about us
WATER
Brooks, rivers, streams, deltas, oceans and the deep sea, dew and rain. Pack ice, glaciers, snow and fog. Waves, swirls, waterfalls. What can be more fascinating than water?
To protect this resource from contamination, to purify polluted waste water in the best possible way, to guide water and waste water in such a way that it causes no harm. We see it as our task to give water the space that makes cities more beautiful.
INNOVATION
Technical facilities in the field of urban water management reach high standards today. However, the implementation of projects proves to be too complicated, the costs too high and the time periods for planning and construction too long.
Although finances and the will are there, the worldwide construction of sewage treatment plants is making little progress, cities are flooded in heavy rain and necessary sewerage systems are not installed. Even the most committed politicians, mayors and administrations fail to cope with the complex tasks involved in such infrastructure projects.
Although finances and the will are there, the worldwide construction of sewage treatment plants is making little progress, cities are flooded in heavy rain and necessary sewerage systems are not installed. Even the most committed politicians, mayors and administrations fail to cope with the complex tasks involved in such infrastructure projects.
Therefore, it is necessary to question existing systems and to think from scratch, to recombine specialist areas and to implement the latest scientific findings.
As a result, complicated techniques can be simplified, costs reduced, new sources of financing opened up, construction sites can be completed in a shorter construction period and quality can be increased. The solutions are there, you only have to implement them.
As a result, complicated techniques can be simplified, costs reduced, new sources of financing opened up, construction sites can be completed in a shorter construction period and quality can be increased. The solutions are there, you only have to implement them.
TECHNOLOGY
To choose exactly the elements and partners from the almost unmanageable world of information, materials and machines, suppliers and companies with a sure hand, which allow a plant to emerge from planning. That is what we can do.
ENGINEERING
To improve matters by technical tools, to increase the quality of life, to protect resources, to implement the findings of many centuries of knowledge in buildings, to be informed about the latest state of research, to cooperate honestly, transparently and reliably with partners, authorities, clients and citizens, to control construction and planning processes. That is engineering.
THE FOUNDER
Ralf Steeg is a graduate engineer for landscape architecture and environmental planning and a member of the Berlin Chamber of Engineers. He completed his studies at one of the oldest and most renowned universities for landscape architecture in Europe and has been working in the field of urban ecology for more than 30 years. The focus of his work lies in the exciting challenge of the coexistence of city and nature, the protection of resources and the improvement of the quality of life in cities.
Already in 1987 he founded one of the first offices for urban ecology in Germany and has been working for public and private clients from that time on. Within the scope of his work as a landscape architect, he dealt with medieval gardens and landscapes - the origin of modern landscape and natural design - and, for example, carried out commissioned work for renowned institutions such as the Historical Museum Bern/Switzerland.
Since 2001, Ralf Steeg has been working exclusively in the field of urban water management with a focus on sewage treatment plant technologies and storm water management and has led a number of research projects and developed new technologies in this field.
Already in 1987 he founded one of the first offices for urban ecology in Germany and has been working for public and private clients from that time on. Within the scope of his work as a landscape architect, he dealt with medieval gardens and landscapes - the origin of modern landscape and natural design - and, for example, carried out commissioned work for renowned institutions such as the Historical Museum Bern/Switzerland.
Since 2001, Ralf Steeg has been working exclusively in the field of urban water management with a focus on sewage treatment plant technologies and storm water management and has led a number of research projects and developed new technologies in this field.
As an engineer and in cooperation with renowned universities, he has developed a worldwide pioneering component system for water management engineer structures - especially storm water tanks and sewage treatment plants. This enables plants to be built faster, cheaper and with higher quality.
Since 2002 - and since 2007 funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research - Ralf Steeg has been working with a team of civil engineers, economists, architects and companies to clean up the Berlin river Spree and carry out other projects in the field of urban water management. Within this setting, a large network has been created that goes far beyond the connections of an engineering office.
In addition to his actual work as an engineer, he organizes exhibitions and symposiums. His work was shown in the German Pavilion at the Expo Shanghai (in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute), the Architecture Biennale Venice, the German Architecture Museum in Frankfurt, the world-famous architecture gallery AEDES and in the Berlin Gropiusbau as part of the exhibition "300 Years of Science in Berlin". He was honored by the German Council for Sustainability and was nominated for the German Sustainability Award.
In August 2018, he ended his many years as managing director of an engineering office and founded the company WITE in November 2018, which he leads as CEO.
