Behrens‑Ufer, Berlin

In collaboration with HENN, an urban technology centre dedicated to urban ecology and agriculture is emerging on Berlin’s Behrens-Ufer. Aplantis develops the building’s green infrastructure—planted roofs, façades and open spaces—as an integrated living system.

Two primary building volumes are linked by a vertical farm of over 9,000 m², forming the ecological and programmatic hinge of the ensemble. The farm is complemented by aquaponics and mushroom cultivation operating in closed cycles.

Terraces articulated with fruit and berry gardens, beehives, and herb and flower plantings generate biodiversity and a strong seasonal presence, establishing a layered urban ecosystem in the heart of the city. The façades function as productive orchards, combining shading and cooling with local food production.

A sustainable hybrid timber structure, photovoltaic façades and agrivoltaic roofscapes couple energy generation with greening. Solar modules provide protection and microclimatic regulation for the plants, while plant evapotranspiration contributes to higher module efficiency. The result is a holistic sustainability framework in which technology, nature and agriculture are conceived as one system—bringing together workspaces, research facilities and publicly accessible roof gardens within a forward-looking urban laboratory.