HEWI Mag / References

Consistently beautiful

HEWI completes clear design lines in award-winning industrial and administrative buildings - from the door to the sanitary room.

Even in functionally characterised industrial areas, there are always buildings that stand out due to their architectural quality. On the northern outskirts of the municipality of Dunningen, an accomplished industrial building fits quietly and expressively between the main road and the open landscape. The architectural firm RÖING GENANNT NÖLKE Architekten PartGmbB designed the building. Part of the concept, which is characterised by a unique design consistency, is complete furnishing with products from HEWI.

Weightless feel

800 of the total 4800 square metres of floor space is used for administration. It is located at the head of the building, two storeys high, and is laid out around a green, park-like inner courtyard with a high welcoming qualities. The remaining 4000 square metres are required for production and storage space. The elongated hall, which directly adjoins the administration building, has two aisles. Slender reinforced concrete columns support the filigree steel structure.

Three shed roofs with skylights give the building rhythm. In the delivery area at the very end of the building, the roof cantilevers far out - it protects against wind and weather and gives the building an easier, floating appearance. The cleanly joined and high-quality workmanship of the metal façade shimmers with a fine, aluminium-silver sheen. The delicate shimmer gives it an easier appearance, as it harmonises with the natural light. This removes any heaviness from the volume of the building. At the same time, the façade stands for precision and expertise - and shows at first glance what the interior is all about: For high-precision and complex metal processing.

Clear legibility inside and out

The different uses inside are directly visible from the outside. While the production hall is enveloped by a skin of deeply protruding and receding trapezoidal steel sheeting with horizontal layering and appears almost textile-like, the administration building provides a clear contrast. Clad in aluminium panels, it appears smooth and calm, and the section of the building designed with it appears rather monolithic.

In the interior, the architects have implemented clear design principles on a completely continuous basis. The entire production hall shines in an almost sacred-looking white. “We even had the industrial crane painted white,” explains architect Prof Alexandra Röing, known as Nölke, and continues: “We deliberately opted for an alternative to the restless atmosphere usually found in workshops and production halls.” The other colours and materials also create clarity. White characterises the production, while exposed concrete surfaces and black elements give the administrative wing a uniform, restrained and elegant appearance.

Continuity and stringency down to the last detail

The architects wanted to work with the same continuous and stringent design for the interior of the building as for the entire building. HEWI offered them the right range of products for this purpose, suitable for both the office area and the production hall. “The uniform, aesthetic style of the products convinced us,” reports Alexandra Röing, known as Nölke. “The fact that HEWI produces in Germany was also a factor that encouraged us to take a closer look at their product range.” The architect was impressed by the wide range of products on offer, including lever and window handles with an iconic look, as well as a complete assortment of sanitary accessories. These products are both robust enough for industrial use and elegant enough for administrative buildings. The decision to use only HEWI products was quickly made.

Specifically, these are HEWI's classic S 111, the System 900 with products for sanitary rooms, and S 162 with its straightforward, puristic design. The planners have equipped the factory hall and the associated production areas with continuous stainless steel satin finished products. The administration building features only jet black matt design types, including powder-coated products and robust polyamide door furniture.

Technology and design thought together

The architects and clients also paid particular attention to a highly efficient thermal building envelope and energy-saving building technology. For example, the building makes clever use of existing heat, exceeding the requirements for a KfW 40 efficiency house. Peak shaving - the buffering of electricity peaks using photovoltaics and electricity storage - allows a significant proportion of the company's own energy requirements to be recovered and used directly for the production and administration areas.

"The employees are proud of their new working environment and customers who visit the company are delighted with the aesthetically pleasing, welcoming atmosphere when they enter the building," says Alexandra Röing, who goes by the name of Nölke. It is no coincidence that the building won the best architects prize, received a HUGO HÄRING prize and was recognised at the Industrial Construction Awards.

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