About the Project

Vienna Green Hub is the European Patent Office's regenerated office building in Vienna, transformed from an aging 1972 structure into one of the most sustainable renovations in the DACH region. Rather than demolishing the building, the EPO chose to retain its original reinforced concrete load bearing structure and rebuild around it, gutting the interior to the shell, redesigning the vertical circulation, and refurbishing the facade for both looks and energy performance.

The renovation leans heavily on biobased materials. Glued laminated timber, CLT BBS wood, and coated chipboards replace what would once have been steel and concrete, storing carbon in the building instead of releasing it. A highly efficient timber frame facade, acoustic climate panels for passive heating and cooling, and an ecological rainwater harvesting system round out a building aimed at net zero emissions across its full life cycle.

These choices earned Vienna Green Hub a BREEAM Outstanding certification, the highest rating achieved in the DACH region to date. At 13,232 square meters and completed in 2024, the project shows that a fossil heavy 1970s office block can be turned into a climate positive building without starting from scratch.

Because this is a renovation rather than new construction, the baseline for carbon storage is set at zero, meaning nearly all the sequestration achieved through the biobased materials counts as additional. All wood based products used are FSC or PEFC certified, and every material exceeds the 35 year minimum lifespan required for carbon certification, backed by EPDs and the German Federal Ministry's service life data.

About the Remover

Vienna Green Hub is owned and operated by the European Patent Office, which commissioned the building's transformation as part of its wider regeneration strategy. The EPO is the sole party with a claim to the sequestered carbon and reports it as a carbon sink in its greenhouse gas inventory rather than treating it as a tradeable asset.

The physical transformation was carried out by ATP Sustain GmbH, commissioned by the EPO to execute the refurbishment and conversion of the Vienna site. ATP Sustain handled the technical work of stripping the building to its shell, integrating the timber elements, and bringing the design up to BREEAM Outstanding standard.

Unlike projects that sell Carbon Removal Units on the open market, the EPO has no intention of marketing or selling credits tied to Vienna Green Hub. Instead, the sequestered CO2 is quantified and published yearly in the EPO's own Environmental Statement, keeping the carbon accounting internal and transparent rather than monetized. The credits stay in a validated but undelivered state, which is also why the project does not require third party verification.

Vienna Green Hub

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