Umweltbildungszentrum: Rammed Earth as a Framework for Environmental Education

 

The Umweltbildungszentrum (UBZ) in Augsburg, Germany, is a single-story, rammed earth (Stampflehm) building that realizes sustainable development at multiple scales. The UBZ was designed by the Munich-based firm Hess / Talhof / Kusmierz Architects, led by Thomas Hess and Johannes Talhof. The firm values architecture as an artistic statement that serves as an unmatched expression of aspects of the world which cannot be captured, quantified, or defined. Guided by this conceptual outlook, they believe architecture creates new apertures for understanding. Their work spans a wide range of context-driven projects rooted in community, education, and civic life.

Completed in 2023, the UBZ demonstrates the firm’s commitment to contextually informed practice. This environmental education center for sustainable development serves as a meeting and learning place on the grounds of the Augsburg Botanical Garden. Situated at the transition between city and landscape, it bridges nature and urban life, embodying its role as a landmark of sustainable development.

Through workshops, seminars, interactive exhibits, field trips, and community events, the UBZ offers people of all ages opportunities to learn about biodiversity, sustainability practices, and environmental stewardship.

The building’s rammed-earth walls are made from locally sourced material, significantly reducing its embodied carbon footprint. Cast and tamped on site, they showcase a labor-intensive craft process with a low environmental footprint (Fachforum Umweltbildungszentrum).

 

Paired with the rammed-earth walls, wooden ceilings and a timber exterior façade establish a rich two-tone material contrast. A 90 kWp rooftop photovoltaic array further supports the building’s on-site renewable energy strategy  (Lifeguide Augsburg).

The UBZ is organized around a roughly square plan, yet upon entry the space is shaped by its organically flowing rammed-earth walls that express the project’s commitment to natural form and sustainability. 

 

Within its approximately 10,700 ft² footprint, the building includes a central foyer and flexible exhibition space, two combinable seminar rooms, a teaching kitchen, offices, a workshop, and storage rooms. 

An additional 32,300 ft² of landscaped outdoor space extends the learning environment beyond the building, reinforcing its educational mission (Das Raumprogramm UBZ).