached QR-codes provide further information to learn about the materials' history, it’s use and reusability to openly share the challenges and learnings of building and maintaining a space according to circular principles.
Furthermore, network events, knowledge exchanges, incubation, and acceleration programs are substantial parts of the circular ecosystem programmed by Impact Hub Berlin, and it’s network, publishing an impact report on a bi-yearly basis. Ongoing evaluation of the co-creative construction process and usage of the space will provide the necessary resources for further research and development over time, which will be openly shared to learn from, to adapt, and to improve. Multiple levels of learning occur moreover throughout the evaluation of collaboration processes with multiple stakeholders from different sectors. Impact Hub Berlin will set the example through their own space and become a role model by contributing to the circular transition and thinking.
