The company’s new landmark includes a modern administrative and a functional building as well as an innovative high-bay warehouse. It is considered the most sustainable logistics center in Europe and has space for over 17,000 pallets. The name “Cradle Campus” reflects the company’s philosophy, emphasizes the need for a circular way of living, and is an impressive example of how to implement the cradle-to-cradle principle.
Natural cosmetics company Weleda used Lignosil-Verano from Keim for the façade of its new Cradle Campus in Schwäbisch Gmünd/DE © Henrik Schipper Photography
For the project, traditional construction techniques and materials with sustainable and climate-friendly properties were used: rammed earth, clay plaster, and wood. A total of around 5,800 m³ of local types of wood, such as spruce and silver fir, were primarily used. Thanks to these building materials, as well as the use of solar and geothermal energy, the new logistics center is emission-free. The decision to use wood as a building material alone saved 2,600 tons of CO2.
Natural cosmetics company Weleda used Lignosil-Verano from Keim for the façade of its new Cradle Campus in Schwäbisch Gmünd/DE © Henrik Schipper Photography
The first 8 m of the exterior wall of the high-bay warehouse on the Weleda logistics campus are made of rammed earth. Then, the 26-m-high building shell continues as an insulated wooden façade. The latter was treated with Keim Lignosil-Verano, a silicate-based varnish that gives the wood a uniform, pre-grayed appearance already in the factory. It protects the wooden cladding from the elements and prevents uneven discoloration caused by varying weathering. The silicate base of the varnish ensures high permeability, which further promotes rapid drying and thus increases the durability of the façade. Keim Lignosil-Verano has been awarded with Cradle-to-Cradle Certified Silver and the C2C Certified Material Health Certificate Gold – a testament to environmental compatibility and sustainable product selection.
Weleda’s Cradle Campus also sets standards in terms of strengthening biodiversity through carefully designed outdoor areas with orchards, native plants, and numerous birdhouses on the façades. Already at the start of construction, the large-scale project received preliminary certification for the DGNB Platinum Standard, the DGNB’s highest rating for sustainable building.
