Krogmann Headquarters

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Krogmann Headquarters

Firm

Despang Architekten

Type

Commercial › Office

YEAR

2009

Through history the architecture of the upper class was never in trouble, but it is now the architectural middle class that is so ever endangered. Uniquely in the history of building culture and in the broad mass of mundane residential, commercial and industrial typologies, it is as bleak as ever—only upper and lower classes exist. This contrasts back to even a century ago, where architecture was the primary cultural expression of society, and where it is rarely ever the case today. Today only large private enterprises such as banks and insurance companies, as in the tradition of the nobility and the clergy in the past, advocate architectural excellence mainly because of its marketing value. However, the image looks increasingly gloomy when stepping out off the limelight of the spectacular “starchitecture” (for example into the darkness of areas of the production world). Once having architecturally shown the pride of the companies and well representing the values and virtues of the business, most of the neighborhoods of production facilities are not even architecturally present any more at least in the sense of Wittgenstein saying that “…not every purposive movement of the human body is a gesture. And no more is every building designed for a purpose architecture…”.Thankfully there have been hopeful signs, mostly of our southern neighbors in Austria and Switzerland, but also from our own country deeply in the foothills of the Alps, where the manufacturing construction companies and their philosophies reflect their traditions, virtues, and craft and are architecturally represented in the form of well-designed and constructed company headquarters. In the case of Krogmann company was this contagious. Krogmann is a traditional North German Timber Company founded in the 1960's by Hubert Krogmann. In 2007 the company was passed on to his son, Konrad, and his daughter-in-law, Heike. Heike’s son will also be joining the company after entering wood school this year. The Krogmann Company has proved to provide a name, which is not easily deterred, and therefore over the years has gained a good identity, especially with architects. The company has had numerous award-winning buildings recognized—in 2003 they received a commission from Hanover and Despang Architects for the ILMASI Special-Education School in Garbsen, Germany (which was featured in MfD1). The simultaneously structural and interior-ready, woodshell construction pushed all collaborators to their limits. The collective swearing of participants to the quality of the 30 mm multi-performative grid left unavoidable traces of wear at all parties.In 2007 Konrad Krogmann analyzed the competitiveness of his newly acquired company and realized that, despite economic soundness, his neighboring country competitors were ahead of him in terms of representing their firm´s philosophy architecturally. In hopes to compete, he decided to re-build his company headquarters with a new office space for himself and his staff. As a planner, he decided on Despang Architekten. Mr. Krogmann reported that the rigor of these architects, from his point of view as a contractor, was never to be questioned, but neither the resulting value which the architects discipline had created for the client. Therefore, Despang Architekten became the uncompromising company of his choice. The beginning of the project was also challenging at the same time, because Despang Architekten had gone through a process of reorganization and reallocation. The practice bases in Hannover and Munich/Germany were on one side of the world with Martin Despang on the other, representing the research and teaching platform in Lincoln, Nebraska annually in the fall and spring seasons.Therefore the project has clear traces of intercultural and transcontinental approaches. Andy Schultz, the head of the architecture department woodshop in Lincoln, inspired some of these approaches.Working together on the ILMASI and later the ILSEDE school the family businesses of Krogmann and Despang further educated themselves also about bioclimatic building design.After the analysis of local conditions, the southeastern corner of the site was favored to feature a significant relationship overlooking to and from the village, making possibly a south face, which would be simultaneously and strategically open to the public and the sun. The trapezoid shape is generated in a reciprocal manner in section from inside to outside and vice versa. The low, northern entrance side, which thermodynamically dissipates the cool winter winds, hosts wooden box rooms, which incorporate the utilitarian functions as restrooms and a copy and plotting room. From there the space expands in width and height for daylight and passive solar optimization. The gained space gives room for a gallery to the south, which in contrast to the narrow, low entrance, provides a panoramic wide front resulting in the significant iconic look of the building.The north-south sloping site is also used to increase the distinguishment between the north and south side. Accessed by a catwalk bridge, the building cantilevers and hovers towards the South over a plinth of concrete which, as a core-insulated sandwich construction, encloses the archives and is covered with a concrete lid which serves as a thermo active floor. As to promote internal communication, a desired open interior results in a "conical tube, and uses wood similar to musical instrument construction, such as the geometry of the flutes, unparallel surfaces, and the porosity of the material timber for acoustic optimization. The execution of the inner surface of the slit, with absorber insulation inlayed solid wood panels also creates storage capacities for thermal mass and humidity regulation. The wood uninterruptedly passing the thermal threshold glass façade forms a covered entrance to the north and providing summer overheating protection as a roof overhang to the south. In supporting the ephemeral notion of the building, the inner core of wood is inlayed around a lightweight steel structure system, which is then coated on the full 6-sided exterior with a weather-protecting thin film made of fiber cement board. According to the simple material palette, only glass is added for the south front and inside for the partition walls and staircase railings. The project is exemplary in terms of the redefinition of the roles members play in regard of the collaborative efforts.Whereas the schematic and developed design up to the submission material for the building permit was crafted by the architect, the following phases of detailing, construction documents and general contracting in large pieces with sweat equity was done in close coordination with the architects, but basically autonomously by the Krogmann company. Due to the previous joint-venture with the ILMASI school, it is thus realized what the virtues of that old master builders, the synchronization of the head and hand, of "thinking" and "making" to reactivate and return to building culture in wider and therefore more effective way.This pays off in the event of the Headquarters Krogmann already; since the builders in the project entirety identified the bold architectural front reconnaissance work in a small-town, inviting the skeptical and curious people in the building for an enlightening conversation. The project slowly but surely increasing the understanding in place for the evolutionary approach of the attitude of the building, which in an “architecturalized” way exemplifies what the website of the Krogmann company shows:Hubert Krogmann typical for his generation dressed in the suit and tie and built for his company a pitched roofed house which is standing with it’s eaves parallel to the street and features anthracite cement fiber tile roof material, He stands literally behind his son Konrad, ready to pass on the future of his business into the hands of his son with confidence. Konrad, with the shirt unbuttoned, is demonstrating to be ready to take over in a contemporary, more casual way, at the same time showing awareness of the family business legacy. This is demonstrated by the trapezoid shaped fiber cement board face along the street, which then breaks open to unveil what he believes his company represents as an emerging protagonist of a socio- and biodynamic 21st post-fossil Century.

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Krogmann Headquarters

Krogmann Headquarters

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