Cologne Oval Offices (COO), Cologne | Germany

Customer: Deutsche Krankenversicherung vertreten durch MEAG - MUNICH ERGO AssetManagement GmbH, Munich

Architect: sauerbruch hutton architekten, Berlin

Net costs, building services €: 21,020,000.00

Project period: 2002 until 2010

Services: Planning and monitoring, sanitary systems, sprinkler systems, heating ventilation and air-conditioning systems, cooling systems, fire-extinguishing systems, measuring and control technology, electrical and telecommunication systems, conveyance systems

Award: Green Building 2010, Deutscher Lichtdesignpreis 2012

The office block at the Cologne Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer has been completed after a construction period of three years (2007 until 2009). Since May 2010 the first tenants of the Cologne oval offices (COO) complex have been enjoying the light-flooded and richly colored premises. 5000 colored sunshades, made of red and green colored printed glass panels, guarantee the shading of the Oval Office. The colors are supposed to reflect nature with green and autumnally red colored leaves. Greened patios offer a place for relaxation, regeneration and communication.

With good reason, the Cologne Oval Offices can be called Cologne’s first “green office building”. The EU commission in Brussels has added the Munich MEAG, which realized the office block at the Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer, to the list of the official partners of the EU’s Green Building Program. Therewith the EU awards prizes to energy efficient and sustainable complex of buildings

 

Ground water use for supply of individually adjustable cooling

Ground water serves as a primary and main cold source for the coverage of the cooling load. The ground water is extracted from the Rhine’s river filtrate and provided with a maximum temperature of 16°C. The heated process water is returned via an existing rain water pipe to the Rhine (see schematic 1).

Ventilation, heating and air-conditioning

Besides mechanical ventilation with a high-efficient heat recovery system, the offices are supplied with a 2-fold air change rate. The sprinkler system and artificial lighting is integrated into a suspended ceiling which is provided per axis. The heating and cooling concept has been plastered directly beneath the concrete ceiling by means of capillary tube mats (see schematic 2).

Quality of work and energy efficiency

The newly constructed office world combines highest quality of work with high energy and economic efficiency. The focus was based on an energy and ventilation system with natural
resources. The primary energy demand is calculated with only 105 kWh per sqm and year. This is approximately the half of what other airconditioned office buildings need.

Images: © Solveig Böhl (ZWP Ingenieur-AG)

Worth knowing

Further Projects with sauerbruch hutton
Munich Re, Munich, DE
Umweltbauamt Dessau, DE
Cologne Oval Offices, DE
Stadtsparkasse Oberhausen, DE
> KfW Westarkade, Frankfurt am Main, DE
Museum Brandhorst, DE
Sedus Dogern, DE

Award:
Green Building (EU-low energy house)
www.eu-greenbuilding.org

Deutscher Lichtdesignpreis 2012 (German Lighting design award 2012)
www.lichtdesign-preis.de