House Bergermann

Welver

The client wanted an ecological, spacious house. It was to make maximum use of natural energy resources. It shouldn't be expensive, but it should also be differentiated, tailored specifically to a family of five, who required a lot of space and even more open space. In other words, very diverse requirements, which were met with a compact, elongated building.

Consistently oriented to the north and south and demonstratively constructed using an alternation of solid and skeleton construction, it is a low-tech solar house. Behind its radically minimized supporting structure of rods and tension cables, it opens generously to the south with its continuous, double-skin glass front, while a highly insulated, almost closed wooden façade extends along the cold north side, which only allows the opening of a narrow strip of light there.

All the adjoining rooms, solidly constructed and consistently arranged along the north side, act as heat buffers as well as storage masses, while the living compartments opposite them, which are transparent to the garden and the sun and kept flexible by sliding walls, derive their maximum benefit from the passive use of solar heat.

The space that links these two areas is equipped with skylights and space-saving cabinet elements that give it a clear rhythm and immediately help the person entering to find their way around, it is the prelude to an extended living space. In summer, it is a flowing living space, protected from excessive sunlight by the cantilevered shading of steel pipes arranged in a row. In the winter months, on the other hand, the heat buffer of the double-skin south-facing side allows the sun's rays to penetrate deep into the house unhindered, warming the indoor air and having a purely psychological effect.

The other parts of the extensive ecological concept are also efficient, from the choice of building materials used to feed rainwater into the cycle of a domestic hot water system. In the third and fourth expansion stages, this concept will be extended to include the active use of solar energy.

Living Steel Wood

Data

Completion

1996

Address

Im Hagen 9
59514 Welver

Client

Privat

New Building On Aktienstraße

Mülheim an der Ruhr

The height and position of the new building is aligned with its urban surroundings. The front edge is flush with the neighboring building. In order to make the façades facing Aktienstraße more prominent and to increase the visibility of the building on the site, the volume is planned across the entire width of the plot.

A steel construction with a timber frame façade is planned, which will be curtain walling. This materiality is not only sustainable, but also creates a better quality for the employees working there thanks to its tactile feel.

Conceptually, the volume is organized in a strong base with a “flying” upper block to create a new scale on the very different fronts (e.g. fast train connections, industrial character with large and less street-going buildings). Instead of one large block, the concept focused on working the volume in its height and in two main parts, with less weight due to the “aerial plane”.

Usage

The allowance for a large market activity attracts a high contingent of users to the site. This is reinforced by the office workers and visitors to create a lively place.

The emphasis on the aerial floor of the parking speaks to the less human scale of the railroad line and the industrial buildings, allowing a new and elevated view of the surroundings. The two-story commercial space includes a storage area, mechanical rooms, restrooms and circulation cores. Intended as a large retailer, the design of the ground floor and first floor forms a self-contained and strong base, which connects to the office building via the equally self-contained and external access cores.

The upper four-storey volume will be an airy and transparent body for office use. The external circulation cores are important for the flexible use and organization of the floor plans.

Open spaces

The site is higher than street level. For this reason, the entrances to the project site are based on the gradient of the current access road. The ramp to the parking deck is planned as an independent element and sits on the straight level of the access road.

In addition to the ramp, entrance areas, technical and delivery areas as well as the required parking spaces for bicycles are planned. A smart pool is also planned for flexible mobility. Together with the public transport system, the parking deck meets the number of parking spaces required for office buildings and businesses.

Office Retail Steel Wood

Data

Study

2019

Address

Aktienstraße 23
45473 Mülheim an der Ruhr

Client

LIANEO

Housing Construction In The Ruhr Area

Dortmund

The inner-city location is ideally suited for different groups of residents: young families, older people in small apartments or in shared apartments 50+, students in apartments or shared flats. A building that offers different types of apartments under one roof and thus provides the basis for a real house community. Access to the upper floors and the functional areas on the ground floor is via a central foyer with deliberately spacious circulation areas, which are available to the building community as a protected space for private events, children's play, etc. - as is the garden itself.

“High Density - High Privacy - Low Energy” is the theme of the architectural language. The building structure is compact, the circulation areas are equally yet communicative, the residential units have a differentiated typology and the largest possible private open spaces. All window areas are based on the same basic module, but their handling is adapted to the respective floor plans.

All necessary infrastructural facilities (waste management, storage rooms, building services, etc.) are housed in the building. This leaves the open space around the building tidy and reserved for garden use - with a direct link to the neighboring public green space.

