Natural Building Lab

What Natural Building Lab does

Natural Building Lab is a university research and teaching laboratory established in 2018 within TU Berlin's Institute for Architecture. It operates as a transdisciplinary unit integrating architecture, engineering, ecology, and social science to advance circular building systems and climate-adaptive natural building materials. Its core activities span academic teaching (bachelor and master-level design studios), applied research through real-world laboratories (Reallabor), and DesignBuild pedagogy in which students construct full-scale prototypes. Internationally, the lab has executed DesignBuild projects in Senegal, Colombia, and Ukraine, with the Ukraine work conducted in partnership with the HOPE HOME reconstruction initiative (2022).

The lab's product surface consists of built prototypes, documented research outputs, and knowledge-transfer platforms such as the recurring Low Tech Bau Symposium series and participation in the international sbe conference network. It has co-developed climate-adaptive building components with industry partners including ZRS Architekten, BIM GmbH, Schöck Bauteile, Rems-Murr-Kliniken, Sto Straelen, and Bundesstiftung Bauakademie, alongside ecosystem collaborators such as Bauhaus Earth. In 2022 it received a nomination for the Bundespreis Ecodesign (German Federal Ecodesign Award), signaling public-sector recognition of its work.

The entity does not operate a commercial business model. It is funded through TU Berlin's public university budget and third-party research grants from foundations, industry partners, and government-aligned institutions. A supplementary revenue stream — continuing-education courses delivered through Architektenkammer Berlin — represents a modest professional-services channel rather than a scalable commercial engine. In summary, Natural Building Lab functions as an academic R&D and pedagogy platform whose outputs (prototypes, methodologies, policy influence) accrue primarily to its institutional partners and the broader German circular-construction ecosystem rather than to paying commercial customers.

Name

Natural Building Lab

Legal name

Natural Building Lab

Website

https://nbl.berlin

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Natural Building Lab is an academic research and teaching laboratory at TU Berlin, founded in 2018, that advances circular and climate-adaptive natural building through transdisciplinary design studios, DesignBuild prototyping, and partnerships with industry, foundations, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Education and Sustainable Building Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

akta.pro primary industry

Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Green / High-Performance Home Construction (Net-Zero, Passive House) (IMAFABAH), Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)

Keywords

• Circular building research
• Natural building materials
• Designbuild pedagogy
• Sustainable architecture education
• Low-tech construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Natural Building Lab is an academic research and teaching laboratory at TU Berlin that delivers transdisciplinary education and applied research in circular, climate-adaptive, and low-tech construction. It produces both knowledge (theses, publications, symposia) and physical prototypes (buildings, installations) through DesignBuild pedagogy, Reallabor real-world laboratory methodology, and life-cycle assessment analysis, addressing the construction sector's CO2 emissions and material waste challenges.

Product overview

Natural Building Lab is not a commercial product company but rather an academic research and education center at TU Berlin's Institute for Architecture. Its offerings consist of educational programs (design studios, seminars, thesis supervision), research programs (Reallabore, DesignBuild projects), public events (NBL Talks, symposiums), and publication activities. The core offering is transdisciplinary education combining academic learning with practical sustainable construction experience. The portfolio includes project-based design studios, hands-on DesignBuild seminars, thesis guidance, real-world laboratory projects, lecture series (NBL Grundlagen, Ringvorlesung), public talks (NBL Talks), and specialist conferences (Low Tech Bau Symposium, NBL FIVE). These programs collectively advance knowledge and prototypes for building within planetary boundaries using circular, climate-adaptive approaches with natural building materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design Studios

