Wooden tower block as a
PR lighthouse

UmweltBank AG is a true Nuremberg institution: since 1997, Germany’s green bank has been reconciling economic and environmental interests. On Nuremberg’s Nordwestring, UmweltBank is building its new headquarters, featuring office and commercial space: the UmweltHaus. It also plans to develop a sustainable urban quarter on the surrounding site. Kaltwasser Kommunikation is raising the profile of this flagship project among the general public: through targeted press and media relations with placements in specialist and mainstream media, as well as through proactive stakeholder communication and the cultivation of a network of local and national influencers. 

Since 2021, we have been designing and supporting the press and publicrelationswork, as well as stakeholder communication, for the sustainable construction projects UmweltHaus and UmweltQuartier of UmweltBank AG in Nuremberg. Whilst the urban quarter is still in the planning phase, construction work on the UmweltHaus is already well advanced. The new corporate headquarters is not a “prestige project”, but is designed as a flagship project for sustainable construction, intended to enhance UmweltBank’s image through nationwide visibility. 

Instead of opting for the simplest and most obvious ‘green’ solution, the planners and architects at UmweltHaus consistently scrutinise the feasibility of implementation at every stage of the project. Simulations were repeatedly carried out and plans adjusted to achieve the most sustainable solution in every respect. This approach leads to issues that are sometimes highly complex and require a great deal of explanation – we have answered the question of why the façade is not greened but used for photovoltaics so often by now that our team could recite the answers in staccato even in the depths of sleep. (Admittedly: compared to the energy concept for the entire neighbourhood, this issue is actually rather simple.) 

Prevention pays off 

As very few construction projects ever run entirely smoothly, we devised and prepared strategies and measures for crisis communication and crisis prevention right from the start. Even though we’ve hardly needed any of this: we’ve always felt confident that we’re prepared for any scenario and able to act at short notice – so that everyone else involved in the project can focus on their actual tasks. 

Completion of the timber high-rise is scheduled for the end of 2025. We’re keeping our fingers crossed and doing our bit to ensure everything continues to run as smoothly as possible, and we’re already looking forward to the big, final project milestone: the inauguration of the UmweltHaus.