Schindler, one of the world’s top elevator and escalator manufacturers, has rolled out a new elevator mounting system designed specifically for timber shafts—now in use across 25 multi-storied modular school buildings in Berlin. Supporting 32 elevators, the system was developed to meet the requirements of the Berlin education board, as part of the city’s strategy to deliver low-carbon, prefabricated infrastructure at speed and scale.
“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. Rohdenburg spearheaded the system’s development in collaboration with Kaufmann Bausysteme, a leader in modular timber construction.
And unlike traditional concrete or steel shafts, timber presents unique structural constraints. Its sensitivity to vibration and inability to hold screws directly meant Schindler’s engineers had to rethink conventional mounting techniques. The result is a dowel-based system with internal threads that accept standard elevator bolts—distributing loads evenly and preserving the shaft’s structural integrity according to trade publication Construction Briefing.
After undergoing dynamic load testing at Schindler’s Berlin training centre, Wood Central understands that the new system was officially certified, with it now being used in the Schindler 3000 elevators installed at the schools, equipped with energy-efficient variable-frequency drives, regenerative braking, and cloud-connected sensors. These sensors feed real-time data to Schindler’s Berlin Technical Operations Centre, allowing for predictive maintenance and reducing service disruptions.
Each school was prefabricated off-site and assembled quickly to meet growing demand in the German capital. Schindler reports that timber was selected for its environmental credentials and reduced construction footprint, though integrating conventional systems like HVAC and vertical transport required close coordination across trades. Wood Central understands that the rollout signals a broader shift in European construction, where modern methods of construction (including mass timber and hybrid systems which combine timber, steel and concrete) are favoured for their sustainability and speed.
- To learn more about the push to build “plus and play” schools using timber kits, click here for Wood Central’s special feature earlier this year. And to find out why the US Army is now building lift and wall shafts out of cross-laminated timber, click here for Wood Central’s story from May 2025.