The building has four upper storeys and a staggered storey with three penthouses to clearly articulate the urban contours. It has two independent entrances/exits. All floors are barrier-free and some of the apartments are handicapped accessible.

The first and second escape routes are routed via stairwells, which are located on the outer wall as nested staircases with minimal space requirements and are ventilated at the top.

The primary load-bearing structure consists of reinforced concrete ceilings laid on masonry walls. The ceilings are free of joists and are smooth and undisturbed from below. The masonry of the outer wall is monolithic (highly insulated) - with an additional mass shell for sound insulation towards Kaiserstraße and Karl-Lücking Straße. It remains open to diffusion throughout its entire construction. The surface forms an interplay of coarse and fine plaster textures. The floor plans are largely column-free. The space is created by non-load-bearing partition walls.

Concrete Living Masonry

Data

Completion

2017

Address

Kaiserstraße 162
44143 Dortmund

Client

Kreuzviertel Liegenschaften GmbH

Partner

Building physics/acoustics:
IB Horn GmbH, Leipzig
Fire protection:
Neumann Krex + Partner, Meschede
Technical building equipment:
Ingenieurbüro Deuter GbR, Iserlohn

Urban Timber Construction Adlershof

Berlin

The building plot on the Adlershof Science Campus has a clear north-south orientation. It is developed on one side - via Newton-Straße. Access to the rear areas of the site must be via separate areas. On the NW side, the entire length of the site borders on a central green corridor, which already has high open space qualities. We therefore want to connect the private open spaces directly to the green corridor and keep the site as a whole largely free of car traffic.

A binding urban design defines a development figure consisting of 3 detached houses. This definition is rather unfavorable for the design parameters of development, A/V, 1st and 2nd escape routes. We are counteracting this with optimized utilization.

Development + outdoor facilities

The relationship to the neighboring natural space is extraordinary. We take these open space qualities as a benchmark and transform them into our own open space concept. The trafficable areas are reduced to a minimum. Cars are accommodated near the site access road and under the cantilevered upper floor of House 1. In this way, a large part of the site can remain open to infiltration and be linked to the landscape with lawns and water-bound paths.

Open spaces/garden areas for the private use of the house communities will have lawns, some with playground areas. This allows private open spaces to merge into the park landscape without any perceptible boundaries. In this way, an extensive connection to the landscape is created.

The entrances to the three buildings are easily recognizable and barrier-free on the ground floor. The vestibules are generously dimensioned and thus form places for conversation “en passant”. The surfaces of the stairwells are untreated - exposed concrete as an in-situ concrete construction with board formwork and, if necessary, a colored coating.

Buildings

“Density - privacy - resource” are the criteria according to which the buildings were developed. Balconies and direct access to open spaces with links to the public parks support this concept. The apartments and buildings are staggered in such a way as to prevent prying eyes. The houses stand freely on the site and do not have basements.

Construction

The load-bearing structure is a timber skeleton system. Wooden beams span over 5m in the longitudinal direction, hybrid ceilings (wood + steel) are laid across them with a span of up to approx. 7.5m.

This creates free floor plans - “plan libre” - that are permanently variable and can also be changed in the future with just a few simple steps. Only the positions of the installation shafts are fixed. The ceilings are installed as timber-StBn composite ceilings, the façades are suspended as timber frame elements in front of the load-bearing skeleton and clad with horizontally structured larch cladding.

This construction method enables extensive prefabrication - the primary supporting structure, ceilings and façades are constructed in the factory and assembled on site. This means that the construction time can be reduced to a minimum.

Concrete Hybrid Wood

Data

Study

2017

Address

Newtonstraße/
Alexander-von-Humboldt-Weg
12489 Berlin

Client

HOWOGE Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbH

House 1

House 2 + 3

Decathlon

Herne

The goal of the Decathlon Herne project was to redevelop the Hibernia industrial site in Herne with a new building to strengthen the economic structure and improve ecological qualities.

The significance of the building arises from a strong articulation of the overall volume. This articulation is created by shed roofs. The sheds provide natural lighting to the interior from the north and offer the possibility of natural cross-ventilation, thus eliminating the need for mechanical ventilation.

To regulate the surface water balance, the areas between the shed roofs are greened and equipped with a high substrate layer. These green roofs capture the surface water, allowing it to evaporate from there. Excess water is directed to a drainage canal located at the entrance. The canal is connected to the natural stream system of the surrounding area.

The primary structure is a composite system of reinforced concrete and steel. The steel trusses are widely spaced to keep the interior free of columns. The exterior facades consist of industrial aluminum sheeting and pressed glass, which ensures maximum illumination. Administrative offices are housed in a two-story building block on the north side of the building.

