Groundbreaking for the Woodscrapers

Sometimes, patience is key—especially when ideas are ahead of their time. The origins of our Woodscraper project date back to 2015. Back then, we convinced the City of Wolfsburg to reserve a plot for an ecological high-rise concept in the Hellwinkel Terraces. Initially, the plan was to realize the project with a building cooperative, which unfortunately disbanded on short notice. What remained was our conceptual sketch and the prospect of the plot. What was missing was a developer.

The City of Wolfsburg never lost interest in the idea and stood by us until a client for the project was found. The city was equally committed to ensuring that the Hellwinkel Terraces would be developed in a truly forward-thinking way. The aim was to create a building with a robust structure, constructed with a maximum of renewable and CO2-storing materials. It needed to be adaptable or, if necessary, deconstructable without generating significant waste—especially since it would consist of separable elements that could be reused.

The big question, however, was how to make this idea both feasible for building permits and affordable—so that climate-friendly construction could also mean socially just housing.

In 2017, the DBU (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt) offered us funding for a research project. This allowed us to test whether our ideas could meet real-world requirements. Thanks to DBU’s support, we could continue working on the project and navigate an unusual challenge: advancing the planning without having a specific client for the construction. By 2019, we completed the research project and demonstrated that the idea of a circular, timber-based high-rise was both technically and financially viable—all while ensuring socially affordable rents.

By 2022, we finally found two strong partners: GLS Bank and the Krebs Group. They shared our belief in the innovative potential of the project and joined forces with us to bring it to life. Together, we set out to elevate the Bauwende (construction transition) to a new level.

The first steps have been taken: on Friday, October 18, 2024, the groundbreaking ceremony took place in Wolfsburg. It was attended by Federal Minister for Housing Klara Geywitz, Wolfsburg’s Mayor Dennis Weilmann, City Building Councillor Kai-Uwe Hirschheide, GLS Bank CEO Dirk Kannacher, and Sven Schmittbüttner from the Krebs Group. Their presence underscored the project's significance for environmentally and climate-friendly, as well as socially sustainable construction, extending far beyond the borders of Wolfsburg.

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone involved in the project so far. We look forward to the next steps as we watch the project rise on the construction site.