The new research building in Stuttgart is designed as a grid of small units to meet the requirement for a highly flexible workplace that serves as a dynamic framework for the ongoing research and innovation activities of the centre. The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research comprises offices, laboratories, meeting and conference facilities.
“The grid structure of the research centre ensures a high degree of mobility and freedom to change and expand the building”, explains Design Director Louis Becker, Henning Larsen Architects. “The building has a rational design and is organised in modules. This creates visual contact across the atriums and green oases, which the researchers can use for work or informal meetings.”
Carefully integrated into the surrounding context, the building features various heights that relate to the city and adjacent buildings. The building will create a new, distinctive entrance to Stuttgarter Engineering Park and provide an insight into the ongoing research.
The new Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research situated in STEP, Stuttgarter Engineering Park [1], will house researchers conducting research on sustainable technologies and energy forms. The flexible building design allows for it to be adapted to new, changed research requirements in the future.
”We look very much forward to the collaboration. The researchers of the centre hold a world-leading position in their field, sustainable technology and energy forms. The research has been integrated into the facade design”, says Werner Frosch, General Manager of Henning Larsen Architects Munich.
The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research meets strict, German requirements for sustainability. Through the design process, the energy consumption of the building has continually been simulated through studies of volume, material selection, ceiling height, light and shadow, sound, wind and opportunity for indoor and outdoor spaces. By selecting and fully exploiting the most efficient solutions, the energy consumption of the centre has been minimised. Particularly, an effective use of daylight has contributed to reducing the energy consumption.
The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research covers 13,000 m2 and is expected to be completed in 2016. The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) in Stuttgart is one of Germany’s leading research institutions and conducts research on renewable energy. The centre employs a staff of more than 220 researchers, engineers and technicians who are distributed across several offices in Germany, more specifically in Stuttgart, Ulm and Widderstall. Descripton of Henning Larsen Architects .
[1] The Stuttgarter Engineering Park StEP is a modern industrial estate. Three already finished phases of construction offer 18.000 m² industrial floor space which is utilized by 17 companies with a whole of approx. 600 employees.
When finished in 2005 the Stuttgarter Engineering Park will offer an environment for 6000 jobs mostly in the area of telecommunications and new media with an overall floor space of roughly 150.000 m². The actual phase of construction StEP 4 includes an infrastructure building with a centralized offer of services for the whole engineering parc.
On top of this building one of the most modern Fitness and Wellness studios will offer its services on 2.500 m² - VitaParc StEP. The whole planning and construction of this facility is led by the Knut Büngen GmbH, Cuxhaven. Operator of this mediterranean highlight is the VitaParc Vaihingen GmbH, Stuttgart.
Location: Stuttgart, Germany Architects: Henning Larsen Architects Team: Henning Larsen Architects, Transsolar, Knippers Helbig and ZWP Ingenieur AG Collaborators: Louis Becker (Partner), Werner Frosch (Project Director), Kostas Poulopoulos (Lead Design Architect), Ósbjørn Jacobsen, Andreas Schulte, Maine Godderidge, Silke Jörgenshaus, Blanca Ulzurrun, Emil Skibsted Tranæs, Laura Schmitt and Julia Menz Sustainability Concept: Signe Kongebro, Jakob Strømann-Andersen, Lise Mansfeldt Faurbjerg and Kalle Park Area: 13,000 m2 Client: ZSW Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Type of Assignment: 1st prize in invited, international competition