TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten

Dockyard, a modern seven-storey office building complex with an underground car park, was built in Berlin's Osthafen using a sustainable, climate and resource-friendly timber hybrid construction method. The Dockyard project comprises a square and a rectangular building, between which is a glazed linking structure with visible trusswork made from sustainable construction beech.

The bottom two storeys of the linking structure function as an open, pillar-free passageway. The ceiling of the passageway is fitted with mirrored stainless steel sheets in Onyx Black, which create flowing reflections - a tribute to the location of the ensemble directly on the water.

The main façades from the first to the sixth floors are glass unitized façades with a two-storey grid of cornices and pilaster strips. The south façades overlooking the Spree are articulated by projecting bay windows that are offset every two floors and support balconies. The glass façades on the west, north, and east sides have partly recessed loggias, which are likewise offset every two floors.

The roofs have been extensively planted with greenery. On both parts of the building roof terraces with seating offer panoramic views of the Spree in the direction of the Wrangelkiez (Wrangel neighbourhood) in Kreuzberg.

The sustainable hybrid-timber load-bearing structure, a well-thought-out combination of timber and concrete, makes optimal use of the advantages of both materials. The Dockyard project was designed as a skeleton frame for maximally flexible use of space. The ceilings are a timber-concrete composite structure from the first floor upwards in the two main parts of the building and from the second to the sixth floors in the linking structure. DELTABEAM® Green composite beams were used in the area of the hybrid ceilings. The load-bearing structure of the five-storey link manages entirely without steel beams.

The use of timber in the columns, trusses, and ceilings helps Dockyard optimize its ecological footprint. The construction beech used in trusses and beams utilizes regional raw materials from sustainable forestry and is PEFC-certified. The ceilings use cross-laminated timber (CLT) made from PEFC-certified softwood (mainly spruce). The timber elements were prefabricated as system components and can therefore be installed quickly.

To achieve net-zero operation without the use of fossil fuels, Dockyard relies for its energy supply on green, regenerative energy sources such as solar, geothermal, and ambient air. One of the largest ice stores in Germany is a central and efficient part in this integrated energy concept. For this one of Osthafen’s disused freight tunnels has been put to good use. On the roof of Dockyard, there are 1,250 sqm of solar hybrid collectors and 300 sqm of photovoltaic modules. The combination of all these sources results in an innovative energy concept which keeps the entire operation of this office facility climate-neutral in accordance with requirements for LEED Zero Carbon.

The lobbies, the marketings suite and the signage system were designed by Ippolito Fleitz Group. The art installation under the ceilings of the lobbies was created by Julius von Bismarck and is entitled ‘Die Luft muss man sich wegdenken’ (‘One Must Think Away the Air’). The nylon art objects behind the reception desks are made by the Korean artist Kwangho Lee.

In the early 2000s, TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten set out a master plan for new construction and further development of the Osthafen area, incorporating the historical buildings. TCHOBAN VOSS oversaw the construction of the hotel nhow Berlin along with the headquarters building for Coca-Cola and The White. The eastern end of this area consists of what was, until the start of the Dockyard project, the last undeveloped plot (Stralauer Allee 15-16).