Europe's largest green façade sets standards

The construction industry is changing: sustainable construction is becoming increasingly important - and not just because of the ambitious climate targets that countries around the world have committed to. It is also important for many property developers to build in a way that conserves resources and makes sense for the environment and society. The Kö-Bogen II commercial and office building in Düsseldorf is one of the outstanding green buildings of our time.

The construction and building sector is responsible for around 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing this proportion and building more sustainably is therefore an important starting point for climate protection. What is considered sustainable in the construction industry is independently assessed and certified, for example by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). It has also assessed Kö-Bogen II and awarded it two of its certificates, the DGNB Platinum Certificate and the globally unique DGNB Diamond Certificate.

In order to fulfil the criteria required for DGNB certification, it is important that all parties involved - from the architect and specialist planner to the client and the individual trades - work closely together. This is because the DGNB will only award its certificate if all implemented measures and their effects are documented in detail. In particular, the integration of innovative technologies and concepts that contribute to sustainability is assessed favourably.

The DGNB awards certificates for the sustainability of buildings at the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Platinum levels. The assessment is carried out in three categories: new buildings, existing buildings and neighbourhoods. DGNB certifications are recognised primarily in Germany, but also internationally.

The façade of the mixed-use Kö-Bogen II building with office, catering and retail space is planted with around 30,000 hornbeams and is partially inclined. The façade alone makes it a building worth living in for the future. The modern door technology from GEZE scored important points for the certification. To ensure that the door technology also fulfils all structural requirements on the inclined façade, the company developed a special solution for the prescribed protection of the secondary closing edges.

(Photo: © Jürgen Binaisch / GEZE GmbH, 2023)