Concrete Glass Mixed Office Steel

Awards

BDA Prize
North Rhine-Westphalia

2001

Data

Completion

2001

Address

Holsterhauser Str. 200
44625 Herne
Germany

Client

Decathlon

House at Lake Wandlitz

Wandlitz

The new building is situated on a site with a gentle slope towards the west shore of Lake Wandlitz.

To minimize the footprint of the property, the house has been designed as a slender structure along the northern boundary. A lightweight wooden construction rests on steel supports above the natural terrain, which remains untouched and unchanged. The two-story building consists of prefabricated wooden frame walls and ceilings. The west facade is clad with dark-stained 3D wooden slats of varying widths. On the north side, the black metal cladding of the cantilevered shed roof extends onto the facade. The gable ends are fully glazed with large, two-part sliding elements.

The house is designed for multifunctional uses—workshops, conferences, temporary living, etc. Alongside the north facade, a 1.0-meter-wide service zone, similar to a walk-in closet, has been incorporated, containing restrooms, bathrooms, storage areas, kitchenettes, stoves, and additional sleeping arrangements (Japanese courtyard house). The remaining floor plan is divided into different rooms—cabins—with open living and working areas on the ground floor. A key feature is the terraces located at the gable ends, oriented towards the lake and the forest. The wooden decks are large and extend the usable space. Like the house itself, they do not touch the ground.

Hybrid Living Mixed Steel Wood

Data

Completion

2016

Address

Uferstrasse 10
16348 Wandlitz

Client

Private

Kreuzviertel Johanna-Melzer-Straße

Dortmund

The development along Johanna-Melzer-Street is entirely from the period of immediate post-war reconstruction after 1945. The street edges are closed off, and the courtyards are often fully built over and used as workshops or enclosed garages. The materials, surface textures, and facade divisions reflect what was economically possible at the time. After 60 years without change, the neighborhood is now coming into focus for urban development.

The site is centrally located, not far from the main train station—the key transportation hub connecting regional and national destinations—such as the university, technical college, and institutes in Dorstfeld. As a result, the area around Johanna-Melzer-Street is particularly attractive to students, young families, and freelancers.

With our proposal, we aim to introduce new residential qualities. The site will be kept free of car traffic. Bicycles and cars will be parked on the ground floor beneath the front building. From the first floor to the top floor, variable apartments will be created for different groups: singles, couples, and shared housing. In the rear part of the site, a small studio building will be constructed, which will align with the neighboring edges and will feature its own private courtyard garden to the south. The area between the front building and the studio building will be de-paved and made available as a garden for the residents (“green” instead of “gray”).

Access to the upper floors, the garden, and the functional areas on the ground floor is via a central foyer with deliberately spacious movement areas. The residential community will have an apartment with space for private events, children’s play, etc., with direct access to the garden.

“High Density - High Privacy - Low Energy” is the theme of the architectural language. The building mass is compact, as are the circulation areas, yet remains communicative. The residential units feature varied typologies and maximized private open spaces. All necessary infrastructure (storage rooms, building services, etc.) is accommodated within the building. In the courtyard, there is a steel pergola with a metal roof connecting the two building parts, providing space for bicycles and trash bins. This keeps the open area around the building tidy.

Usage + Fire Protection

The building has four upper floors and an attic with a duplex apartment. All floors are barrier-free, with some apartments designed for accessibility. The first escape route is through the stairwell, and the second is via the facade.

Construction

The primary load-bearing structure consists of reinforced concrete panels (gable walls and ceilings). The ceilings are beam-free and smooth and uninterrupted from below. The floor plans are free of columns. Room partitions are created with lightweight walls. The exterior walls and roof are built with load-bearing aerated concrete blocks. The facades are plastered. On the street side at the ground floor, there is a natural-colored silver aluminum sheet cladding. The entrance door, garage doors, intercom system, and mailboxes are integrated into this facade design: resource-conscious _ robust _ colorful _ permeable _ optimistic _ energy-efficient.

Lighting

The front building and studio house are integrated into the block structure of the neighborhood. The floor plans are illuminated through the facades facing the street and the garden.

General Sustainability Concept

The building design is characterized by a comparatively low resource consumption for building operation, construction, and maintenance. The following points are considered:

The developed comfort and energy concept is tailored to the building and its location; the passive and efficiency measures ensure compliance with the required indoor climate conditions and lead to a consistent reduction in annual energy demand. With the described supply measures, a favorable primary energy coverage of the building’s energy needs over the year is achievable.

