Archive

We are delighted to have won 3rd prize for our design for a day care centre for children in Neuhausen auf den Fildern. The jury's citation: "The architects propose a 2-storey off-set structure that unfolds along Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Strasse. The divided building with a flat gable roof perfectly matches the scale of its surroundings. (...) The structured façade of closed and open bays endows the building with a beautiful rhythm. The materiality is reduced to large glazing and a pre-greyed wooden façade that blends naturally into the landscape. Its interior is friendly and furnished in natural colours. The appealing material concept and the attractive design of the façades bear witness to the architects’ straightforward style."

"The car park's organisation is altogether efficient and comprehensible with regard to its internal zoning and structure. The centrally positioned ramp divides the parking levels in the interior into a northern and a southern parking area. This simultaneously defines the interface for a possible future conversion. (...) A positive aspect is that the proposal for a variable future re-purposing has been consistently pursued from the outset and illustrated in three different scenarios. Consequently, the potential of a flexible conversion does not only show in the sensible interior layout, but also in the façade design. In the event of a conversion, the architects suggest removing the ramp completely or merely on the upper floor, so that the centre turns into an atrium, allowing for versatile and well-lit new spaces for commerce and workstations.(...)
With regard to the structural design, the architects propose a reinforced concrete composite construction for the basement and ground floor, complemented by a timber-concrete composite construction on the upper floors. The grid of the load bearing structure has been seized in the façade design and traces it thus on the outside." (Excerpt from the jury assessment)

In Senden, the groundbreaking ceremony took place for the new construction of the three-field sports hall with spectator stands at the Lange Straße school centre. This extends the existing school campus along Holsteinerstraße and forms the new counterpart to the Werner-Ziegler Middle School. The building is located at the end of the campus' path axis. A cut-out in the building cubature serves as an extension of the forecourt and accentuates the entrance. The hall is realised as a constructive timber building.

In the competition for the new Freiham commercial centre, our design was awarded second prize by the jury: "This robust and sensible structure leads the green axis as a typical urban development element of the new district. The separation of traffic from cars and deliveries was rated very positively. The address formation and access to the two building blocks is from the south from Centa-Hafenbrädl-Strasse. The access to the commercial courtyard with small foyer and information areas and the delivery zones to the building are adequate and redundant due to the two lifts in each case. When developing the floor plans, the designers attached importance to creating interior quality in the circulation areas through well-lit corridors and a small inner courtyard. Overall, the basic structure promises flexible, well-proportioned plots and good usability...".

"I wish that learning would be easier for blind and visually impaired children." This wish and many more have been collected by students over the past weeks. They were presented today during a joint celebration with Today, during a joint celebration with representatives of the school community, they were poured into the foundation of the new Betty Hirsch School Centre and will carry the inclusive school building of Nikolauspflege into a happy future. What a beautiful celebration!

Our design was awarded 1st prize in the competition for the new building for physics and nanostructure sciences at the University of Kassel.
The jury's citation: "In a very natural way, the design is embedded in the polygonal principle of the urban master plan while developing new facets in the continuation of the campus. (...) Its great strength is seen in the inscription of a simple geometric structure in the basic pentagonal shape.
Overall, the work is credited with a clear stance and coherence. It responds to the complex questions of the brief with an effortless matter-of-factness in all aspects. The substantial concept ideas are carefully elaborated and technically supported. The design succeeds in striking a balance between the necessary ratio (laboratory building/technology) and distinct form (urban development) to create a coherent building typology with a low-key appearance".

Our competition entry for the new building of the Anne Frank School in Karlsruhe was awarded 1st prize.
The jury's verdict: "...Along the main axis, a staggered sequence of open courtyards develops, which at the same time offer orientation, reciprocal lighting and direct access to open space. The ground plan structure creates an exciting system of spaces and paths, which on the one hand creates order and clarity, and on the other hand enables a variety of connections and visual references. On the upper floors, cluster-like spatial units develop, structured by the incisions of the courtyards, which are convincing in their clear allocation of space, but remain fundamentally flexible in their use. They are each accessed via the central central circulation via address-forming entrances, but also allow cross-references via the outdoor areas designed as learning terraces. Despite the clear grid, which is the plausible basis for an economical timber construction, a complex interior/exterior structure develops that promises both open and specific teaching and learning situations."

The "Holzbau Kompakt" series of events organised by the Holzforum Allgäu is an information and qualification platform dedicated to the diverse applications and high performance of wood as a building material on four evenings. On 7 April 2022 (6 p.m.), Prof. Stephan Birk will explain in his lecture "Kreislaufeffektive Bauwende mit Holz" (Cycle-effective building turnaround with wood) how to design and construct renovations, extensions and new buildings so that they can be used as urban mines at the end of a long life cycle.

Together with fast+epp consulting engineers, we are pleased to have received an honorable mention for our entry in the "Mühltal Foot and Cycle Bridge" competition.
"The bridge structure nestles elegantly and naturally into its surroundings. Beginning and end are located directly at the respective pathways.(...) The load-bearing structure of the superstructure consists of wood-concrete composite elements. This construction method uses the advantages of the different materials. The corrosion problem of the concrete deck is eliminated by the use of carbon reinforcement, which contributes to increasing the durability of the concrete deck. The superstructure is supported by very slender steel columns clamped into the foundations," is the jury's verdict.