Logistics area with administration Promega

With the project "Promega Under One Roof" all the different operations and subsidiaries of Promega Corp currently spread between different locations around the city of Mannheim are united under a new single roof in the neighbouring town of Walldorf.

In this logistics and administration center all office spaces, logistic and production areas are arranged around a distinctive marketplace, extending over a number of floors. Employees, guests and visitors reach the marketplace through a striking main entrance which is emphasized by cantilevered floor slabs and a part of the building, the employee’s cafeteria, turned outwards to address the landscape.

An open working landscape extends across 3 floors of the office building offering space for about 115 employees together with enough space for future growth. The concept of uniting all the various functions in one building under a single roof is expressed by the form of the expansive 9,000m² wooden structure spanning the entire building.

Sustainability
An essential part of any planning process is the conscious use of the available resources such as land, energy, water, building materials and people both during construction and subsequent operation. In the case of Promega this includes the restoration of the previously used agricultural land and its integration in a landscape, which forms part of a holistic climate and comfort concept.

The re-naturalization of the landscape sees the re-establishment of natural water cycles. To this end, the roof surfaces are mostly created as a green roofs, impermeable surfaces are kept to a minimum and a percolation well is established. The new lake is integrated into this water cycle, serving as a rainwater reservoir and relieving the loads placed on public drainage infrastructure. The water feature is used also for filtering, improvement of the immediate microclimate, and as a source of grey water for use as fire extinguishing reservoir and for the irrigation of green areas inside and out. Inside the new building, a high quality environment is ensured through several means.

In order to provide optimum levels of the human comfort, the individual rooms, the high-performance building envelope and the building mechanical systems have been harmonized with regard to heating, cooling, ventilation and daylight. All permanently used areas are designed to maximize the use of natural lighting in the workplace, regardless of whether along the façade or facing towards the atrium. The facade design ensures thermal protection through passive and active regulation of solar radiation.

Thermal comfort and indoor air quality are supported by mechanical ventilation and building component activation connected to a geothermal field integrated into the foundation system. The large atrium provides for a natural stack effect which is central to the interior climate concept. The rooftop photovoltaic provides most of the total energy needed for the building.