Its first tenant, as of late August, is Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, a manufacturer of printing presses with an interactive showroom displaying advances in environmental printing methods.

Two large wind turbines in the top of high-rise towers will generate more than 10% of the eco-city’s power. Other ‘green’ initiatives include solar water-heating to offset lighting and natural gas.

Eco-friendly and non-toxic materials from the previous structures on the site were used in the construction. Green roofs and green beltways reduce storm water runoff.

The Creative-Industrial complex is built by TecArchitecture, the Swiss and American company specialising in sustainable hi-tech designs, which teamed up with ARUP engineering for this state-of-the-art project.

It’s designed to achieve certification from three global green building rating systems – North American LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREEAM (Environmental Assessment Method for Buildings around the World) and the German Sustainable Building Council (GSBC).

For the second phase of this mixed-use space, a high-rise office building, hotel, restaurant, and retail spaces are planned, with a target completion date sometime in the middle of next year.

Spaces ranging from studio-size to warehouse areas and production facilities are connected by open-air pedestrian-friendly plazas. It’s walkable from public transportation and easily biked to along the Elbe River.

Other eco-cities in the works around the world include Abu Dhabi’s plan for zero-emissions Mascar City, Ikoma City in Japan, Tianjin in China, and projects underway in Jordan and London. – AFP-Relaxnews