About us
History
The first specially designed ecology centre, or Ökostation, was built
for the Garden Exhibition of the Federal State Baden-Württemberg in
1986. Unfortunately, eight months later, a fire destroyed the original
building and although the cause is not known, it was assumed to be
arson.
Five years later, the BUND (Association for the Protection of the
Environment and Nature in Germany) and the City of Freiburg agreed to
build a new and improved version. The present Ökostation comprises of a
building of 160 square metres set in a small garden, with the main
garden 200 meters away, each with a small pond.
Function
About 12,000 visitors - families, schoolchilren, students and experts
from all over the world - come to the Ökostation each year to enjoy the
atmosphere of the building and organic garden, and to study nature
protection and the protection of the environment. We can provide
information about solar power plants, biological gardens, composting,
ecological buildings, communal initiatives and other activities of the
BUND. The main room/seating area can be rented for seminars and
meetings, in particular the local Agenda 21 meetings.
Unusual Architecture
The 8-sided timber roof is made from Black Forest spruce trees laid on
top of one another. The design is based on the traditional wooden
buildings of the Navajo Indians where smoke from the central fire
escapes through the top opening, here replaced with a pyramid of glass.
This fills the room with daylight. Leading off the main room/seating
area are a series of smaller rooms: a kitchen, toilets, offices and a
wintergarden - a glass-walled room facing south to catch the sun so that
plants can be grown all year round. The roof is topped with grass.
Outside are a herb garden and an organic vegetable garden.
A special atmosphere is created not only by the architecture, but also
by using natural building materials. Compared to grey concrete, the cob
and sandstone walls of the Ökostation create a pleasant atmosphere. The
building is a place for activities to learn about conservation and
ecology. The ideas used in the design and construction mean that it
also serves as a model for other buildings.
Wood, Cob, Glass, and Building Materials
Cob, a traditional building material used for thousands of years, has
the advantage of regulating moisture in the air and has an ability to
store heat. This makes maximum use of the heat produced by solar
energy. The weight-bearing internal walls consist of air-dried cob
tiles, which are about 10 inches thick. In the wintergarden, the south-
facing internal wall is built with cob tiles shaped like loaves of bread
to increase the surface area in order to store maximum solar heat. The
east-facing outer wall of the wintergarden is built with a mixture of
cob, straw and willow. Lime and plaster are used where appropriate to
ensure maximum heat-saving properties. Reclaimed building materials from
demolished houses are recycled, for example, the windows of the office
annex, wooden doors. Pre-used and pre-shaped sandstone add to the charm
of the interior. The use of locally grown pine and beech wood in the
kitchen creates an impression of a natural style of living, as does the
furniture made of ash wood. Furthermore, the natural scent of the oils
and waxes helps create a homely atmosphere.
Ingenious Energy Concept
The energy concept of the Ökostation is based on fully developed
components which can be used in other buildings as well. In the wooden
roof, heat insulation was achieved by blowing in waste paper flakes
(Isofloc). A 5.5-inch layer of cork prevents loss of heat from the
floor. Cob walls are used as insulation walls, too. Passive use of
solar energy was incorporated into the construction. The wall to the
west for example, which is hit by wind and rain but has long hours of
sun as well has special tiles that are about 10 inches thick in order to
store heat. Inside, a cob wall about 8 inches thick has a large surface
area to store heat from the sun. This wall was not specially treated;
as it is of light colour, it stores heat. The wintergarden facing
southeast and southwest accumulates solar energy, as does the glass
pyramid in the roof. The glass pyramid, a gallery of windows and the
high windows facing west and southwest achieve maximum daylight.
Warm Water Collectors
The solar collectors in the Ökostation are a simple system that can be
used in any family home and can be installed at a reasonable price.
Even in winter, cold water can be heated to a small extent, e.g. from
10°C to 15°C for showers or for heating the rooms.
Photovoltaic Power Plant
The Photovoltaic system of the Ökostation is the first system in
Freiburg that works in parallel with the energy net. Excess energy
produced the Ökostation is sold to local energy suppliers. So, if the
sun shines brightly, the small solar power plant of the Ökostation
provides the inhabitants of Freiburg with natural energy. The power
plant consists of 24 solar panels with 36 solar cells each provides a
maximum of 1000 watts of electricity for the Ökostation. In January
1994, a new regulation was passed in Freiburg, to promote the use of the
sun as the future source of energy. This benefits the Ökostation as
well - solar energy fed into the energy net at peak hours when most
energy is consumed attracts the highest price per kWh. A solar system
like the one in the Ökostation is available at a price of approximately
15,000 euros. This is less than the price of a new kitchen or a double
garage.
Calorific Heating System
In winter, the Ökostation is heated by a hot-water central heating
system fuelled by gas. Copper pipes embedded into the cob walls
distribute heat from the hot water they contain into the room by
radiation. These copper pipes are embedded in the mortar. Thermal
radiation lies exactly within the range of heat that makes us feel
comfortable. The wood stove is used for baking during bread-making
courses. The heat stored in the thick walls is emitted into the room at
3-4 kWh and can be felt for up to 2 days after the fire has been put
out.
Rain Water
Rainwater from the grass roof of the Ökostation is collected in an
underground reservoir and used for the toilets and for watering the
plants in the wintergarden.
Participating in Ecology
Nursery school groups and school classes discover nature in our ‘green
class-room’. Children learn how to sow vegetables, how to make herbal
tea, herbal creams and balms or how to built a plant tent. There are
dragonfly pupae, (called nymphs), frogs and water-skaters in the nearby
pond. Students also come to learn how to cut down on waste or to
participate in our ‘Solar Days’. Discovering nature in the ‘green
class-room’ is a major part of the work on nature and the environment at
the Ökostation, Freiburg. More than 150 groups and classes of children
mostly of nursery school or elementary- school age visit the Ökostation
each year to experience nature with their hands, their hearts and their
minds, and they take this experience back home. Special training and
lectures are a distinctive feature of the educational section of the
Ökostation. A model like the Ökostation in Freiburg could be a start for
experiencing and discovering ecology in many other places, too.
Facts:
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 9am to 5 pm.
- For Saturday and Sunday opening see our programme
- We gladly organise tours for groups of more than 10 people
- The Ökostation can be rented for special seminars and exhibitions.
- If previously agreed, training can be given on environmental themes,
ecological construction, and other topics of environmental protection.
- A calendar of events can be obtained by sending us a stamped,
self-addressed envelope.
- Become a sponsor of the Ökostation and support our work with an annual
subscription.
|