A room acoustics adapted to the usage creates an optimal living environment. The building's high compactness and slightly articulated volume promise relatively low resource consumption for the shell. Window areas and frame materials significantly influence the gray energy content of the building envelope; the proportion of windows is optimized for natural lighting and external reference. An accentuated external reference creates spatial identities and aids orientation within the building. Innovative load-bearing and building structures allow for a material-saving construction method.

The flexibility of the building concept and the conceptual separation of components with different life expectancies significantly impact the potential lifespan of the building. Green roofs (e.g., through "urban gardening") improve the microclimate, protect the roof sealing, and contribute significantly to rainwater retention. The media distribution, ventilation concept, and accessibility allow for easy and practical cleaning, maintenance, and retrofitting.

Primarily emission-free and low-emission building materials, easy-to-clean surfaces, and the comfort/ventilation concept ensure a high health and hygiene standard in the interiors; examples include the ceiling structure, extensive natural room conditioning and ventilation depending on use. Longevity of building materials and components related to the building envelope (facade, roof, sun protection) and the building services concept (lighting concept, ventilation concept, energy concept, room conditioning, control technology) is carefully considered.

Concrete Living Steel

Data

Study

2017

Address

Johanna-Melzer-Straße 6
44147 Dortmund

Client

Kreuzviertel Immobilien GmbH

Grammer Office HQ

Ebermannsdorf

The new headquarters of Grammer Bürostühle GmbH is nestled like a rock in the Bavarian Forest. Grammer produces high-quality office chairs and cinema seats in an "on-time" production system.

The building complex is divided into a production hall and an administrative building (head office), which are connected by a bridge. They are flanked by black, massive "rock" walls. The outwardly rugged architecture, in the style of Land Art, reflects the surrounding forest landscape. The buildings blend into the environment through scattered plantings of native trees.

The structural framework of the 6,700 m² hall consists of a galvanized steel structure made of trusses and fixed steel columns.

The facade is made from aluminum sandwich panels. The end facades feature profiled architectural glass with thermal insulation coating, combined with an anodized post-and-beam construction.

Glass Office Steel

Data

Completion

2002

Address

Jubatus-Allee 1
92263 Ebermannsdorf

Client

Grammer AG "Seating Group" GmbH

H+H order picking building

Höningen

A gentle slope, with an industrial area at the back and a wide view of the Soester Börde at the front—an appealing yet challenging situation. The neighboring structures are large and faceless, spread out across the area.

The theme of the new building for H+H is the edge of the slope—seemingly sinking into the terrain, the interior features two levels: a continuous ground floor for order picking and, on a gallery level suspended from the roof, zones for storing all necessary packaging materials.

Offices and an apartment are located on the single-story side of the building, offering a view of the landscape. The structural framework is designed as a mixed construction—wood (roof trusses, wall panels) and steel (columns) form an architectural unit.

Awards

Architecture Prize of the
WestHyp Foundation

1996

Data

Completion

1995

Address

Oesterweg 14
59469 Ense-Höingen (Landkreis Soest)
Deutschland

Client

Hütter + Hansen

Wulf-Hefe-Gallery

Werl

The goal of the "Hefe-Galery" project is the redevelopment of an inner-city brownfield site, whose previous use as a brewery became obsolete with the demolition of the building.

The new building compensates for the deficit in event and dining spaces. The differentiation of the retail structure attracts new external customer traffic, thereby strengthening Werl's inner-city retail landscape beyond just the immediate location.

The limited land resource has been occupied by a two-story building that aligns with the local scale. Retail, dining, logistics, and administration are located on the ground floor, with parking and technical facilities on the upper floor, as well as event spaces on both levels. Green areas are incorporated into the rooftop.

The primary structural framework consists of a prefabricated reinforced concrete construction with spans of 10x10 meters on the ground floor and 20x30 meters on the upper floor. After completion of the second construction phase, the usable area will be approximately 12,000 m².

The building features a central control system for optimized resource management. Rainwater is collected decentrally, stored centrally in a cistern, and then directed into a greywater system. High visitor traffic is managed through a complex supply and disposal concept that takes into account day and night cycles to minimize impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

Concrete Mixed Office Public Retail Steel

Data

Completion

2008

Address

Soester Str. 26
59457 Werl
Germany

Client

Grundstücksgesellschaft Friedrich Bremke GmbH & Co.KG

House Bergermann

Data

Completion

Address

Client

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