Regensburg
Campus expansion for the future of learning
Due to the exposed location, it was particularly important to the architectural office of Ferdinand Heide that the four-storey or, due to a height change, partly three-storey teaching building should have an open and transparent impression and yet symbolise solidity and tranquillity.
This impression is strengthened by the inviting façade, which is characterised on all sides by generous glass surfaces. These extend as horizontal bands around the building. Sliding shutters with wooden lamellas made of Siberian larch provide sufficient privacy and sun protection and, through their wooden design, make reference to the natural property and the lush tree population. The connecting corridor to the refectory, which is connected to the main building at the corner, is equipped with aluminium slats.
Interplay of glass, panel and wooden slat
The building is designed around an open and connecting atrium. The light-flooded inner courtyard is the vertical connecting element between the floors. The inner transparency of the atrium is continued in the outer design. In the floor-to-ceiling glazed façade, closed panels alternate with sliding shutters with wooden infill arranged on several levels, creating an exciting interplay of façades. The proportion of closed and open areas depends on the light requirements of the rooms behind them.
Educational building creates connection between inside and outside
The openings in the façade create a direct connection to the outside. The new building develops out of the network of paths on the campus and interlocks with its surroundings. The fully glazed foyer opens onto the campus lawn with its old trees and subtly shows visitors the way into the building. The two-storey connecting corridor, arranged at right angles, is subordinate to the main building and brings users to other parts of the campus without getting their feet wet.
Siberian larch meets aluminium and glass
The façade impresses with its versatility. To protect the rooms behind it from overheating and to create privacy, a total of 245 sliding shutters from Baier were installed. These are the Regensburg model, which consists of a dark grey powder-coated frame into which various panels can be inserted. While the connecting building was made with a trapezoidal, red-coated aluminium slat, the remaining 214 wings of the main house are made of a wooden slat filled with Siberian larch. This wood is particularly suitable for use on the façade, as it is virtually warp-free and ages nobly. Contact with rain or water makes the larch wood even harder and it does not swell, which is why it is considered particularly weather-resistant.
Rigid, motorised and telescopic
About half of the sliding shutters were rigidly mounted on the façade. The remaining wings are motorised and partly telescopic. Thanks to the three-wing telescopic design, the façade can thus be completely closed if necessary by moving the elements sideways starting from the top element. The motorised control system is conveniently operated from the inside and is independent of the storey, so that the façade is in a constant state of flux. The façade is framed by anthracite-coloured guide rails, which on the one hand keep the elements, which vary in height from storey to storey, on track and on the other create a harmonious overall appearance with the parapet enclosure and the window elements.
Wooden slats create an atmospheric room impression
Even though the main function of sliding shutters is to provide privacy and sun protection on the outside, they are also an eye-catcher on the inside. Depending on the degree to which they are closed and the position of the sun, a play of light and shadow is created inside, changing by the minute and creating a pleasant atmosphere for learning and spending time. The trapezoidal slats do not create a complete darkening, but a diffuse lighting atmosphere.
Educational construction, residential construction, special solutions and more
Baier is a specialist when it comes to individual or standardised façade solutions. Whether as a special design in upscale residential construction or as a design element on public or educational buildings. Please feel free to contact us if you are planning a project for which you need support.
