The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

High Performing Buildings – February’s Roundup

High Performing Buildings – February’s Roundup
23 February 2022
 

TWinFM’s February high performing buildings roundup explores building excellence across German cities.

 

Watch the Video

 

 


 

 

 

Mikado – A New Architectural Eye-Catcher in Friedrichshafen

 

Mikado is a building complex with a modern office space, so-called because of its bronze-coloured struts on the glass façade, reminiscent of the game of skill Mikado.

 

Image

Picture: a photograph of Mikado, showing the exterior struts. Image Credit: Mikado

 

The building also features an innovative expanded metal ceiling with an integrated aquatherm black system, controlling the space’s heating and cooling.

The black registers are made of corrosion-resistant polypropylene, so that heat is evenly exchanged across the room. Draughts and dust are excluded by this process, so the thermal comfort in the room increases.

Due to the small installation distance of the register pipes and the resulting high surface density of the aquatherm black system per square meter, the system can be operated with lower flow temperatures than conventional heating systems or higher flow temperatures than other cooling systems.

In combination with its fast reactivity, it enables a particularly efficient and energy-saving operation under changing conditions. An acoustic fleece also has a sound-absorbing effect.

The owners and planners of the three-part building complex, Sandra and Ingo Gramm, said: “We attach great importance to sustainability and set high standards visually, which is why our ceiling is characterised not only by its unique technology, but also by its modern and changeable design.

 

Image

Picture: a photograph of the interior of Mikado, showing a lounge space. Image Credit: Mikado

 

“Technical highlights are the exact cross joints with the smallest tolerance and an individual hanging system where you can unhinge each cassette individually.

“LED light strips are integrated flush into the joints and the edge pieces of the ceiling were realised by edge friezes, in which slots for the supply air find place. The edge friezes provide a seamless transition, which eliminates fitting pieces. Furthermore, our ceiling provides an open system for exhaust air, with no visible exhaust ports.”

 

Image

 

BF 113 Tower West in Hafencity, Hamburg

 

Architectural firm Atelier Kempe Thill has won a competition to work on a 2022 housing development in Hamburg.

Part of the city’s Baakenhafen masterplan, the project is based in the Hafencity area. The apartment block will offer views of Hamburg’s inner city and the river Elbe.

According to World Architecture News, the designers plan to a focus on the reduction of energy consumption and CO² during the building process, and the use of recyclable materials.

You can find out more about the Baakenhafen masterplan here.

 

Modular Wooden Schools in Berlin

 

32 wooden schools are to be built in Berlin by 2025 by The Senate Department for Urban Development & Housing, in a move to make the city one of the world's major metropolises for wood construction.

Wooden modular construction has experienced an extreme boom in recent years, due to its sustainability credentials and the cost-effectiveness of prefabricated wood-based modules.

 

Image

Picture: a render showing an aerial view of one of the schools. Image Credit: Thomas Mayer via Metsa Group

 

Currently, three-storey wooden schools are being built in Berlin by Austrian prefabrication constructor Kaufmann Bausysteme (KBS).

One school consists of nearly 100 modules, all prefabricated offsite and assembled on the construction site. To achieve a column-free floor plan for classrooms, 8-m long beams had to be used at the joint of the modules.

"Six schools have already been built and a total of 32 schools are to be built by 2025. The speed of the offsite construction method was a decisive factor. With the prefabricated wooden modules, the construction time can be halved," explained Sebastian Hagspiel from Kaufmann Bausysteme.

Main Picture: a photograph of Mikado, showing the exterior. Image Credit: Mikado

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 23 February 2022

Share



Related Articles

High Performing Buildings – April’s Roundup

ThisWeekinFM’s high-performing buildings roundup includes a cube-shaped skyscraper, a building based on a classic fairytale and one of the first UK new builds to...

 Read Full Article
High Performing Buildings – July’s Roundup

This month’s roundup includes the first ever WELL Gold certified high school in the USA, the first new build west end theatre in 50 years and the world’s most...

 Read Full Article
High Performing Buildings – November’s Roundup

ThisWeekinFM’s high-performing buildings roundup for November 2023 includes winners from the New London Awards. Supported by the Mayor of London and organised by...

 Read Full Article
ABM Launches Sixth Year of Junior Engineering Engagement Programme 

Facilities provider ABM is again engaging with 11-12-year-olds to promote the world of engineering and facilities management. The Junior Engineering Engagement...

 Read Full Article
Plans Submitted for ‘House of Wood’ Office Building in Maidenhead

Plans for an office building with a ‘timber superstructure”, the first of its kind in Maidenhead and the wider Thames Valley, have been submitted. Designed...

 Read Full Article
The Ark – Shanghai’s Floating Former Cement Factory

MAD Architects has released images of its proposed renovations to what was once one of the three largest cement factories in Shanghai.   Watch the...

 Read Full Article
Office Building Made Entirely From Converted Shipping Containers

A new office building in Southampton Port has been constructed entirely out of converted shipping containers, saving around 40 per cent against the cost of a traditional...

 Read Full Article
High Performing Buildings – October’s Roundup

ThisWeekinFM’s high-performing buildings roundup features the winners from the British Council for Offices National Awards.   Watch...

 Read Full Article
Europe’s Largest Volumetric Residential Tower

A new scheme in Croydon hopes to be Europe’s tallest residential tower to be completed using volumetric construction methods.   Watch the...

 Read Full Article
University of Birmingham Announces New Net-Zero Carbon Smart Building

The University of Birmingham has announced a £50 million investment into a new net-zero building which will significantly expand its energy research and...

 Read Full Article