Assignment 02 - Individual Design
Skatehalle

The skatehalle is located in the Friedrichshain area of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough of Berlin. This working class district started developing during the rapid industrialization that took place during the turn of the last century. The whole area was one of the most heavily destroyed during World War II. This is because the industry factories were the major target for the Allies. After the war ended, the area was split between the American and soviet sectors and the wall ran down the area of the Skatehalle site. After the wall came down, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg became a very popular area for young people and is known as a very dynamic district. This was possible because of the many empty apartments available for squatters as well as cheap rents.

The Skatehalle is located on the southern part of the Friedrichshain area, right next to one of the main train track lines. The whole complex is comprised of old abandoned warehouses and silos, turned in to a urban youth hangout. The main part is the skate hall within and around one of the smaller warehouses. Surrounding it are the café, club, restaurant, open air cinema, workshop, climbing wall (old silo).

The concept for the installation is to embrace the entire site and cover it and connect under one “roof”. This is achieved with a single surface ribbon that loops around and undulates in wave form. The main alley of the whole complex can serve as an area for the main market canopy. The design employs single surface form, which symbolically reinforces the idea of unity. The single surface ribbon unrolls itself as a canopy, which on the ends loops around on its self while constantly undulating, resulting in a variety of programs. The main canopy serves as part of the cover for a new market created by the bigger waves on the bottom, while the opposite end uses the waves in order to create a stage for performance with seating/new cinema space.

Assignment 01 - Historical Research
Sauerbruch & Hutton

The german-british duo is a firm known for their interest in the re-use of old constructions, as well as highly sustainable design. The use of colored panels is another staple of the architecture firm that distinguishes their projects as unique.

GSW_Berlin

The 22-storied building is a renovation project which involved reusing the old 17 storied headquarters office building. The competition was won in 1990 and realized from 1995-1999. The reason for such a long design and construction period lies in the nature of this highly technologically advanced building which reaches high levels of sustainability. The concept for the GSW building resulted from the surrounding area and the overall skyline. The architects were aware that the area surrounding the building was sporadically filled, therefore there was a discontinuation in the skyline which was established in the sixties by Springer & Ullstein. Consequentially the new building lined up its line with the older buildings and thus remedying the site gap. While the building is visually pleasing due to the notorious colorful shading panel design, S & H architects hired engineers firm Arap to solve all of the advanced high-tech elements that make the building highly sustainable. These elements include double facade windows on the west side of the main building, a pressure fabric wing on the roof, the automated east façade air vent louvers and many other details.
The idea behind the sustainable elements is the double façade gap in the west side that brings up the hot air, which is rising due to the “Venturi effect”. The effect is made possible by the wing made out of steel and fabric, which was tested in an actual wind tunnel that is made for aircraft testing. The east façade does not have the colorful panels, instead the cooler, darker side has louvered panels operated by an automated system designed to control the amount of airflow intake. In addition the system can be also controlled by the office workers if desired. At the end all of the elements make the building amount to 40% oveall energy savings.

GSW Dessau

The second environmental agency headquarters building was constructed in Dessau, even though all government agencies are placed in Berlin. The reconstruction and construction of the UBA in 2005 is a part of the German government’s effort to revitalize the slow economy of Dessau. The building is situated on an old industrial brownfield site with the old train station and gas factory incorporated with the new S & H building. The new building consists of the main atrium (called “the Forum”) open to the public, along with a library and a lecture hall, which is connected to the main part of the building which consists of many government offices. The library is the biggest sustainability library in the world. The new building is entered through the main atrium which is meant to be an extension of the public park space outside. The atrium is a link to public space and the separated part of the building that houses the offices. The atrium acts as a major sustainability element, because it cools down the whole space passively and also acts as an indoor/outdoor buffer for the central part of the building. The colorful panels also emerge again as a recognizable design element for S&H, as seen in the older Berlin GSW building. In addition, the colorful panels not only serve as shading devices, but the colors also mark the different sections of the administration offices. At the end the building was not as efficient as projected, which is 30% less energy consumption than the current sustainability standard. Nonetheless, the building produces quite successful results when it comes to energy consumption.

