Außenperspektive Geschäftsstelle in Stolpe | SHA Scheffler Helbich Architekten

Office in Stolpe

Sustainable timber construction - our competition entry

The new building will be constructed directly on the A111 highway in the municipality of Stolpe. Our design for the north-south oriented building consists of a base storey with two superimposed structures. It is designed as a three- and four-storey building complex consisting of a modular timber frame whose load-bearing structure remains largely visible. The relationship between the room and its immediate surroundings is clearly defined.

Public and semi-public uses are located on the first floor and are structured by an axis that connects the entire building in a north-south direction. Also on this axis is a triple-height space that visually connects the entire complex. These atriums form open communication zones in the main stairwell. This outdoor area is complemented by terraces on the green roof of the base floor, which offer additional recreational and open spaces.

The floor plans of the upper office floors are flexibly configurable in our contribution and are only subdivided by the access cores. Glulam beams with solid wood ceilings span the building, which means that there is no need for columns between the façade and atria. Open, individual floor plans are therefore possible at any time, depending on requirements.

The aim was to create a façade design that is in harmony with the location of the building. To emphasize the more public character of the base and the entrances, the façade on the first floor is solid with prefabricated elements with a large proportion of openings, creating a direct connection between the communal areas and the green space outside. The façade modules can be configured differently depending on the use behind them. For example, there are elements with large openings and those with small openings that require protection from the noise of the highway. Other elements are completely closed.

Plant troughs for the façade greenery are arranged above the base elements. The upper floors will have a prefabricated façade system made of heat-treated timber modules. This construction system can therefore respond to the different needs of the various orientations of the building and its internal use. Similarly, the various configurations of the façade change depending on their relationship to the highway and their orientation. There are several types of façade modules on the upper floors, which are arranged according to use and orientation: North and south façades with a larger proportion of glass and east and west façades with greenery in front for solar and sound insulation.

The first floor as the base of the building opens up to the east with an inner courtyard. The central access via the spacious foyer in conjunction with the atriums ensures optimal orientation within the building and creates additional meeting and communication spaces.