Press Release
Messe Berlin builds five sustainable Tiny Houses for the homeless
The Tiny Houses are made of about 80 percent recycled wood and insulation materials that were used at trade shows.
Around 100 Messe Berlin employees lent a hand on Thursday, building five living boxes for the homeless under the guidance of the Cologne-based Little Home association. The boxes will be delivered to their destinations in the districts of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Pankow in the next few days. There, the Little Home association will make the Tiny Houses available to homeless people, giving them their own place of retreat.
"Our goal as a state company is to create added value for the city. With the Tiny Houses, we wanted to show once again what our employees get up to every day. Be it in the construction of sustainable housing boxes, the construction and operation of the arrival center for refugees in Tegel or our events that bring many people to Berlin every year: We are part of the city community and enjoy taking responsibility for helping to shape what is best for Berlin," says Dirk Hoffmann, Managing Director of Messe Berlin.
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What's special about the small shelters "made by" Messe Berlin: during construction, care was taken to upcycle as many sustainable materials from stand construction as possible and put them to a new use. The houses consist of around 80 percent recycled wood and insulation materials. In contrast, virgin materials were used for wear materials such as roofing felt and working materials such as screws and nails.
In addition to a mattress and a shelf, each house also contains a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher and a camping toilet. Since its founding in 2016, the Little Home association has built 250 houses across Germany. Experience shows: The 3.2-square-meter houses can make a difference. They offer homeless people shelter from the cold and wet and are a place they can lock up and find peace.
About Messe Berlin
Berlin has been a trade fair venue for 200 years, and for many decades one of the most important worldwide. As a state-owned trade fair company it conceives, markets and organises hundreds of live events every year. It aspires to be an outstanding host for visitors to every event, to provide an optimum boost for business and ensure fair conditions for everyone. This approach is reflected in the company’s slogan: Messe Berlin – Hosting the World.