In 2020 the town of Lörrach purchased the 8.5-hectare Lauffenmühle site which had formerly been home to a textile factory. The purchase was made possible by urban development grants worth €9.1 million from Germany’s federal government and the state of Baden-Württemberg.

Following discussions with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the idea arose of creating a timber-built climate-neutral commercial area on the site. The Lörrach team also wanted to put climate neutrality on show for all to see, and they felt the best way to achieve this was by building with timber.

There are more than adequate supplies of wood in Lörrach and in the nearby Black Forest. The town’s administrators and policymakers are convinced that timber is competitive in terms of price and does not present a limiting factor in buildings for commercial use. Compared to concrete or cement, timber has many advantages such as improved fire protection and earthquake resilience.

Until now individual commercial buildings have been built of wood in Germany, but no commercial area with a similar scale and purpose has yet been created. In contrast to this, timber has enjoyed success in housebuilding, even for larger projects such as Prinz Eugen Park in Munich, which consists of 600 timber or timber-hybrid houses and is currently the largest timber housing development on a single site in Europe.

The town of Lörrach conducted a plausibility check and potential analysis to refine the profile of the commercial area. The town also developed the framework for a dedicated certification process to ensure the timber construction meets legal standards. The certification process is similar to the A-G energy efficiency ratings for electrical equipment. As part of a timber building campaign, the town of Lörrach developed best practices to promote commercial timber builds in Baden-Württemberg. They plan to work with timber processing companies which primarily use regional products and process storm-damaged timber wherever possible.

In March 2024, up to 14 architecture firms will present their ideas for the Lauffenmühle site. Their proposals will form the basis for the town of Lörrach to develop its own construction plan. The competitive and forward-looking commercial area will be as energy-self-sufficient as possible using the sun and wood, employ innovative transport ideas and include high-performance digital infrastructure.

Around 4.5 hectares of the site are set aside for new builds while some existing buildings will be retained on 4 hectares in order to maintain the site’s character. The commercial spaces are expected to be between 1.000 and 10.000m².

Through the “Lauffenmühle – next innovation” project, the town of Lörrach is bringing about a sustainable transformation to create a commercial area whose form and function fit together perfectly. Lörrach is demonstrating an achievable pathway towards climate neutrality, particularly in its plans to use timber construction. The project can serve as a model for other municipalities in Germany and around the world, providing that entire commercial areas can be built of timber.