Karlsruhe receives new environmental center: pioneering laboratory opens!

Karlsruhe receives new environmental center: pioneering laboratory opens!

On July 18, 2025, Finance State Secretary Gisela Splett and Environment and Energy Minister Thekla Walker inaugurated a new office and laboratory building for the Baden-Württemberg State Institute for the Environment (LUBW) in Karlsruhe. This new building offers modern and sustainable work opportunities for employees on a total of 9,140 square meters.

By moving to the new building, LUBW has the opportunity for all employees to work at the same location, which promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and efficiency. In addition, 71 million euros were invested in the construction project, which was controlled by Vermögens und Bau Karlsruhe. The design comes from the Stuttgart architectural firm hammeskrause.

Sustainable construction

A special feature of the new laboratory building is the comprehensive integration of sustainable technologies. A photovoltaic system (PV) with over 1,000 square meters and an output of around 219 kWp was installed. In addition, the facade-integrated PV system covers an area of ​​around 860 square meters and has an output of around 112 kWp. The construction project was planned according to the sustainable building rating system, with recycled concrete being used for parts of the foundations and floor slabs.

The LUBW is also pursuing another sustainable approach with its publication of the “Handbook for municipalities on circular, sustainable and climate-friendly construction”. This was supported by the LUBW Innovation Center for Circular Building (InZiBau) and is aimed at players in municipal building construction. The action guide offers checklists for considering important aspects of circular construction in various phases of the construction process, from requirements planning to the design phase.

Goals for the future

The goal of these initiatives is to achieve climate neutrality in Baden-Württemberg by 2040. There is a more ambitious target of 2030 for the state administration. As part of the Climate Protection and Climate Change Adaptation Act (KlimaG BW), savings of 49% of CO2 emissions in the building sector are to be achieved. A focus will be on the longevity of the construction, the reduction of the variety of materials and the reuse of building materials.

In addition, further measures are planned, including the renovation of an existing LUBW building and the installation of another PV system with an output of around 117 kWp as well as the roofing of a parking lot with an area of ​​around 1,700 square meters and an output of around 324 kWp. The merger of LUBW at the Großoberfeld location in Karlsruhe will be continued through these developments, while the total usable area will be reduced through the construction and renovation measures.

To support sustainable construction, the digital recording of existing buildings is also promoted in order to enable the later reuse of building materials. Innovative concepts such as digital twins and building resource passes are further aspects that are incorporated into the planning.

Overall, the LUBW, with its new location and the associated measures, illustrates how resource-saving and climate-friendly construction contributes to the necessary environmental protection and climate protection. In this context, the LUBW is not only an institution, but also an important networking and information platform for the topics of circular and sustainable construction, such as LUBW emphasized.

These developments are an expression of a clear commitment to ecological responsibility and to the promotion of sustainable living and building practices in Baden-Württemberg.