BCO Architekturen - Gotaut, Hammer & Wameling Partnerschaft mbB

Contemporary Building In Berlin

Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher

CONTEMPORARY BUILDING IN BERLIN

 BCO Architekten

ARCHITECTS
BCO Architekten

PHOTOGRAPHS
Werner Huthmacher

PROJECT YEAR
2011

LOCATION
Berlin, germany

CATEGORY
Apartments

Text description provided by architect.

CONTEXT

The volume and massing of the building take their cues from the historic ensemble architecture surrounding the Volksbühne.

Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher
Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher

The facade is entirely excecuted in a single colour, with sublte differences in texture and shade contriving to match and sample the look and feel of the existing neighbourhood.

The plaster, doors, window frames, blinds, garden stairs and all fixtures and fittings are painted stone gray to match the facade.

Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher
Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher

This rigourous monotone composition also conceptually underlines the tight building envelope required by a zero-energy building.

The composition of the windows serve as a counterpoint to this theme, where the large openings stand proud of the facade, tilted slightly to the side to add rhythm and play to the facade.

Reflections of the streetcape are unexpected and askew, the windows become the picture frames of the street.

GALLERY

The gallery opens up to the street with a large glazed frontage.

Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher
Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher

The visitor is guided down a stair to a large, almost 5m hight exhibition hall, glimpsed from the street and garden with a band of clerestory glazing.

APARTMENT & MAISONETTES

The building contains one garden maisonette, one single story appartment, and two penthouse maisonettes.

Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher
Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher

Fixtures and fittings are simple and clear, excecuted in the very highest quality, using the best materials.

The apartments have 3m standard ceiling heights, double height spaces of 6.5m - except for the one-storey apartment gallery -, and large glazed openings serve to create generous, light filled living space.

Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher
Contemporary Building In Berlin
© Werner Huthmacher

The appartments are concieved as an open sequence of spaces arranged around a central service core containing kitchens, bathrooms and interior stairs. The service cores also house the full height sliding walls that can be pulled out to divide up the spaces as required, allowing for full user customisation of the spaces.

ENERGY CONCEPT

The “Passivhaus” is totally energy-optimised. The highly insulated building envelope consists of an eiFs system with 3-way glazing. Room temperature is regulated by a ventilation system with 98% heat recovery. The low remaining heating requirements are served by a geothermal installation and solar collectors on the roof.

Potable water is heated locally in fresh water stations (15% energy savings compared to central heat- ing), other water is provided by a grey water system. A photovoltaic installation on the roof feeds into the grid to offset conventional electric consumption. The large, south facing windows to the street are fitted with reflective blinds to reduce heat gain in the summer and allow solar heat input in winter, as well as offering discretion all year round.


Contemporary Building In Berlin
site plan
Contemporary Building In Berlin
plan 01

Contemporary Building In Berlin
plan 02


Contemporary Building In Berlin
sections
Contemporary Building In Berlin
elevations

BCO Architekturen - Gotaut, Hammer & Wameling Partnerschaft mbB
T +49 30 61288052 F +49 30 61288116
BCO Architekturen - Gotaut, Hammer & Wameling Partnerschaft mbB
Mittenwalder Str. 11, 10961 Berlin, Germany