THE CONNECTING ELEMENT OF OUR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES – SUSTAINONOMICS
We at GARBE are pledged to an entrepreneurship whose agenda is both environmentally sustainable and socially responsible, and therefore conduct our business activities in line with “sustainonomics” principles – consistently dovetailing economics with ecology.
Early on in the company’s history, GARBE already started taking aspects into account that today are subsumed under the ideas of ESG and sustainability: timber construction, the conversion of offices into residential accommodation or the installation of photovoltaic systems on the rooftops of commercial properties early on. We believe that the consideration of environmental and climate protection issues as well as of social standards and the needs of all stakeholders can be combined with commercial prosperity and economic success. Accordingly, we pursue a holistic value creation.
Sustaino
In line with Sustainonomics, we have created a symbol for the projects that embody this value. The figure is called Sustaino and serves as an ambassador for our Sustainonomics philosophy. Sustaino represents all asset classes that are covered within GARBE’s 360° strategy.
Bringing Sustainonomics to Life
Our projects are the best example of how we bring Sustainonomics to life: they combine sustainability, innovation, and responsibility – and set new standards for the future.
Straubing
At the inland port of Straubing-Sand, one of the largest timber construction projects is under development to create a sustainable logistics property. Developed by GARBE Industrial and Logicenters, the logistics real estate platform of NREP, the modern warehouse with a floor area of 27,000 square metres is setting new standards in sustainable construction. Its completion is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.
ROOTS
ROOTS, the tallest wooden high-rise in Germany, represents an accomplished combination of natural aesthetics and sustainable construction in the heart of the HafenCity locality of Hamburg. With its 128 unique ownership apartments, which are defined by the use of environmentally friendly materials and a breathtaking view of the River Elbe and the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, this project has set new standards in forward-looking sustainable living.
Infineon
In Warstein, a pioneering research and development building is under construction whose innovative architecture will be a milestone in sustainable development. Together with BC Partners Real Estate, GARBE is developing a new-build structure of around 20,000 square metres that will not just provide space for Infineon’s growing workforce but also boast an environmentally friendly hybrid timber construction type that meets the KfW 40 sustainability standard. Aiming for a BREEAM “Excellent” certification, the project will be a clear statement in favour of sustainable and forward-looking construction.
Westfalenhütte
Westfalenhütte in Dortmund is a convincing example for the successful transformation of a former steel mill industrial site into a modern logistics centre. Having acquired the 450,000-square-metre site in 2008, GARBE Industrial began in 2012 to develop it progressively into one of the most sought-after locations in the Ruhr. Since then, more than 225,000 square metres worth of logistics and office units have been created that are occupied by major companies such as Schenker, Amazon, Decathlon and IKEA.
Data Center Hanau
In Hanau near Frankfurt, NDC-GARBE completed a ground-breaking data centre for Alphabet, the parent group of Google, whose innovative design and outstanding sustainability performance are simply impressive. Extending over 10,000 square metres, the modern building sets new standards in regard to energy efficiency due to its modular chilling technology, which lowers the water consumption and is environmentally friendlier in general. On top of that, it is planned to use the waste heat generated by the centre to provide heating to next-door buildings, making this data centre developed by NDC-GARBE a trailblazer for sustainable cloud infrastructure.
Photovoltaik
The photovoltaic system at the Niedersachsenpark trading estate in Lower Saxony is a showcase project by GARBE Renewable Energy GREEN GmbH that generates an impressive 7,777 kWp of electric power. It is one of the largest PV systems in GARBE’s portfolio and part of the effort to boost sustainable energy by installing solar arrays on the rooftops of logistics properties.
