1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Hannover
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Gründach, Bautafel Hauptverwaltung Nord/LB
Short description of the intervention
The office building of the Nord/LB Bank that was built in 2002 became a landmark of Hannover. A huge proportion of the building is naturally ventilated. The interior is designed with progressive energy concept with superstructure exposed and windows that provide ventilation. The building is also protected from noise and vehicle emissions through the areas of double façade, which also serves as a duct transferring clean air from the central courtyard to the individual offices. The reflection of daylight is increased through the large areas of water in the courtyard which also contributes towards a beneficial microclimate. The building is also equipped with generous roof gardens which not only provides aesthetic benefits but also improves the general climate for the occupants, and collects rainwater for irrigation and use within the building.
The building is owned by Norddeutshce Landesbank and was designed by BEHNISCH, BEHNISCH & PARTNER (Reference 2).
Address

Friedrichswall 10
30159 Hannover
Germany

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Total area
75000.00m²
NBS area
75000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Building
Website of the intervention
https://behnisch.com/work/projects/0044
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
1998
End date of the intervention
2002
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
To provide an environmentally conscious and convenient working environment (Reference 1) among others with the help of:
- green roofs: to improve the general climate for the occupants, and to collect rainwater for irrigation and use within the building" , and to soften its appearance (Reference 2)
- pond: to increase the reflection of daylight and contribute towards a beneficial microclimate" (Reference 2)
-Areas of ‘double facade’: to provide protection against noise and vehicle emissions, whilst also serving as a duct transferring clean air from the central courtyard to the individual offices (Reference 2)
Quantitative targets
- creating an 1500 m2 large intensive green roof spread over 2 areas and 3500 m2 extensive green roofs spread over 13 areas (Reference 3, 4)
- creating a 3000 m2 large pond (Reference 1)
-planting of 30 different perennials in the roof (Reference 3)
Monitoring indicators defined
- size of green roofs
- size of the pond
- luminance of the reflected daylight (Reference 2)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Water management (SDG 6)
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Noise reduction
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Build resilience
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
Implementation activities
- implementing a 1500 m2 large intensive green roof with 25 cm thick intensive substrate that is planted with herbaceous perennials
- implementing an altogether 3500 m2 large extensive green roof on 13 surfaces with approximately 11 cm thick extensive substrate that is planted mostly with sedum species and flower bulbs
- supporting the green roofs with a drainage system that ensures balanced water / air supply and adequate draining (Reference 3)
- a 3000 m2 large pond was created in the courtyard (Reference 1)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green roofs
Blue infrastructure
Other
Green areas for water management
Sustainable urban drainage systems
Please specify "other blue area"
Artificial pond in a building
Please specify other type of green roof
Intensive and extensive green roofs with perennials (no other specific information provided)
Type of Green Roof
Extensive Green Roof: depth 3 - 5 inches; plants: Mosses, Sedums, Succulents, Herbs and few Grasses; Low maintenance and costs
Intensive Green Roof: depth 7 - 24+ inches; plants: Perennials, Lawn, Putting green, Shrubs and Trees, rooftop farming; High maintenance and costs
Other
What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?
Medium / High: sustainable urban drainage systems which include water storage and diverts water flooding
Vegetation Type
Flower beds
Amenities offered by the NBS
Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Flood regulation
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Private sector/Corporate/Company
Other
Please specify "other primary beneficiary"
Employees of the company
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The project was initiated by the Norddeutsche Landesbank (Nord/BL) (Reference 1).
Key actors - initiating organization
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Private sector or company
Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved
Contractors: Architects, Landscape Architect, Greenroof systems company (Reference 2)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Other
Land owners
Private sector or company
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
In 1994 the municipality of Hannover published a document entitled "Guidelines for handling green roofs in development plans" (updated in 2012) and in 2007 it created ecological standards (Drucksache 1440/2007) for greening roofs (Reference 5).
