A new take on the garden shed: sustainable, inclusive and biodiversity-promoting

With the "NARA - NAturRAum und Gartenhaus!" project, the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences (FHP) and the Bundesverband der Kleingartenvereine Deutschlands (BKD) have developed a garden shed that meets the current requirements of the ecological crisis.

In addition to practical and legal requirements, a garden shed should be stable, cost-effective, nature-friendly and customisable, promote biodiversity - and, of course, be beautiful! This was the task with which the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences and the Federal Association of Allotment Garden Associations in Germany (Bundesverband der Kleingartenvereine Deutschlands (BKD)) started the project.

The project team consisting of BKD, students from the design department of the FHP and the HNEE in the field of woodworking & wood processing combines the necessary expertise for allotment gardening, design and sustainable production. Four concepts were developed and refined in a design seminar. The feasibility was ensured together with the HNEE under the direction of Prof. Klaus Dreiner (woodworking and wood processing), Prof. Katharina Messerer and the wood engineer Philipp Baier and the prototype NARA was realised. The wooden structure was manufactured and sponsored by Schmidt & Thürmer. The final assembly and finalisation took place in the HNEE workshops.

Sustainable, inclusive and biodiversity-promoting
Made from untreated spruce wood from sustainable Forestry, NARA is designed to be low-barrier, modularly expandable if required and can be used for decades. Climbing aids, an optional retrofittable green roof and add-ons such as insect hotels or nesting boxes actively promote biodiversity in the garden. This makes NARA a "more-than-human" design that is also intended for animals and plants.

One room, many functions
The shed combines three clearly structured areas on just 16 m²: a covered terrace, a light-flooded main room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a storage space with double doors for garden tools at the rear. The floor-to-ceiling shelving structures are not only used for storage, but are also a load-bearing element - a unique selling proposition in terms of design.

Simple assembly, well thought-out logistics
The shed can be delivered in a van and transported and assembled by four people on panel trolleys through narrow garden paths. Assembly is carried out step by step according to instructions. Depending on the ground conditions, it can be flexibly anchored to screw, point or existing foundations.

The prototype of the shed can be seen from 15 to 18 May 2025 as part of Berlin Design Week 2025 on the outdoor area of the BKD Federal Centre. The accompanying special exhibition shows the development process from research to the four initial designs to the realised 1:1 prototype and complements the BKD's permanent exhibition "City I Nature I People - Small Gardens, Big Impact".

Exhibition venue:

Federal Centre of the German Allotment Garden Associations (BKD)
Hermannstr. 186
12049 Berlin

Opening hours:

15.05.2025 to 18.05.2025, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm (admission ends at 4:15 pm); 20.05.25 to 31.10.2026, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

Admission:

6 euros for adults, €2.50 for children and young people (card payment only!)

The event is organised in cooperation with the joint project "Allotment gardens for biodiversity". The project is funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection as part of the Federal Biological Diversity Programme.

Further details about the shed, the makers and the development process

Note on image material
The photos available here may be used for reporting purposes. Please note the copyright notice © HNEE / Ulrich Wessollek