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed circular interior fitting concepts (1:1 mockups) for non-residential buildings as part of Innen:Anders summer school with AndersBauen gGmbH at Haus der Statistik.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ZRS Architekten IngenieurecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZRS Architekten has been a key strategic partner since 2022, continuing the detailed planning and implementation of experimental solutions for the Museums-Pavillon (TULIUM) at TU Berlin. ZRS also co-develops expertise and continuing education programmes with NBL on topics including urban timber construction and climate adaptation. ZRS is a leading Berlin-based architecture and engineering office specialising in sustainable construction.
• Bundesstiftung BauakademiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bundesstiftung Bauakademie supported the first phase of the Reallabor B(e) Ware in its 'anders bauen' series, accompanying the prototype development and first-time implementation of processes for secondary timber building structures. The foundation continues to collaborate with NBL on Real Talk Reallabore interview series exploring real laboratories as transformation tools for planning and construction practice.
• Bauhaus EarthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBauhaus Earth is a non-profit organisation based in Berlin and Potsdam dedicated to transforming the building sector and building policy towards a built environment that contributes to climate restoration. NBL collaborates on design studios and research projects with Bauhaus Earth, including the ProtoPotsdam project at the historic Potsdam centre.
• BIM Berliner Immobilienmanagement GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIM GmbH is Berlin's state-owned real estate management company responsible for over 5,000 buildings and properties. NBL partners with BIM on ReUse-Pilot projects, Spreewatch, and design studios developing circular building concepts using reclaimed materials from BIM's building portfolio.
• Grün BerlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrün Berlin manages the Tegeler Stadtheide project for the transformation of the former Tegel airport site. NBL collaborates with Grün Berlin in design studios focused on repurposing existing structures (transformer housings, radar station) as environmental education centres within the 190-hectare landscape park.
• Stiftung Exilmuseum BerlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBL partnered with Stiftung Exilmuseum Berlin over 18 months to create ZU/FLUCHT, an open-air exhibition using former refugee accommodation containers as a temporary museum space leading up to the permanent Exilmuseum at Anhalter Bahnhof. The project combined NBL's DesignBuild expertise with the museum foundation's content.
• Gropius BaumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGropius Bau is a major Berlin art museum that has collaborated with NBL on multiple projects including the Beehive (8m bamboo and earth dome for the YOYI! Care, Repair, Heal exhibition), the Sommer BauBau Lehmgrube participatory outdoor play space, and earth construction seminars and workshops.
• HOPE HOME — НАДІЯ e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHOPE HOME — НАДІЯ e.V. is a German-Ukrainian pilot project for radically ecological reconstruction in Ukraine. NBL collaborates on seminars and summer schools developing circular, climate-adaptive building solutions using renewable materials (hemp, straw, timber, earth, mycelium, wool) in Ukrainian reconstruction contexts.
• AndersBauen gGmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndersBauen gGmbH is a non-profit housing organisation whose interior fitting project at Haus der Statistik serves as the practical case study for NBL's Innen:Anders Prototypenwerkstatt summer school, where students develop and construct 1:1 mockups of circular interior fit-out systems.
• Senatsverwaltung für Mobilität, Verkehr, Klimaschutz und Umwelt BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment is a key public partner for NBL's KLAR Design Studio, collaborating on the design of a nature education centre near the Lichterfelder Weidelandschaft managed by BUND Berlin.
• Architektenkammer BerlinmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Architektenkammer Berlin (Chamber of Architects), a public corporation representing over 9,000 members, distributes NBL's continuing education programmes (Weiterbildungsangebote) on urban timber construction, earth building, and climate adaptation to its professional membership.
• dieNACHWACHSENDEstadt NetzwerkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe dieNACHWACHSENDEstadt network is a partner in NBL's continuing education offerings on bio-based construction, contributing expertise on renewable building materials to professional training programmes.
• BUND Landesverband BerlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany) Berlin state association is the land manager for the Lichterfelder Weidelandschaft and partner in the KLAR Design Studio for the nature education centre project near the protected area.
• TU Berlin — Institut für Architektur (IfA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBL is embedded within the Institute for Architecture (IfA) at TU Berlin, Faculty VI. This institutional home provides the primary academic framework for all teaching, research, and project activities. NBL also collaborates with other chairs at IfA including CUD (Urban Design), Tek/Tragwerksentwurf (Architecture and Structures), and Habitat Unit.
• Climate Change Center Berlin Brandenburg (CCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCC is an inter- and transdisciplinary centre for research and knowledge transfer. NBL contributes to CCC's work on climate-neutral solutions for Berlin-Brandenburg through joint events and research collaborations.
• B4 Forschungsnetzwerk — Biobasiertes Bauen Berlin BrandenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerB4 is a research network for bio-based construction in Berlin-Brandenburg, investigating the interconnection between landscapes and cities, examining management practices for regional ecosystems and designing circular value chains for converting renewable resources into bio-building materials.
• International Partner Universities (ETH Zürich, KIT Karlsruhe, TU Graz)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBL co-hosted the sbe22 Berlin D-A-CH international conference with ETH Zürich, KIT Karlsruhe, and TU Graz. These partnerships enable joint academic events, student exchanges, and collaborative research on sustainable construction across the German-speaking academic community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• HafenCity University Hamburg: German architecture and urban development university with research on sustainable construction and resource-efficient building. Comparable academic peer at a different German regional base, with overlapping themes but distinct institutional context.

Direct peers

• Bundesstiftung Bauakademie: German federal foundation promoting sustainable construction transformation, which funded NBL's Reallabor B(e) Ware. Operates the 'anders bauen' series and Real Talk Reallabore interview series, making it a closely aligned partner in advancing circular building practice.
• Bauhaus Earth: Berlin/Potsdam-based non-profit dedicated to transforming the building sector toward climate restoration. Directly comparable to NBL through shared mission on circular and natural building, active collaboration on design studios and ProtoPotsdam, and overlapping Berlin-based partner ecosystem.
• Architects for Future: German advocacy organization of architects promoting Bauwende, with whom NBL co-develops the 'Gemeinwohl Bauwende' lecture series. Operates as a peer movement organization addressing the same construction transformation agenda.

Broad incumbents

• TU Delft - Faculty of Architecture: Major European architecture faculty with strong circular and sustainable construction research groups. A broader incumbent peer with established academic scale and parallel research streams on bio-based materials and circular building.
• ZRS Architekten Ingenieure: Berlin-based architecture and engineering office specializing in sustainable construction and partner on TULIUM and continuing education programmes. A broader industry incumbent with practical project delivery capabilities that complement NBL's research focus.

Emerging players

• TU Graz - Institute of Architecture and Media: Austrian academic institution that partnered with NBL on sbe22 Berlin. Engages in similar DesignBuild-style pedagogy and sustainable construction research, making it a credible cross-border academic peer.
• KIT Karlsruhe - Faculty of Architecture: Co-organizer of sbe22 Berlin alongside NBL, ETH Zürich, and TU Graz. Operates research clusters on sustainable built environment, providing an institutional peer for transdisciplinary methods and circular construction research.
• ETH Zürich - D-ARCH: Leading European architecture faculty with parallel research streams on sustainable construction and circular building. Co-hosted sbe22 Berlin with NBL, making it a directly comparable academic peer with overlapping research themes and D-A-CH network.

Others

• dieNACHWACHSENDEstadt Netzwerk: Network partner of NBL in continuing education on bio-based construction. Functions as an enabling ecosystem organization that complements NBL's research by curating expertise on renewable building materials for the broader practitioner community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/naturalbuildinglab
• Instagraminstagram.com/natural_building_lab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nbl-berlin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Natural Building Lab