Moringa Hamburg HafenCity: Construction begins after purchase of land.
Construction has begun: Germany's first green residential high-rise building in a hybrid timber construction, built according to the cradle-to-cradle principle, is being realized in a prominent waterfront location in the Elbbrückenquartier district. Just one month after the purchase of the land, the first excavators rolled in in August for the groundbreaking Moringa Hamburg HafenCity project. The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2025.
With its debut project, Moringa GmbH, a sister company of project developer Landmarken AG, will be breaking new ground in the field of recyclable construction in Hamburg, investing hundreds of millions of euros in the process. Hamburger Sparkasse (Haspa) is providing the financing. The ensemble of three buildings is Germany's first residential high-rise to be built according to the cradle-to-cradle principle. The cradle-to-cradle (C2C) concept is based on nature. Just as biological cycles leave no waste behind, consumer goods should also be designed and used in such a way that they can be sensibly recycled at any time.
"The construction and real estate industries are among the main causes of our environmental problems," said Vanja Schneider, managing director of Moringa GmbH. "With our projects, we want to show that the consistent application of the circular economy principle is the right answer for us and our climate goals." Approximately 75 percent of the construction and furnishing materials (KGR 300, DIN 276) can be dismantled, sorted by type, and reused. This intensive recyclability is unmatched to date. In addition, Moringa Hamburg HafenCity uniquely combines ecological construction with the social aspect of creating affordable housing: All 193 residential units in the project are rental apartments, 80 of which are publicly subsidized. With a quota of over 40%, the project exceeds the requirements of Hamburg's one-third mix. Not least because of the combination of climate-friendly construction and affordable housing, this project is considered a trendsetter for the industry. This year, it has already been honored with the German Award for Sustainability Projects and the polis Award for Urban Development in the Ecological Reality category.
After the City of Hamburg and HafenCity GmbH awarded the contract for the 4,730 m² construction site 105 in a tender process, Moringa GmbH submitted the building application in 2021. Shortly after receiving the building permit in June 2022, the purchase of the property was notarized. Moringa GmbH was advised on the purchase of the property by the Hamburg law firm Zenk Rechtsanwälte. "Sustainability and innovation in the real estate industry are important to us and require innovative financing strategies," says Jens Ole Heitmann, Head of Real Estate Clients at Haspa, which is providing credit in the triple-digit million range. "With the Moringa project, we are breaking new ground with the comprehensive cradle-to-cradle principle. The aim here is to combine new perspectives and opportunities with existing know-how in order to generate sustainable solutions for the future."
Dr. Andreas Kleinau, CEO of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, is also looking forward to the development: "HafenCity, and the Elbbrücken district in particular, has developed into a laboratory for the future of sustainable construction. The Moringa Hamburg HafenCity residential tower is a particularly ambitious example, as it combines the concept of circular economy and resource conservation with intensive roof and facade greening. In addition, with a high proportion of subsidized rental apartments, it also meets the criteria for social sustainability. Moringa is a true pioneering project and shows that we can also contribute a great deal at the level of individual buildings to the social and ecological sustainability of urban development and construction."
With a gross floor area of approximately 19,100 square meters, the Moringa ensemble, designed by kadawittfeldarchitektur, will offer affordable housing as well as communal areas, a modern co-living concept, and co-working spaces operated by POHA House, a young, sustainability-focused start-up for co-spaces based in Aachen and Berlinco-spaces based in Aachen and Berlin. In addition to a range of dining options, Moringa will also have a five-classroom daycare center. Its operator, Villa Luna, will incorporate the C2C principle into its educational program with the support of Moringa GmbH.
The building itself provides plenty of illustrative material: Moringa GmbH will conclude take-back agreements with suppliers for all recyclable materials used in the building. These agreements commit suppliers to take back their products at the end of their useful life so that they can be returned to the material cycle even if the building is eventually demolished. An initial agreement on bathroom products has already been concluded with the manufacturer Kaldewei.
On the roofs and beyond – Moringa will be the first building in HafenCity with green facades – there will be more green space than the built-up area has square meters. The use of renewable energies such as regenerative district heating, photovoltaics, and heat recovery will enable significant CO2 savings. The consistent use of health-promoting materials and the exclusion of harmful substances also make Moringa perhaps the healthiest building in the city.
After setting up the construction site and completing the initial preparatory work, large drilling rigs arrived at the end of August to drive the first piles, around 20 meters deep, for the foundation. Completion is scheduled for spring 2025.