Lecures (excerpt)
Lectures at universities and technical colleges
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin / Post Graduate School, Technical University Berlin, University Kassel, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Beuth University of Applied Sciences / TFH Berlin, University Hildesheim, Europe University Viadrina, University Stuttgart, Rheinisch-Westfälische University of Applied Sciences, University Aachen (IWASA-Congress), Norwich University, Northfield, USA, University Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, HAWK Hildesheim, Hanoi Architecture University, University of Ho Chi Minh City
Further Lectures
City meeting Paris-Berlin, METROPOLENFIEBER! / City of Mannheim, Black/North SEAS / Odessa, Pecha Kucha / Berlin, Asia-Pacific Weeks / Berlin, House of Representatives / Berlin, Foundation, Brandenburg Gate / Berlin, Urania / Berlin, re:publica, Catholic Academy Berlin, Institute for Water Ecology and Inland Fisheries, NaturVision Filmfestival / Ludwigsburg, Stiftung Naturschutz Berlin, Goethe-Institut, Messe Wasser Berlin, DAAD, Federal Ministry of Education and Research / Science Year Berlin, Bundesstiftung Baukultur /Academy of Arts, EU project "ENTIRE" / Jordan / Amman
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin / Post Graduate School, Technical University Berlin, University Kassel, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Beuth University of Applied Sciences / TFH Berlin, University Hildesheim, Europe University Viadrina, University Stuttgart, Rheinisch-Westfälische University of Applied Sciences, University Aachen (IWASA-Congress), Norwich University, Northfield, USA, University Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, HAWK Hildesheim, Hanoi Architecture University, University of Ho Chi Minh City
Further Lectures
City meeting Paris-Berlin, METROPOLENFIEBER! / City of Mannheim, Black/North SEAS / Odessa, Pecha Kucha / Berlin, Asia-Pacific Weeks / Berlin, House of Representatives / Berlin, Foundation, Brandenburg Gate / Berlin, Urania / Berlin, re:publica, Catholic Academy Berlin, Institute for Water Ecology and Inland Fisheries, NaturVision Filmfestival / Ludwigsburg, Stiftung Naturschutz Berlin, Goethe-Institut, Messe Wasser Berlin, DAAD, Federal Ministry of Education and Research / Science Year Berlin, Bundesstiftung Baukultur /Academy of Arts, EU project "ENTIRE" / Jordan / Amman
Own Publications (excerpt)
About gardening in the city (1991), Ralf Steeg and Andre Schmid
Berlinbeach. Development of a procedure to avoid discharges from the mixed sewer system into urban watercourses, Nobert Engel, Peter Moll, Ralf Steeg
SPREE2011 (2005), Ralf Steeg, Klaus Gabrielli, Jörg Welke (not published)
2008 City and Green
2008 Schloßplatz3
Generation 4 storm water overflow basin as modular system, Ernst & Sohn Special 2016, sewer and pipeline construction
Berlinbeach. Development of a procedure to avoid discharges from the mixed sewer system into urban watercourses, Nobert Engel, Peter Moll, Ralf Steeg
SPREE2011 (2005), Ralf Steeg, Klaus Gabrielli, Jörg Welke (not published)
2008 City and Green
2008 Schloßplatz3
Generation 4 storm water overflow basin as modular system, Ernst & Sohn Special 2016, sewer and pipeline construction
Mentioned in Publications
On the Spree. The river, the people. Gerd Conradt
Selfmade City Berlin: Urban design and residential projects in own initiative, Kristien Ring
WeltWissen: 300 Years of Science in Berlin; Catalogue for the Exhibition in Berlin, Jochen Hennig
111 Berliners you should know, Lucia Jay von Seldeneck
Architecture of Change: Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment, Luckas Feireiss
This little book is wonderful. Sea food
Berlin Water Worlds Paperback, Corinna Weidner
Meer Berlin: Conquering the Capital on Water, Lena Kuhl
UPDATING GERMANY: 100 projects for a better future, Friedrich von Borries
The Aquarius: Ralf Steeg and his fight for the clean River, Sandra Prechtel
Selfmade City Berlin: Urban design and residential projects in own initiative, Kristien Ring
WeltWissen: 300 Years of Science in Berlin; Catalogue for the Exhibition in Berlin, Jochen Hennig
111 Berliners you should know, Lucia Jay von Seldeneck
Architecture of Change: Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment, Luckas Feireiss
This little book is wonderful. Sea food
Berlin Water Worlds Paperback, Corinna Weidner
Meer Berlin: Conquering the Capital on Water, Lena Kuhl
UPDATING GERMANY: 100 projects for a better future, Friedrich von Borries
The Aquarius: Ralf Steeg and his fight for the clean River, Sandra Prechtel
Press
More than 600 press articles as well as radio and TV reports have been published about the work of Ralf Steeg.
