The CO₂ Future Campus: Climate Action Made in Berlin-Marzahn.
For climate technology startup UCANEO, Vollack has realized one of Europe’s largest demonstration plants for removing CO₂ from the atmosphere on the B.I.G. Campus in Berlin-Marzahn.
The structure, which occupies a site of approximately 1,100 square meters and has a striking monolithic appearance, combines technical functionality with outstanding architectural quality. Its distinctive sawtooth roof, pure white façade and translucent polycarbonate base create a clear and elegant design language that lends the laboratory-like building a light, almost floating appearance. Especially after dark, the building resembles an illuminated sculpture glowing from within—a place where groundbreaking technology is at work for a better future.
Inspired by the functioning of the human lung, the innovative Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology removes CO₂ directly from the ambient air. On an area of around 15 square meters, it can capture roughly as much CO₂ as 30,000 trees.
The facility is capable of capturing up to 150 tonnes of CO₂ per year, which can then either be permanently stored or used as a sustainable raw material. The project marks the next step toward the industrial-scale deployment of the technology.
The first large-scale commercial plant is already planned for 2028. UCANEO’s long-term goal is ambitious: to remove a total of 500 million tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere by 2035.
At the same time, the site serves as a meeting place for science, business, policymakers and the public. Through its “CO₂ Store of the Future”, UCANEO makes the potential of a climate-neutral industry tangible for visitors and promotes dialogue on innovative climate solutions.
Photo Credit: UCANEO / Vollack Gruppe
Award-Winning Digital Planning.
For this project, Vollack, together with Berlin.Industrial.Group (B.I.G.), UCANEO and NEVARIS Bausoftware, received the BIM Champion 2026 award.
The decisive factor was a consistently data-driven approach that intelligently linked cost and sustainability goals from the very beginning through the use of Target Value Design. The jury recognized the project as the competition’s most innovative and ecologically compelling submission.
For the client, the key advantage of Target Value Design lies in its ability to guide planning activities toward a clearly defined budget and to deliver buildings within the targeted cost framework. The methodology provides detailed insights into the environmental impacts and resource requirements associated with the production, construction, operation and eventual deconstruction of a building, including the materials used throughout its lifecycle.
As a result, the often-perceived conflict between ambitious environmental objectives and cost efficiency can be convincingly resolved long before construction begins.
With this new facility, we are laying the groundwork for further optimizing our Direct Air Capture technology and bringing it to industrial scale. This enables us to scale one of the world’s most cost- and energy-efficient DAC technologies while delivering a key solution for the decarbonization of industry and society.”
CEO Florian Tiller und CTO Carla Glassi , Co-Founders of UCANEO Biotech
