Client: PE FKS GmbH & Co. KG
Architect: Wiel Arets Architects, Munich, and HKR+ Architekten, Cologne
Project period: 2021 to 2025
Service: Planning (HOAI phases 1–6), sanitary systems, heating systems, cooling systems, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, electrical systems, IT and communications systems, lift and conveyance systems, building automation systems, fire protection engineering, building simulation
Net costs building services in €: 36,600,000
In the north of Cologne, the Friedrich and Karl office quarter is taking shape as a modern gateway to the city. On the approximately 20,000 m² site owned by the DuMont media group, there is an attractive opportunity for urban densification. The sustainable project comprises seven buildings, each with six storeys, connected by a pergola and a podium level. It aims to become Cologne’s most climate-friendly office quarter, achieved through the extensive use of timber components in the structure and intelligent energy management.
ZWP is responsible for the sophisticated building services concept. In implementing the design, ZWP works closely with MorgenGrün – ZWP’s internal unit for innovations in climate-conscious construction and refurbishment. MorgenGrün supported the project development by Bauwens as early as the competition phase, enabling the early creation of an innovative energy concept and the setting of key parameters for a climate-friendly quarter.
Friedrich and Karl will make a tangible contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions in office buildings and set new standards for the development of sustainable commercial properties in North Rhine-Westphalia. Key features in this context include timber-hybrid construction, low-tech design, and intelligent energy management. Timber, the main construction material, naturally offers excellent thermal insulation properties and, in the long term, will store a significant amount of CO₂ in the buildings along Friedrich-Karl-Straße.
With the help of innovative energy management, Friedrich and Karl will be almost climate-positive. All roof areas will be fitted with photovoltaic systems to power heat pumps for heating and cooling the spaces almost entirely self-sufficiently. Additionally, waste heat from the server rooms will be used for heating. Any remaining heating demand will be met exclusively via groundwater well systems – a renewable energy source that emits only minimal greenhouse gases and also enables passive building cooling during the summer months.
The green roofs will store rainwater, which will evaporate and be returned to the natural water cycle. The design deliberately omits a central mechanical ventilation system, following a low-tech approach with maximum user comfort.
No underground car park will be built; instead, a mobility hub will be created as part of an innovative mobility concept with a significantly higher proportion of cycling and a digital management system. This hub will also offer car-sharing and e-bike facilities. ZWP is responsible for planning the charging infrastructure with load management, in combination with the photovoltaic systems.
Images: © HKR+
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