Architectural concrete facades as a contribution to design quality and sustainability – project reports

Project 1: Überseequartier Hamburg: Sophisticated facade architecture for maritime living

The “Eleven Decks” residential project in Hamburg’s Westfield Überseequartier district makes a striking statement in HafenCity with its terraced architecture and 306 apartments. The defining design elements are 540 monolithic, solid red exposed concrete elements manufactured by Hemmerlein. The formula developed specifically for the construction project ensures maximum color consistency and precise surfaces – inspired by the brick color of the Speicherstadt warehouse district. Sustainability also plays a central role in this project: the entire quarter was the first project in Germany to be awarded the BREEAM Communities certification rating of “excellent.” Eleven Decks thus stands for sophisticated architecture in the context of a future-oriented, sustainable urban quarter.

Project 2: Residential construction in Pforzheim: Energy-efficient solar thermal facade in multi-story residential construction

An innovative multi-story residential building with a curtain-type, solar-thermal-activated architectural concrete facade was constructed in Pforzheim. It was developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer IBP and ISFH and manufactured by Hemmerlein Ingenieurbau. Twelve large-format, sandblasted facade elements on the east and west sides of the building integrate capillary tube mats as absorbers and supply low-temperature heat for a heat pump system. The building is part of a BMWK-funded research project investigating the development and system integration of activated facades in multi-story residential buildings. The integration of solar thermal energy into the building envelope opens up significant energy-saving potential and uses large facade areas for heat generation while maintaining high-quality architecture. Supplemented by photovoltaics on the flat roof and geothermal drilling, the heat and hot water requirements can be covered almost entirely independently. The building is being constructed by Pforzheimer Bau und Grund: 19 barrier-free apartments – twelve 3-room, six 2-room units, and a 100 m² penthouse.