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The Ecocentre in Verden/Aller

(Lower Saxony - Germany)


We have converted a former barrack's into a centre for co-operative businesses, social housing and social, cultural and environmental initiatives. 2.000 square metre of floor space are being used by 16 tenants who commonly run the centre. Social, political, economic and environmental principles shape our work. The quality and size of our project is unique for a German small town environment.

Co-operation and democracy

All tenants have to be self employed, charities or co-operatives. The Ecocentre itself is owned by a charity, while the housing part of our project is owned by the housing co-operative AllerWohnen eG. The centre is run by a user's council. All tenants can send one delegate to the council. Individuals, responsible for specific tasks, decide most of everyday questions while important decisions have to be taken by the council. A small coordinating group is responsible for the management of our centre. The tenants had a crucial influence on the planning process. They could determine their future neighbours and the design of their rooms.

Social commitments

While environmental correctness is usually regarded as being "middle-class" the Ecocentre takes social issues seriously into account:
  • The Ecocentre houses a kindergarten and a seminar centre targeted on young people. During the planning process the special needs of women and children have been taken into account.
  • Our six flats are built with social housing grants. This insures that they offer healthy homes for low income tenants.
  • All businesses also offer low cost environmental products.
  • Ecocentre rents are not only calculated according to floorspace used but also according to the economic wealth of the tenants. Therefore, rents range from 2 € per square metre p.m. to 10 €. A comparable range applies to the capital which had to be raised by the tenants.

 

Ecology

The Ecocentre is committed to green construction techniques and the promotion of ecological products. The most important principles are:
  • we prefer refurbishment of old houses rather than new-built projects
  • old materials such as bricks, beams, slats, etc. are reused
  • nearly all new materials are from renewable resources rather than petrochemical products
  • heavier stuff is local, such as clay and timber
  • insulation is made from recycled paper
  • unavoidable plastics are pvc-free (cables, IT-network, sewage system, some films)
  • the use of fresh water is reduced to about 40% of average consumption by water saving technology such as the recycling of grey water by a reed bed sewage system, the usage of rain water, water saving fittings...
  • the Ecocentre is nearly 100% powered by renewable energy: Heat is provided by solar collectors and a wood chip-burning power station A large photovoltaic system produces a part of the power used in the Ecocentre.
  • all green building techniques and materials are presented in a permanent exhibition
  • our restaurant serves organic food.

Ethical Economy

Our finance strategy is based on alternative means as well. We do not have a significant bank loan but operate an ethical investment scheme in order to finance our 1.26 Mio. € debt (end of 2004). Private investors give loans and receive up to 4% interest secured by a mortgage. In addition to that we got some grants and donations (money as well as construction materials). Lastly, we saved a lot of money as construction workers charged lower wages. We do neither take public subsidies, if we had to compromise our values, nor accept donations from companies we do not fully agree with.

The 16 businesses and initiatives attract about 200 visitors to the centre and therefore help the individual businesses to become viable. In addition to that there is a lot of practical co-operation: meeting rooms, labour exchange, seminar centre, computer network, common marketing,... In order to get access to these advantages businesses and initiatives have to agree to the policies of the Ecocentre including economic solidarity.

The Ecocentre has created about 30 sustainable jobs and even more during the period of construction. Once a year all tenants meet to agree on the new distribution of the rent, also according to their financial abilities. Therefore, we insure internal transparency concerning turnover, income, surplus of businesses and initiatives.

When all loans are paid back, the policy documents of the Ecocentre charity and of the AllerWohnen eG do not allow to lowering the tenants' rents below a usual market level. The centre has no private owners and cannot be privatised. The Ecocentre is socially bounded property. In about 25 years time the Ecocentre will create a surplus of about 50.000 € a year (in 1998 prices) which has to be used for political, social or cultural projects. By this way we have made sure that today's volunteer or low-paid work cannot be used for private or profit making purposes in the future.

Problems so far

All this sounds wonderful and straight forward, but the reality is a bit more messy. Several problems occurred so far:
  • The project has mainly been started by men. Though now about half of the users are women, men still hold many of the classical male "posts".
  • The level of participation in the user's council is partly quite low.
  • Only a small group of about 10 people has really the full overview of the project and understand most important issues. They have much more information than most other member. The interest to catch up is limited.
  • We still could not find the money to make the whole building wheelchair accessible because the construction process was more expensive than we originally thought.

 

The tenants

Businesses

 

Initiatives

Living

(sorry, most linked pages are only available in German)

Ökozentrum - Artilleriestraße 6 - 27283 Verden
04321-957-0 (Ansagetext mit den Durchwahlnummern) - Fax: -400
buero@oekozentrum.org