Implementation

On the Göppingen campus of Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, the team from andOffice Architekten and WoodenValley is planning a showcase building in terms of sustainability, energy management and digitalisation.

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Requirements

The GEFION real-world laboratory, equipped with building sensors from RYSTA, will record data during use as a seminar room. In the later course of the project, other utilisation scenarios will be targeted and measured at the same time.

An existing timber module on the site is to serve as a source of recycled material in line with the urban mining concept.

The timber construction then has 2 full storeys. The insulated ground floor houses a vestibule and a seminar room. The building services will be located on the unheated upper floor. The minimum energy requirements of the KFW55 standard are to be met in order to achieve measured values comparable to those of the new building. The windows are to reflect a lower standard.

The real laboratory will be designed to remain in Göppingen for 24 months and will then be donated to other colleges or universities for research work.

Adaptive planning

The use of recycled building materials is proposed for the façade of the research pavilion.

The appearance of the pavilion will depend on the availability of building materials and elements on material exchanges at the time of construction.

Only the timber-frame support structure is planned in advance. The axial dimensions are flexible and adapt to the dimensions of the available façade elements.

Joining procedure

The technical module is delivered from the factory and placed on the room module prepared on site.

Together, the room module and the technology module make up the research pavilion.

The floor of the technology module serves as a functional ceiling for possible uses in the room module. The following media could be provided:

Heating / Cooling
Electricity / sockets
Lighting
Data cables / WLAN
Sensors for indoor air measurements

Overall, the spatial module creates a signal effect across the campus through its materiality and storeys, which contributes to perception and utilisation.

Production process

It is proposed to construct the research pavilion from two room modules in separate manufacturing processes. The load-bearing system will be a single-variety deconstructable

Wooden post frame. This can be manufactured on site or supplied prefabricated. The centre-to-centre dimension of the frame is flexibly adapted to the dimensions of recycled door and window elements. The infill is made from natural materials such as straw bales or hemp limestone.

Installing the insulation makes students aware of its properties.

The technical module is manufactured in the factory and equipped with the complete building services. All systems can be installed in the factory from a single source and protected from the weather. The technical module can be divided into insulated and non-insulated sections depending on the requirements and system dimensions. The module is flexible and resilient, allowing for subsequent adaptations.