DERIX Campus
When a Building Becomes a Carbon Store

Scientific study confirms exceptionally low climate impact and consistent circularity

The new DERIX Campus in Niederkrüchten is nearing completion. The three-storey office building demonstrates how sustainable and circular timber construction can already be put into practice today. A scientific study conducted as part of the bachelor’s thesis of our working student Nick Schulz at FH Aachen confirms the building’s low climate impact: its global warming potential is just 4.9 kg CO₂e/m²a, around 60 percent below the DGNB benchmark of 12 kg CO₂e/m²a for embodied emissions over the entire building life cycle.  

More carbon stored than emitted

  More than 360 cubic metres of timber have been used in the new office building. As a result, at the time of completion, more carbon is stored in the building than CO₂ emissions were generated during its production and construction. At this point in time, the Campus therefore has a negative CO₂ balance.   In addition to the high proportion of timber, the efficient use of materials contributes to the building’s strong environmental performance. The materials used have been recorded in a digital material passport via the Madaster platform.  

Designed for circularity from the outset

  The future use of the materials was taken into account from the very beginning of the planning process. Detachable connections and structures designed for disassembly make it possible to separate, reuse or recycle components to a high standard at the end of their service life.

“Our goal was not simply to build another office building. We wanted to demonstrate how a building can be created that conserves resources, stores carbon and keeps its materials available for future generations.” Markus Steppler, Managing Director of the DERIX Group

  The DERIX Campus will therefore not only become our new workplace, but also serve as a practical example of how resource-efficient and circular timber construction can work in practice today.   Discover the DERIX Campus playlist on YouTube: Derix Campus – Das Bauprojekt im Überblick