The new Weleda Cradle Campus was built in Schwäbisch-Gmünd between November 2021 and July 2024 to bring together the international and national sales logistics of the world market leader for certified natural cosmetics and anthroposophic medicines.

The new Weleda Cradle Campus combines production facilities, administration and a visitor centre on a forward-looking site. The architectural concept comes from haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 and focuses on a harmonious combination of nature and built space – as a visible expression of Weleda’s corporate philosophy.

The building´s areas that directly affect the employees in their everyday work were actively co-designed by the employees: their experiences and needs determined the design of breakroom, sanitary facilities and locker rooms became the guideline for material requirements, equipment and ergonomics.

Thanks to the high proportion of wood as a building material in both hybrid buildings, instead of exclusively concrete and steel, a total of 2,600 t of CO₂ were saved.

Renewable and recycled building materials such as wood and clay were primarily used in the high-bay warehouse. The use of the company’s own excavated material for the construction of the rammed earth wall (‘natural air conditioning system’) is at the heart of the efficient, sustainable use of resources. In a pharmaceutical environment with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) hygiene requirements, natural moisture buffering is achieved in an 8 metre high rammed earth wall. A high-bay warehouse in pure timber construction is a novelty for the pharmaceutical industry with its increased requirements for hygiene and room conditions – specified in the GMP guidelines and with a constantly documented inspection.

Contact with the inspecting authority was made in advance and the requirements agreed. It was possible to draw on new scientific studies that had rediscovered and documented the almost forgotten intrinsic hygiene of certain types of wood and integrated the characteristics of the rammed earth walls.

4,500 m3 of wood was used for the high-bay warehouse with its innovative racking system. 1,300 m3 of wood was used for the construction of the other parts of the building. The timber comes from the Black Forest and Styria in Austria.

The wooden façade cladding was treated with a pre-greying glaze for longer durability. All the wood in the interior areas was left natural and therefore untreated.

The building concept is based on a recyclable design: all materials can be separated and recycled at the end of the life cycle.

The fire protection requirements in accordance with building class 5 (other buildings including underground buildings) were met with a full-surface sprinkler system, among other things. Comprehensive fire protection concepts were necessary for the various building areas – high-bay warehouse, functional building, administration building – in accordance with the requirements.

Despite the largely visible timber structures, the Weleda Campus fulfils the strict fire protection requirements. Parts of the load-bearing timber structures were dimensioned in such a way that they allow a defined burning rate in the event of fire without jeopardising stability. The fire protection planning was closely coordinated with the choice of materials and the architecture so that safety and aesthetics are in harmony.

The load-bearing timber structures, consisting of glulam and timber-concrete composite structures, were dimensioned in such a way that they achieve the required fire resistance duration of at least REI 60 (60 minutes load-bearing capacity, room closure and thermal insulation).

The verifications were carried out in accordance with DIN EN 1995-1-2 (Eurocode 5 Part 1-2, fire protection design for timber structures).

For the high-bay storage area with rammed earth walls, the walls were categorised as non-combustible enclosures (building material class A1 in accordance with DIN EN 13501-1).

As the entire building ensemble utilises a high degree of natural ventilation, special smoke extraction concepts were integrated that dispense with mechanical smoke extraction.
In areas with an increased number of visitors (e.g. event rooms), smoke extraction is also ensured by automatically controlled smoke and heat extraction systems (SHEVS).
Intensive coordination with the local fire brigades was already carried out during the design phase. There are explicitly defined fire brigade areas and assembly areas in accordance with DIN 14090.

For the high-bay storage area with rammed earth walls, the walls were categorised as non-combustible enclosures (building material class A1 in accordance with DIN EN 13501-1).

High-bay warehouse: no wood protection in the interior, all natural, façade with greying glaze.
Functional building: supporting structure roof with weather protection for the period of assembly, façade with greying glaze
Administration building: no wood protection in the interior, all natural, façade with greying glaze.

For the high-bay storage area with rammed earth walls, the walls were categorised as non-combustible enclosures (building material class A1 in accordance with DIN EN 13501-1).

The Weleda Cradle Campus in Schwäbisch Gmünd has already received several prestigious awards: