Schindler develops timber elevator shaft system for Berlin’s modular school expansion

Schindler’s timber elevator shaft solution, which is being rolled out across 25 schools in Berlin. Image: Schindler

The project, part of the city’s broader push to expand school capacity with low-carbon buildings, was delivered in partnership with Kaufmann Bausysteme.

The elevator solution addresses the structural and logistical constraints of timber, including higher vibration sensitivity and the inability to screw directly into wood.

Schindler engineers created a dowel-based mounting system with internal threads for standard elevator screws, distributing load more evenly while preserving shaft integrity.

The design has been officially certified following dynamic load testing at Schindler’s Berlin training centre.

“Timber construction poses unique challenges for elevator integration, but also offers opportunities for faster, more sustainable delivery,” said Jan Rohdenburg, sales engineer at Schindler Germany.

The installed Schindler 3000 elevators include energy-efficient variable-frequency drives, regenerative power systems, and remote performance monitoring via cloud-connected sensors. Data is analysed in real time at Schindler’s Berlin Technical Operations Center to enable predictive maintenance and minimise downtime.

Each modular school was prefabricated off-site and assembled quickly to meet rising demand in the German capital. Timber was selected for its sustainability credentials and reduced construction footprint, but required coordination across trades to adapt conventional building systems like HVAC and lifts.

The project underscores the growing need for adaptable infrastructure solutions as conventional timber, mass timber, and hybrids gains traction in Europe’s institutional and commercial sectors.

Züblin building hybrid timber complex above metro line in Munich A new hybrid timber tower is under construction in Munich, Germany