Assignment 02 - Individual Design
Skatehalle

The skatehalle is located in the Friedrichshain area of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough of Berlin. This working class district started developing during the rapid industrialization that took place during the turn of the last century. The whole area was one of the most heavily destroyed during World War II. This is because the industry factories were the major target for the Allies. After the war ended, the area was split between the American and soviet sectors and the wall ran down the area of the Skatehalle site. After the wall came down, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg became a very popular area for young people and is known as a very dynamic district. This was possible because of the many empty apartments available for squatters as well as cheap rents.

The Skatehalle is located on the southern part of the Friedrichshain area, right next to one of the main train track lines. The whole complex is comprised of old abandoned warehouses and silos, turned in to a urban youth hangout. The main part is the skate hall within and around one of the smaller warehouses. Surrounding it are the café, club, restaurant, open air cinema, workshop, climbing wall (old silo).

The concept for the installation is to embrace the entire site and cover it and connect under one “roof”. This is achieved with a single surface ribbon that loops around and undulates in wave form. The main alley of the whole complex can serve as an area for the main market canopy. The design employs single surface form, which symbolically reinforces the idea of unity. The single surface ribbon unrolls itself as a canopy, which on the ends loops around on its self while constantly undulating, resulting in a variety of programs. The main canopy serves as part of the cover for a new market created by the bigger waves on the bottom, while the opposite end uses the waves in order to create a stage for performance with seating/new cinema space.

Assignment 01 - Historical Research
Sauerbruch & Hutton

The german-british duo is a firm known for their interest in the re-use of old constructions, as well as highly sustainable design. The use of colored panels is another staple of the architecture firm that distinguishes their projects as unique.

GSW_Berlin

The 22-storied building is a renovation project which involved reusing the old 17 storied headquarters office building. The competition was won in 1990 and realized from 1995-1999. The reason for such a long design and construction period lies in the nature of this highly technologically advanced building which reaches high levels of sustainability. The concept for the GSW building resulted from the surrounding area and the overall skyline. The architects were aware that the area surrounding the building was sporadically filled, therefore there was a discontinuation in the skyline which was established in the sixties by Springer & Ullstein. Consequentially the new building lined up its line with the older buildings and thus remedying the site gap. While the building is visually pleasing due to the notorious colorful shading panel design, S & H architects hired engineers firm Arap to solve all of the advanced high-tech elements that make the building highly sustainable. These elements include double facade windows on the west side of the main building, a pressure fabric wing on the roof, the automated east façade air vent louvers and many other details.
The idea behind the sustainable elements is the double façade gap in the west side that brings up the hot air, which is rising due to the “Venturi effect”. The effect is made possible by the wing made out of steel and fabric, which was tested in an actual wind tunnel that is made for aircraft testing. The east façade does not have the colorful panels, instead the cooler, darker side has louvered panels operated by an automated system designed to control the amount of airflow intake. In addition the system can be also controlled by the office workers if desired. At the end all of the elements make the building amount to 40% oveall energy savings.

GSW Dessau

The second environmental agency headquarters building was constructed in Dessau, even though all government agencies are placed in Berlin. The reconstruction and construction of the UBA in 2005 is a part of the German government’s effort to revitalize the slow economy of Dessau. The building is situated on an old industrial brownfield site with the old train station and gas factory incorporated with the new S & H building. The new building consists of the main atrium (called “the Forum”) open to the public, along with a library and a lecture hall, which is connected to the main part of the building which consists of many government offices. The library is the biggest sustainability library in the world. The new building is entered through the main atrium which is meant to be an extension of the public park space outside. The atrium is a link to public space and the separated part of the building that houses the offices. The atrium acts as a major sustainability element, because it cools down the whole space passively and also acts as an indoor/outdoor buffer for the central part of the building. The colorful panels also emerge again as a recognizable design element for S&H, as seen in the older Berlin GSW building. In addition, the colorful panels not only serve as shading devices, but the colors also mark the different sections of the administration offices. At the end the building was not as efficient as projected, which is 30% less energy consumption than the current sustainability standard. Nonetheless, the building produces quite successful results when it comes to energy consumption.