Atelier Gardens is a century-old, six-acre film studio site in Berlin transformed into a global campus for social & regenerative entrepreneurship, pushing the boundaries of reuse and renaturing

Atelier Gardens is a 110 year-old, six-acre film studio site in Berlin being transformed into a global campus for social and regenerative activism and entrepreneurship, alongside film and media. The project is underpinned by a ‘zero-waste-to-landfill’ ethos and a holistic approach to sustainability encapsulated by the motto ‘Soil, Soul, Society & Celebration’.

The perception of film studios is often one of glamour and the site certainly has a rich history as the home of German cinema. The studio buildings once sat within a handsomely landscaped parkland, with water and green spaces between them. The more recent reality was very different – a mix of film studios and large sheds, built pragmatically over time with no thought for public realm, surrounded by tarmac and just seven trees.

The campus is being reconfigured as an inspiring and flexible home to a creative community of tenants devoted to social and environmental change. All existing buildings no longer used for film or post-production are being repurposed and brought back into use as a flexible mix of work and event space. Nature is being reintroduced via a radical biodiversity and regreening strategy, with green plazas, rooftop gardens and over 170 trees.

Plants are being specified to decontaminate the soil and planted directly into broken hard paving, avoiding sending soil or concrete to landfill. Over 50% of the site’s paving is being dug up and reused on site, eliminating waste and vehicles, and adding water permeability.

A pioneering onsite water strategy will enable the site to become one of Berlin’s first ‘drainless’ properties, with all rainwater being retained on site. Underground cisterns harvest rainwater for toilets and outdoor areas, and urine will be separated from solid human waste – the nutrients and faeces recovered and reused for fertiliser and as part of the campus’ ‘Terra Preta’ composting system.

“Atelier Gardens for us is an opportunity to turn an established campus with more than 100 years of film history into a global home for sustainability and storytelling, and do so in a way that goes beyond the limited aim of becoming carbon neutral by a certain date.

We are, of course, taking important steps in reaching net zero, for instance by sourcing green energy and installing PV on all suitable roof surfaces. Repurposed buildings are also being fitted with heat pumps, enabling us to move away from the current gas heating system.

However, sustainability needs to also consider more holistic issues such as water use, the natural environment, waste and circularity. The role that a campus of this size can play in embracing this broader approach is significant.

Berlin is well-known for its rich and radical activist scene working to solve the most pressing issues of our time, from climate change to human rights and food production. We’re harnessing these pioneering solutions on site, in partnership with our growing tenant community and incredible consultant team.

A good example is our water strategy, which goes beyond the harvesting of rainwater through underground tanks, to embrace the reuse of human waste. We’re installing innovative toilets that separate liquid and solid waste, allowing us to preserve urine as a valuable source of nitrogen and phosphorous for fertiliser.

All organic waste from our zero-waste canteen is already transformed to soil in a composting process known as ‘Terra Preta’, whereby leftovers undergo lactic acid fermentation and are mixed with charcoal to create a rich substrate for our gardens. Solid human waste will eventually also become part of this, a process tried and tested by our sanitation engineer HATI in pilot projects at Hamburg Station and the Berlin Botanical Gardens.

Surrounding communities are involved through our educational ‘Soil Social Club’ delivered in partnership with tenant DYCLE (who are piloting a compostable nappy product), which provides fermentation workshops, community growing, and a constant supply of compost!

All examples of pioneering solutions that “Atelier Gardens for us is an opportunity to turn an established campus with more than 100 years of film history into a global home for sustainability and storytelling, and do so in a way that goes beyond the limited aim of becoming carbon neutral by a certain date.

We are, of course, taking important steps in reaching net zero, for instance by sourcing green energy and installing PV on all suitable roof surfaces. Repurposed buildings are also being fitted with heat pumps, enabling us to move away from the current gas heating system.

However, sustainability needs to also consider more holistic issues such as water use, the natural environment, waste and circularity. The role that a campus of this size can play in embracing this broader approach is significant.

Berlin is well-known for its rich and radical activist scene working to solve the most pressing issues of our time, from climate change to human rights and food production. We’re harnessing these pioneering solutions on site, in partnership with our growing tenant community and incredible consultant team.

A good example is our water strategy, which goes beyond the harvesting of rainwater through underground tanks, to embrace the reuse of human waste. We’re installing innovative toilets that separate liquid and solid waste, allowing us to preserve urine as a valuable source of nitrogen and phosphorous for fertiliser.

All organic waste from our zero-waste canteen is already transformed to soil in a composting process known as ‘Terra Preta’, whereby leftovers undergo lactic acid fermentation and are mixed with charcoal to create a rich substrate for our gardens. Solid human waste will eventually also become part of this, a process tried and tested by our sanitation engineer HATI in pilot projects at Hamburg Station and the Berlin Botanical Gardens.

Surrounding communities are involved through our educational ‘Soil Social Club’ delivered in partnership with tenant DYCLE (who are piloting a compostable nappy product), which provides fermentation workshops, community growing, and a constant supply of compost!

All examples of pioneering solutions that London has a lot to learn from.”

Clive Nichol, CEO, Fabrix