The "Westspitze" is a seven-storey commercial and office building built in timber-hybrid construction and is one of the first projects of this magnitude in Germany. It was designed on behalf of Westspitze Gewerbebau GmbH & Co. KG, in which UmweltProjekt GmbH (a subsidiary of Umweltbank AG Nuremberg) holds a 50 percent stake and around 10 private investors from Tübingen and the surrounding area hold the remaining 50 percent. The client expressly wanted a building with high ecological standards and the use of wood for the supporting structure. In terms of energy, the KfW 55 standard had to be met; an ambitious goal for an office building.
At the beginning of the planning, various challenges arose, starting with the property in the form of an oblique-angled field. To ensure safe statics, a concrete base with dark clinker brick cladding and integrated a triangular core of reinforced concrete into the interior, which accommodates the stairwell and the elevators. This "core" ensures sufficient bracing and makes it possible to connect rectangular wooden ceiling elements.
The façade design also required an innovative solution. With innovative thin-film solar panels, it has been possible to create an energy-generating façade without making it look too technical. The colour-coated PV elements were integrated into a curtain wall façade made of powder-coated aluminium sheets and change colour according to the incidence of light. This special, bronze-coloured shimmer gives the building a special appearance.
The seven-storey building was built as a wooden building from the first floor onwards. hybrid structure. Steel and concrete were only used as far as necessary: For example, the ceilings consist of a wood-glued laminate with a span of seven metres (thickness 20cm) and a concrete surface of only 10cm. The entire façade geometry had to be precisely adapted to the requirements of the timber supporting structure. A total of approx. 1,100 cubic metres of solid wood from local spruce trees from the northern Black Forest and Upper Swabia were used in the outer wall and ceiling.
Even the interior design with 4,500 square metres of commercial space is an expression of climate-friendly construction. Vertical gardens welcome visitors on each level with a variety of rainforest plants that evoke immediate well-being and create a pleasant greenhouse atmosphere. Floor-to-ceiling glazing allows plenty of daylight into the rooms and creates a feeling of space. A large hall on the ground floor offers a wide range of options for all types of events, while on the 7th floor there is a large common room with a terrace. Tenants in the new commercial tower include the renowned World Ethics Institute, consulting companies, medical practices and a provider of co-working spaces.
Start of planning: 2017
Execution: 2018 - 2020
Location: Tübingen
Client: Westspitze Gewerbebau GmbH & Co. KG
Source: a+r Architekten GmbH + AVANCIS GmbH
Photos: Albrecht Voss, Brigida González