The global market leader for certified natural cosmetics and anthroposophic medicines is using local woods such as spruce and silver fir for the new Weleda Cradle Campus in the "Gügling" industrial estate in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The wood for the shelving system in the high-bay warehouse of the new logistics center comes from Styria in Austria. The rest of the wood comes from the nearby Black Forest. The racking warehouse has been built entirely from regional timber: 17,000 pallets will be stored here.
A total of around 5,800 m3 of wood will be used, the majority of which (4,500 m3) will be used for the high-bay warehouse with its innovative racking system. All the wood in and around the three new buildings will remain untreated. Only the façade cladding is given a pre-greying glaze for longer durability.
Less CO2 thanks to wood
By opting for wood as a building material, Weleda is sending a clear signal for climate protection for its flagship project: 2,600 tons of CO2 could be saved by using this renewable and sustainable raw material. "The alternatives would have been concrete or steel," explains architect Nico Santuario from Michelgroup GmbH in Ulm. "And we would have had to use sheet metal cassettes for the exterior walls, for example." Wood stands for the climate-friendly use of resources, which is precisely why the Cradle Campus has just received the Polis Award in the Ecological Reality category.
Renewable and recycled raw materials
The building concept provides for maximum user comfort with minimum energy consumption. This applies during construction, operation and dismantling. Mainly renewable or recycled raw materials such as wood and clay are used. The use of local building materials minimizes transport routes and ultimately the CO2 footprint.
About the Cradle Campus
The Weleda Cradle Campus near Schwäbisch Gmünd is an architectural masterpiece. Its innovative design combines sustainability, nature integration and forward-looking energy management in a unique symbiosis. The campus, which is currently in the final stages of completion and is expected to go into operation in autumn 2024, represents an innovative building concept that has implemented the principles of the circular economy. The project stands out for its consistent implementation of sustainable principles, such as the use of natural building materials like rammed earth and regional wood. With over 10,000 photovoltaic modules and geothermal energy, the logistics camp will be completely emission-free.
