#27 From Raw Materials Warehouse to Circular City – Urban Mining in Patrick-Henry-Village Heidelberg

What if our cities could serve as raw material stores? This very idea lies behind the Urban Mining concept and has been tested on a large scale in the Patrick-Henry-Village (PHV) in Heidelberg. The former US military settlement, with over 250 buildings, is largely empty today. But instead of demolishing everything, the buildings were systematically documented, analyzed, and assessed for their reusability.

In this episode, Dr. Matthias Heinrich from EPEA is our guest, scientifically supporting the project. Together with the city of Heidelberg, he investigated how Urban Mining works in practice and what is needed: digital resource passports, tools like the Urban Mining Screener, material databases like Madaster, and above all, a well-founded decision about what can and cannot be reused.

We discuss how buildings are analyzed as raw material stores, why not every building component is automatically sustainable, and why Urban Mining It should never be thought of in a blanket way, but always needs a project-specific solution. We also take a look at the political and economic framework conditions and the vision of a city of the future.

Expert in this episode: Dr. Matthias Heinrich – Project Manager at EPEA – Part of Drees & Sommer, expert in Urban Mining and circular construction

Further links: EPEA GmbH – Part of Drees & Sommer Urban Mining at EPEA Madaster PHV on heidelberg.de PHV at IBA Heidelberg

Cover image: Dr. Matthias Heinrich / EPEA GmbH – Part of Drees & Sommer

The podcast: Architektourist offers an auditory journey through our built environment. In each episode, we take you into the world of Architecture and building materials, exploring creative applications and delving into the stories behind the construction projects – from the first sketch to the final realization.

Join us again next time as we introduce further exciting projects and personalities from the world of construction. If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe to Architektourist on your preferred podcast provider.

Have questions or suggestions? We look forward to your messages at kontakt@architektourist.de.