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Spatial planning law
Building regulation
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
In 2007, Hannover created ecological standards that support the greening of roofs (Drucksache 1440/2007 - "Ökologische Standards beim Bauen im kommunalen Einflussbereich"). According to this all flat roofs of new buildings up to the slope of 20 degrees has to be greened (Reference 5).
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
Since 1994 the city of Hannover has taken into consideration green roofs in its local development plans and compensation standards [Bebauungpläne and Rahmen der Eingriffs- und Ausgleichsregelung] (Reference 5).
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
City specific green space strategy or plan
Urban redevelopment plan
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Corporate investment
Type of fund(s) used
Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Risk reduction model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The intervention makes a creative use of green and blue surfaces of the building: the blue surfaces increase the reflection of daylight and support a good micro-climate, while the greens support an aesthetic and convenient working environment and support the micro-climate The roof gardens not only soften the appearance of the building, they also act to improve the general climate for the occupants, and to collect rainwater for irrigation and use within the building" The large areas of water in the courtyard increase the reflection of daylight and contribute towards a beneficial microclimate"
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) without substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The company that built the green roofs (ZinCo) had similar project all over the world (Reference 4).
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Reduced noise exposure
Water management and blue areas
Improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Description of environmental benefits
-The building protects the occupants from noise and car emissions through the double façade areas which also transfer clean air from the central courtyard to the individual offices;
- Increase in the reflection of daylight and improvement in the microclimate is provided by the large pods in the courtyard;
-The general climate is improved for the occupants through the roof gardens which also provides aesthetic benefits and green space and collects rainwater for irrigation and use in the building' (Reference 2).
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
Unknown, no social benefits were mentioned in the references
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
- size of green roofs (1500 m2 + 3500 m2)
- size of the pond (3000 m2)
- number of different plant species (more than 30) (Reference 2, 3)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Environmental quality
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Not applicable as the project is already completed
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Reference 1: Nord/LB Building on Wikipedia
Reference 2: Description of the project in English
Reference 3: Description of the green roofs in German
List of references
1. Wikipedia.de. (2017). Verwaltungsgebäude der Nord/LB (Hannover). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verwaltungsgeb%C3%A4ude_der_Nord/LB_(Hannover)#cite_note-BUG-5. [Accessed: 18.07.2017].
2. Behnisch.com. (2017). Norddeutsche Landesbank am Friedrichswall: Hannover, Germany. [online]. Available at: http://behnisch.com/work/projects/0044. [Accessed: 18.07.2017].
3. greenroofs.com. (2017). Bautafel Hauptverwaltung NordLB (auf Deutsch). [online] Available at: http://www.greenroofs.com/projects/pview.php?id=113. [Accessed: 18.07.2017].
4. Dachgaertner.de. (2017). Alle Referenzen als Liste. [online] Available at: http://www.dachgaertner.de/referenzen/alle_als_liste.php. [Accessed: 18.07.2017].
5. Wahle, H. and Schmidt, D. (2016). Hannover: Gebäudebegrünung als Bestandteil der Klimaanpassungsstrategie. In: W. Ansel, (ed.), Kommunale Gründach-Strategien: Inventarisierung, Potenzialanalyse, Praxisbeispiele, Nürtingen: Deutscher Dachgärtner Verband e. V. (Not accessible in 2020).
Comments and notes
Comments
Even though the building could provide climate change benefits given its natural ventilation and green spaces, I did not include it as it was not mentioned in any of the references. Same goes with the social benefits.
Pictures of the NBS
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/sites/default/files/nbs/images/NordLB%20Building.JPG
Public Images
Green roof, Administration Building of Nord/LB
Green roof, Administration Building of Nord/LB
Source: http://behnisch.com/work/projects/0044
Green roof, Administration Building of Nord/LB
Green roof, Administration Building of Nord/LB
Source: http://behnisch.com/work/projects/0044
Green roof, Administration Building of Nord/LB
Green roof, Administration Building of Nord/LB
Source: http://behnisch.com/work/projects/0044