Institute for
STADTNATUR
Innovative and pioneering for holistic
Greening concepts based in Freiburg
We are planning urban nature
We are CityArc – the INSTITUTE FOR URBAN NATURE
OUR BELIEF – Cities need nature because people need green spaces.
OUR VISION – Making cities more livable – by adding more plants to facades, roofs, outdoor spaces, and indoor areas.
GREEN CONSTRUCTION REQUIRES NEW THINKING – in holistic concepts.
CityArc creates urban nature that lasts. We consistently seek nature-based solutions. Nature is integrated rather than worked against.
Consistent, systematic greening is complex and requires comprehensive consultation and planning—that's what we stand for!
- Technical expertise & feasibility studies
- Climate-adapted planning
- Specialist planning and consulting
- Certification
Natural systems
The structure of a plant cell network stands for distribution, networking and connection. At the same time, it represents the basic structure of plant architecture. It symbolizes and gives identity to what we do.
We build bridges
between natural ecosystems and our habitat—the city
However, our built cities and man-made infrastructures are displacing natural ecosystems. In order to positively connect these with our urban living space and make ecosystem services directly usable for us humans, we need not only the motivation to implement them, but also the expertise for synergistic realization—THAT'S WHAT WE OFFER!
Why green buildings?
Green roofs and walls enhance facades, buildings, and thus the entire cityscape. They promote well-being. They are vibrant and aesthetically appealing.
BUT GREEN CAN DO SO MUCH MORE—BECAUSE IT IS ALIVE – It fulfills important functions for buildings, cities, people, and animals.
Hot summers, droughts, heavy rainfall—the consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly visible and measurable. Urban warming is intensifying, while biodiversity is declining dramatically.
ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE IS BECOMING INEVITABLE.
We create and connect green islands
We counteract the loss of nature with interconnected green systems that are well thought out and precisely coordinated.
GREENING BUILDINGS IMPROVES THE URBAN CLIMATE
Greenery moistens and cools, provides shade, and reduces surface temperatures. Green walls, roofs, and outdoor spaces open up new habitats that are being lost elsewhere. This benefits flora and fauna.
GREENING BUILDINGS CLEANS THE AIR
Greenery binds fine dust, produces oxygen, and absorbs CO2.
GREEN BUILDINGS SAVE ENERGY
Greenery protects building envelopes from weather conditions and heat loss.
GREEN BUILDINGS MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY
Greenery absorbs road noise, creates local recreation areas in urban spaces, and measurably reduces stress factors.
We find natural solutions
Nature offers us solutions to make cities and buildings more liveable: Evaporative cooling, insulation, water storage and shade.
We observe nature and learn from it
Nature-based solutions enable us to improve our living and working environments.
Nature forms independently functioning ecosystems that form the basis and origin of our lives.
We build climate-adapted
Our system is running hot.
As temperatures rise worldwide and cities overheat, more and more people are moving to urban areas.
Steel, concrete, and asphalt, hot summers, and increasingly frequent heavy rainfall events challenge us to rethink the urban organism—and to combat climate change with appropriate strategies. With pioneering, functional planting on buildings.
GREENING BUILDINGS HAS A PROVEN IMPACT ON THE URBAN CLIMATE.
Green facades and roofs increase humidity and have a cooling effect on buildings and their urban surroundings.
We think in green and blue
Our cities need more living structures to improve our living and working environments in terms of ecology, functionality, and design.
A well-designed blue-green infrastructure creates living networks and brings about lasting change in urban spaces.
In order to consistently green cities and exploit the full potential of blue-green infrastructure for urban areas, networked thinking and a systemic approach are required.
We network green islands
We find natural solutions
We build climate-adapted
We think in green and blue
The sponge city
Water is one of our most valuable resources – so we should start using it wisely and carefully now.
ONE SOLUTION IS THE CONCEPT OF THE SPONGE CITY.
Green roofs effectively retain rainwater—even during heavy rainfall—and are therefore an important part of the system. Water is allowed to seep away, retained, or stored for further use on site—instead of being discharged into the sewer system.
EVAPORATIVE COOLING is the most valuable thing that plants give us.
We use them to change the urban climate. More greenery on buildings, combined with urban trees and open spaces, lowers the temperature in cities. Water retention areas, open urban streams, and open water areas enhance this effect.
This way, we don't just create isolated solutions, but strategically thought-out ones. GREEN-BLUE NETWORKS and are approaching the natural water balance of healthy ecosystems.