Balcony school in Atelier Gardens

In addition to online education, a face-to-face balcony school for ecological gardening in a small space is being launched in Berlin. It is being held at the Atelier Gardens in Tempelhof, an exciting place of change with a film-historical background.

The balcony school

is used for training courses, lectures and workshops on self-sufficiency, sustainable and insect-friendly gardening to promote biodiversity in small spaces and as a reference object for vertical cultivation, climate terraces and worm composting. The motto: Every meter counts! My biotope on the balcony. Experience nature and harvest happiness in the middle of the city.

Ecological gardening in pots, tubs and balcony boxes
Vertical cultivation
Climate terrace
Edible wild plants
Insect-friendly gardening
Worm composting of your own organic waste
Pot gardening library
for companies SMEs and teams “Green Social Day”, company outing, team building & educational afternoons (team hiking day), Christmas party

Address

Oberlandstrasse 26–35
12099 Berlin

Approach

Best reached by public transport or bicycle.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

U7 U‑Bhf. Hermannplatz or
U8 / S+U station Hermannstraße
then take bus 246 to Oberlandstrasse Mitte (note that there are three stops at Oberlandstrasse, the correct stop is Mitte)

Car

A100 to exit 21-Oberlandstraße
turn left onto Oberlandstraße until house number 26–35

Please note: There are no parking spaces available on the site itself, but diagonally opposite in a parking lot

Atelier Gardens

Atelier Gardens is a unique, exciting 2.5‑hectare campus with a view of Berlin’s famous Tempelhof Airport and Tempelhofer Feld. Known as “UFA Studios Tempelhof” and later as “Berliner Union-Film” or “BUFA”, the site was home to the pioneers of film and looks back on more than 100 years of film and television history. Atelier Gardens is home to change organizations such as WeChange, Changing Cities, Friday for Future, Stadtbienen, Tiny Farms, Kantine Zukunft, Roots Radicals and the Open-air cinema island.

The planned climate terrace

As I am always being approached by people who want to see vertical beds in my home, I am offering the opportunity to view and learn how vertical growing works throughout all four seasons. In summer, you will be able to linger under a shady roof of vines, tomatoes, raspberries, kiwi, blackberries, passion fruit and fire beans. I am asking for financial support as a donation for this investment.

Bank details Support

Birgit Schattling
Berlin Savings Bank
IBAN: DE04100500000064007081
BIC: BELADEBEXXX

Vwz: Organic balcony donation

First impressions of the site in winter

Outer surface

The site was designed by the renowned landscape architecture firm Harris Bugg Studio in London. The collaborative design team includes MVRDV, HS ArchitectsDrees & Sommer, Arup, Buro Happoldkpm3. The project developer is Fabrix from London.

In 2020, the site of the BUFA film studios covered with concrete and only six trees. Since then, 125 trees and 25,000 plants have been planted to create urban nature with great biodiversity for people and animals. One third of the campus has been made permeable and/or planted. The concrete surface was removed and crushed on site and completely reused, avoiding 900 tons of waste that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. Soil phytoremediation and plant communities are at the heart of the planting design.

Awards:

MIPIM Award for the best urban regeneration project 2023
Monocle magazine cultural development in the year 2024
In October 2024, Harris Bugg received an award for the best commercial design project for his work at Atelier Gardens Berlin Pro Landscaper Sustainability and Diversity Awards 2024.

Dates & Tickets

Sonntag 25. Mai 11:00 – 13:00

Balkon-Blitz: Aufbau, Befüllung und Bepflanzung Vertikalbeet (kostenfrei). Letzte Chance, wenn es befüllt ist, ist es befüllt!

„Balkon-Blitz“: ein kooperatives Projekt mit Wissensaustausch und tatkräftiger Unterstützung.

Heute die einmalige Chance, ein „leeres“ Vertikalbeet zu sehen sowie Tipps zum Aufbau, Befüllung mit Substrat und Pflanzen zu bekommen.

Den Abschluss bildet ein Rundgang übers Gelände von Atelier Gardens. Gerade blüht ein Meer von blauen Iris.

Freitag 23. Mai 11:00 – 14:00

Bepflanzung der Vertikalbeete (kostenfrei)

Gemeinsam in der Gruppe die Vertikalbeete der Klimaterrasse bepflanzen.

Den Abschluss bildet ein Rundgang übers Gelände von Atelier Gardens mit Blick von oben aufs Tempelhofer Feld und die Skyline von Berlin. Gerade blüht ein Meer von blauen Iris.

Already over

Saturday/Sunday May 10 + 11 14:00 — 17:00

Pflanzen vom Sommergemüse, Kräutern, Salaten (kostenfrei)

Plant vertical beds together as a group and view the climate terrace.

The. April 8 15:00 — 17:00

Aussaat vom Sommergemüse (kostenfrei)

Sowing summer vegetables together as a group — tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins and a variety of lettuces.

Business offer for teams

Team day on the exciting grounds of Atelier Gardens

Whether a team building & educational afternoon (team hiking day, team day) in spring, summer or fall or as a Christmas party: gardening together creates a resonance space for individual and team processes. At the start of a project or at the joint conclusion. With time to garden together, to reflect, to get to know each other. There is always something new to get to know and be amazed by.