Günther Hoffmann (BMVBS), Werner Herud (BfS), Rita Ruoff-Breuer (BBR), Prof. Alexander Rudolphi (GFÖB Berlin mbH), Frank Schulze (Cosa-Nova Architekten) at the presentation of the award

“Responsibility for man and the environment” – a mission statement also applied by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) to its construction projects: the BfS has recently been awarded a silver “German Seal of Approval for Sustainable Building” (DGNB) for its new laboratory in Berlin-Karlshorst. The building was completed in August 2009 and subsequently commissioned.

Günther Hoffmann, head of Construction with the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS) presented the award on 16th February 2010 in Berlin during the bautec trade fair. This seal, which was launched in 2008, is awarded jointly by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für nachhaltiges Bauen e.V. and the BMVBS.

Six aspects are taken into account when awarding the DGNB sustainability seal: environmental, efficiency, socio-cultural, technical, process quality and the quality of the location. In this way the seal sets specific targets for quality management during the planning process and the construction phase. With regard to environmental quality, the new laboratory complex scored extremely highly, achieving 84 of a possible 100 points. The same was true of its efficiency – with a score of 79 out of a 100. There were reservations when it came to assessing usability, this being due in part however to specific safety requirements and technical installations.

When it comes to sustainable building, the entire life cycle of a structure is examined during the initial planning phase – from its construction and usage right though to its eventual demolition. Assuming a life cycle of 50 years the Gesellschaft für ökologische Bautechnik mbH (GfÖB Berlin mbH) inspected all structural elements for their operational characteristics, maintenance costs, energy efficiency and recycling suitability. In addition all materials used in the construction of the building were tested for hazardous components such as solvent content or substances known to damage the ozone layer. In this way it was possible to improve the building's insulation and window technology, thus reducing its demand for energy as originally calculated by thirty percent.

Further information

• Zertifikat DGNB in silber as PDF-file (784 KB, file is not accessible)