Bauer Umwelt remediates industrial area for new work-life district in Munich

The "iCampus" in eastern Munich is currently an impressive example how history and modernity can be successfully combined.

The “iCampus” in eastern Munich is currently an impressive example how history and modernity can be successfully combined. On an area where motorcycles, clothing and dumplings were once manufactured, property developer R&S Realty II GmbH & Co. KG now creates office facilities around a heritage-listed administration building and also redefines productive work with a highly modern building concept.

Focusing on a mix of living, residential and working spaces, iCampus is being created as a new residential/commercial development in the former factory district. Following planned completion in 2024, it will optimally integrate into the infrastructure of the Bavarian capital. In a premium location near the Ostbahnhof railway station and the “Mittlerer Ring” ring road, it also offers excellent transport connections in all directions.

However, before the future business district can be built, the former industrial site required complete remediation. In April 2019, the joint-venture “Baugrube iCampus Rhenania München”, consisting of Bauer Resources GmbH and Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH, were contracted to clear the site, which covers an area of 22.500 m2. A lot has happened since then, starting with the demolition and gutting of existing buildings, brownfield remediation and subsequent excavation for the shell construction work. In the process, around 50.000 mÑ of concrete was broken up and almost 125.000 m3 of ground excavated and disposed of, including 140.000 t of contaminated earth and 80.000 t of natural soil. Numerous challenges needed to be mastered during the works: Removing asbestos from a building is not, in itself, an unusual task. However, when the building is a historically listed villa from the 1920s, and when more asbestos is found in the other existing buildings than was originally expected, then the whole process becomes a little more complicated.

“This requires close coordination with the authorities and architectural offices to ensure proper execution,” explains Burç Akker, site manager from the Bauer Umwelt division of Bauer Resources GmbH. In addition to this, the Bauer team had to deal with extremely complex logistics. “The management and coordination of a high volume of waste material and a large number of trucks in an inner city area, not to mention the limited space, was very challenging,” says Erwin Resch, foreman from the Bauer Umwelt division of the Bauer Resources GmbH. But it’s not only the technical and logistical conditions that were challenging, the planned project time of 15 months is also very ambitious. “Especially if a task is to be realized in such a short time, every step needs to be carefully planned and the team needs to be well organized,” explains Jan Uhlig, project manager from the Bauer Umwelt division of the Bauer Resources GmbH. He adds: “Thanks to the excellent cooperation within our team and with all participants the project ran on schedule despite all the challenges, and we expect to complete our work in July.”