Unlocking better urban living with Biome: How customized design and modular timber construction shape the future

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Unlocking better urban living with Biome: How customized design and modular timber construction shape the future

The new low-carbon housing product, Biome, represents a bold departure from traditional construction methods, combining CREE Buildings' proven modular timber-hybrid building system with EFFEKT Architects' bespoke, life-centered design solutions. The result? A novel approach to personalized and planet-conscious urban living.

Dornbirn (Austria), March 21, 2024 – The pressing challenges of modern housing are well-documented: a lack of affordable options, inadequate indoor climate and a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to meet the diverse needs of residents. These challenges are perpetuated by unsustainable construction practices and a disjointed approach to planning, where each building project starts from scratch instead of focusing on quality optimization over time.

Biome seeks to address these urgent challenges faced by modern housing and the broader construction industry head-on. Rather than reinventing the wheel with each project, the partnership behind Biome leverages a consolidated building system, reducing risk, cost and construction time while maintaining a sustainable lifecycle approach.

"Modern housing is failing both people and planet. The bulk of residential development today is unsustainable, unaffordable, and arguably not very livable. We have partnered with CREE Buildings to develop a modular housing product that combines CREE’s proven, low carbon and circular building system with designs that are tailored to suit individual housing demands and fit unique urban places,” says Sinus Lynge, Co-founder and Creative Director, EFFEKT. “The modular and standardized yet highly customizable nature of our housing product challenges the notion of cookie-cutter solutions. Biome housing can adapt to diverse demographics and locations, fostering a sense of belonging and individuality.”

Biome grows with people and adapts to changing life patterns
Central to the Biome concept is its adaptability. From students and young couples to families and seniors, Biome’s flexible interior can be tailored to meet the unique needs of diverse demographics and changing lifestyles. For instance, residents can upgrade their homes over time with custom-made finishes, furniture, and wall divisions.

“Biome is a perfect complement to CREE’s solution for residential building typologies, including prefabricated interior fit-outs, able to being adopted by our implementation partners all over the world. It also goes beyond just one single building by providing cooperative multi-generational living layouts for entire neighborhoods in a true CREE spirit,” says Rainer Strauch, Managing Director & CTO, CREE Buildings.

Even though each project starts with the same range of CREE System components, their endless combination possibilities and design variations enable a wide range of apartment and building typologies suited to any site. Marking a departure from monotonous block structures, Biome projects can be tailored to fit into the locfamlfal urban context. Life-centered design principles such as eco-friendly materials, natural ventilation, plenty of natural daylight, proximity to nature and shared communal spaces enhance the quality of life for residents, but also contribute to the vibrancy of neighborhoods, creating welcoming environments that promote interaction.

Material banks rather than resource drains
Biome buildings are designed for longevity and disassembly, enabling easy maintenance and renovation throughout their lifetime as well as reusing and recycling of all core components. In other words, it is a real estate product that serves as a material bank and not as a resource drain.

Biome leverages CREE Buildings’ established local supply chains, manufacturing components in close proximity to each site to increase predictability whilst reducing the environmental footprint. 

“At CREE Buildings, we're committed to revolutionizing sustainable construction. Our collaboration with EFFEKT and the introduction of Biome represent a significant leap forward in sustainable construction specifically tailored for residential developments. With this versatile housing solution, we offer scalability across diverse landscapes and communities, empowering builders to create eco-friendly living spaces for the future” explains Hubert Rhomberg, CEO and Founder, CREE Buildings. “This partnership not only expands the reach of CREE's innovative building system, but also underscores our commitment to providing our partners with cutting-edge solutions. Together with EFFEKT, we are redefining the future of residential design by prioritizing both functionality and environmental responsibility.”

Global interest in environmentally conscious urban renewal
Already, Biome has garnered interest from developers around the world. In the Dutch city of Groningen, the developer ABC Vastgoed has used the concept for a feasibility study as part of a shared vision for urban renewal in close collaboration with the CREE License Partner Brüninghoff, while in Portugal, developers like Casais are eager to translate the Biome concept into reality for future residential projects:

"With our long-term commitment to delivering buildings that fulfill our purpose 'well built for well living', we are very pleased that CREE, our reference sustainable building solution, is adding Biome to its platform of solutions. It's very motivating to see the best partners joining forces to deliver and exceed expectations in the housing space. We are looking forward to bringing soon a new attractive housing solution with this collaboration using Biome," says Antonio Carlos Rodrigues, CEO Grupo Casais

CREE Partners will have access to Biome and will receive local design support from EFFEKT. This means that they can benefit from the expertise of both companies to create sustainable, modular housing solutions that meet their specific needs. For more information on Biome and the collaboration between CREE Buildings and EFFEKT, please visit: https://www.biomehousing.com/

About EFFEKT
EFFEKT is a research-based design studio in Copenhagen. The studio was established in 2007 and employs 50 designers, thinkers, and builders working at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, landscape, and R&D under the creative leadership of the two founders Tue Hesselberg Foged and Sinus Lynge.

EFFEKT uses holistic design solutions with the aim of improving the quality of our cities and living places and creating lasting social, economic and environmental changes to the benefit of people and the planet. The studio has made its mark on the international architecture scene with a number of award-winning projects, such as the 45-metre high Forest Tower in Gisselfeld Kloster's forest, GAME Streetmekka Viborg, an old wind turbine factory converted into a sports and cultural center, the visionary eco-village concept and design for ReGen Villages and the Livsrum Cancer Counseling Center. Most recently Living Places Copenhagen was inaugurated showcasing a total of seven prototypes – five open pavilions and two completed full-scale homes that show how we can develop sustainable buildings with a three times lower CO2 footprint and a first-class indoor climate. The Living Places concept holds the lowest CO2 emissions in Denmark, demonstrating that we do not have to wait for future technology to build more sustainably.

Currently, the design studio is engaged in project development in Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Australia, and Portugal.

Read more about EFFEKT at effekt.dk

About CREE Buildings
CREE Buildings is an international construction collective for regenerative building solutions. Founded in 2010 by Hubert Rhomberg, CREE Buildings is dedicated to sustainable and healthy buildings using prefabricated timber-based components and has developed the CREE System: proven, reproducible, and constantly evolving solutions for multi-story timber-hybrid buildings. By licensing this unique system, their global network of partners builds smartly and sustainably by sharing knowledge and collaborating through the CREE Platform. From Europe to Asia to North America, together, they are revolutionizing the construction industry.

Read more about creebuildings.com