The property at the edge of an industrial park, surrounded of orchard meadows, inspired us to create a hybrid structure, which blurs the boundaries between the classic typologies of office and residential buildings. Far cantilevered, rectangular ceiling tiles and recessed façades extend the office space to the outside – possibility rooms, which the user can appropriate for a short retreat into the green or for spontaneous brainstorming in the group. At the same time, the surrounding balconies serve as constructive sun and weather protection. The roof is folded several times into pent roofs. Consistently oriented to the south, the roof areas, which are completely equipped with photovoltaics, make an important contribution to the desired climate neutrality of the building.
Organisation
The main entrance is from Raiffeisenallee. In the spacious foyer, flanked by two inner courtyards, the reception and the co-working area flow seamlessly into one another, with a small meeting room next to them. The cafeteria opens to the south and the garden. The organisation of the office units is simple: up to five rental units, flexibly divisible and switchable, depart from the central access area. Cores with the basic infrastructure such as technical shafts and sanitary rooms are arranged in the respective entrance area, which can be extended as required. The inner courtyards ensure that the rooms are evenly lit. The external corridors are an equal part of the working environment, and in summer the offices can be opened up generously. The two basement floors accommodate technical rooms and 92 car parking spaces.
Construction and material
As part of the built and grown environment, we planned the building as a timber construction. The prefabricated wooden supporting structure remains not only perceptible but also visible inside. The interior staircase and the shafts are executed in fair-faced concrete. The constructive sun protection of the cantilevered floor slabs allows transparent facades without overheating the rooms behind.
Energy concept
The aim of our considerations was to design a building that is almost CO² neutral and thus set a trend-setting signal for climate neutrality in 2050. This demanding task can be mastered by energy-efficient individual measures like adapted insulation standard with 3-fold thermal insulation glazing, CO² minimized wood hybrid construction, high use of daylight through atriums or photovoltaics on the roof for own electricity use.