The Öko-Zentrum NRW was initiated as a joint venture by the government of North Rhine-Westphalia and the City of Hamm on a former brownfield area. With its activities, buildings and grounds it is supposed to promote ecological planning and construction.
Nowadays it works as a private company mainly in the fields of strategic development and refurbishment of old buildings, focusing on ecological aspects. The Öko-Zentrum NRW worked as a partner in various EU-projects and keeps close contacts to organisations in Japan and China.

Objectives
Overcoming barriers for the realisation of environment-friendly practice by:
- Promoting sustainable strategies and techniques in building construction
- Transfer of knowledge, services and guidelines for ecological planning for architects, engineers and the construction industry
- Consulting building owners and companies for new environment-friendly services and products

Concept and Target Groups
We are mainly focusing on professional experts, working in the conjunction between four areas:
- planning – as experts for ecological planning and building physics
- construction companies – as consultants
- innovation requirements – by blended learning to cater to job demands
- information requirements – by campaigns and internet platforms

Products and Services
- Professional internet-based distance learning courses with workshops for architects, engineers and craftsmen (main topics: ecological planning and construction, refurbishment and renovation, efficient energy use, reduction of indoor pollution)
- Consulting and engineering (e.g. use of building materials under ecological aspects, concepts to optimise energy use and ecological effects, concepts for refurbishment of dwellings, offices and industrial buildings)
- E xpert partner for certification and energy saving in buildings
- Campaigns and information platforms to provide information about refurbishment and renovation for building owners (www.altbauinfos.de)

Actual Projects
- Feasibility studies for the refurbishment of various non-residential buildings: minimisation of energy use and lifecycle-costs under consideration of heat insulation, cooling, use of daylight and other practical criteria – e.g. sound insulation
- EU-funded Project „New Integrated Renovation Strategy to improve Energy Performance of Social housing” ( “Intelligent Energy – Europe"-Programme). Our part is to do research on the economic efficiency of renovation activities and instruments for financing these activities.
- Consulting association of trade-companies: marketing and services for environmental friendly and healthy building products
- Development of an 8-month training course for refurbishment of constructions and buildings with moisture damages
- Development of an web-based master course “Building and Environment” in co-operation with various German universities. After finishing the first course we will prepare an international version.

Back to main page: www.oekozentrum-nrw.de