Exemplum 27

81 80 e X emplum MAGAZIN FÜR KLINKERARCHITEKTUR Reports C O N S T R U C T I O N S I T E R E P O RT B Y W I L H E L M - R E N K E R Ö B E N For a quick and cost-effective construction progress the masonry columns of the McDon- ald´s Corporate Headquarters were fabricated as precast concrete elements. So the project for McDonald’s was indeed a special challenge for us. This starts with the strict American standards: All of the thin brick slips and thin brick corners were manufactured to the exacting “PCI” standards in order to fit into the molds provided by the precast contractor. The dimensions allow only the highest quality: low absorption, and dimension- ally stringent materials to be used in the concrete panelized systems. Due to the strict accuracy of +0mm and -2mm that our equipment in the Bannberscheid plant is able to produce, the AARHUS blue-varie- gated perfectly fit into the liners of the US precast concrete panel producer. A wax was applied to the thin brick to allow the materials to shed the concrete mixture easily upon washing. When visiting the project site in Chicago with Brent, we were able to see the materials being hoisted into place and anchored to the structure of the building. Even on a day when mortar in traditional construction methods would not bond, the large concrete and brick panels were quickly being lifted and installed. This saved time and allowed the building to be delivered to the developer Sterling Bay and end user McDonald’s more rapidly than other construction methods. A major challenge on site was also the logistics: As in many urban settings it is difficult to quickly and efficiently erect a multi story building. There was limited space for building materials and work staff, and the challenge of offering a safe working environment is always a top priority. P art of “Campus Münster” now includes the office block with a blue-reddish brick façade on Martin-Luther-King-Weg. This houses 3,200 square metres of flexibly rentable and individually partitionable office space spread across four floors. One of the main users of the building is Deutsche Leasing AG on the third floor, an independent asset finance partner for German SMEs that offers suitable financing solutions for a wide range of clients. The planners completed the ensemble of build- ings facing the street by developing a slim and elon- gated block with a classic central corridor structure. The view of the upper two floors is characterised by a heavily gridded and punctuated façade with narrow windows positioned close together. A glass façade has been installed across the lower two floors to flood the work stations with light. The structure is opened up even further with a large two-storey glass front in the north-eastern section of the building and a fully-glazed entrance and staircase area facing the street and courtyard at each end of the building: “The left staircase was conceived as a street-side entrance, while the right staircase opens up the building from the car park side”, explains project architect Thomas Pape. “The interplay of various elements has led to the emergence of a highly recognisable building with a really clear structure, and this also allows each floor to be partitioned with great flexibility”. The planners also created a little recess towards the north-west, so that a roof terrace could be integrated with an unobstructed view of the quiet courtyard and of the central pond in the nearby “Loddenheide” building area to the north. One important aspect during the planning stage was the selection of suitable bricks: “In order to create harmony between the different features and spaces found in the building, we opted for a con- temporary interpretation of the red bricks that have traditionally been used in the Münster region”, states Thomas Pape. On the basis of this specification, Röben ADELAIDE bricks were chosen in a 290 x 90 x 52 mm long-thin format and laid in a harmonious running bond with grey grouting, allowing direct associations to be made with the numerous brick buildings found in the city of Münster and trans- forming the Loddenheide offices into a harmonious eye-catcher. I n Kaunas, Lithuania, architect Marius Torrau has created a detached house that completely captures the aesthetic ideals of Classic Modernism, featuring black brick slips throughout. This flat-roofed bunga- low has been built right by the Botanical Garden in the district of Aleksotas and really stands out on the otherwise conventionally developed housing estate. Residents can enjoy 260 square metres of interior floor space on the ground floor, and the L-shaped building encloses a large garden to the south-east. If you approach the house from the access road, you’ll first notice the minimalistic design of its almost-closed entrance that looks out towards the west, the appearance of which is particularly characterised by two elegantly rounded parts of the building that protrude from the garage area. An- other unusual detail is the extremely stark contrast between the black brick slips and the brilliant white plastered soffits by the recessed front entrance with its black-framed glass surface. This contrast can also be seen in the garage area and by the narrow vertical window joints in the transition to the garden: “The villa was commissioned by a real estate entrepreneur who has moved here with his family”, explains pro- ject architect Marius Torrau. “Considering his line of work in the local area and the desired representative appearance of his house, we ended up developing the aesthetic concept of a man’s suit with a white stand-up collar and then translating this through the black ‘brick suit’ and the white soffits”. This concept can also be found throughout the garden side of the new building. The architec- ture here is also characterised by the interplay of black bricks, white soffits and black-framed vertical windows. The planners have also integrated a small canopy above the terrace as an additional element, as well as an all-round veranda made of extremely hard and durable Ipe wood. The wall structure was built using thermo bricks with an additional 250 mm layer of EPS to provide optimal heat insulation, and the brick slips were then glued on top. Standard Röben FARO black-smooth brick slips were used to make sure the brickwork was as dark as possible and really emphasise the modern abstract character of the house. The brick slips were laid in a vertical running bond throughout, creating a har- monious yet extremely dynamic façade design that clearly stands out from the familiar look of a hori- zontal brick façade to further accentuate the abstract modern character of the design. “We also created deep, dark grouts to consolidate the homogeneous overall appearance of the façade and bring out its ceramic character”, explains Marius Torrau. While the new construction appears closed and solid on the outside, its brilliant white interior is bright and welcoming. The architects worked along- side interior designer Agne Kriauciunaite to create a light selection of rooms that flow into one another. Geothermal heating and photovoltaic panels have also been installed to ensure sustainable living. I n the middle of the Frisian community of Zetel, located between Oldenburg andWilhelmshaven, five buildings from various eras had been partly unoccupied for several years. A group of seven business people recently took the initiative to invest in the redevelopment of the complex to create a sophisticated service centre with a health clinic and apartments. The aim was to preserve the individual buildings as a whole and create a varied yet homoge- neous ensemble. Kapels Architekten in Zetel were commissioned to plan the redevelopment project. The starting point for their planning was the centrally posi- tionedWilhelminian-style house with its gleaming white façade. The house was extensively renovated over the course of the project. The single-storey, flat-roofed building located directly adjacent to the house was fully gutted and designed with a new façade. The second flat-roofed building is slightly higher and was extended with a saddle roof and redesigned with a brick façade. The ensemble was completed with the renovation of another hallmark building and the redevelopment of a red-bricked outhouse located next to an old farmhouse. This interplay has created an attractive service centre that is well used by the local residents. The bank branch and three doctor’s surgeries on the ground floor are complemented by attractive apartments in the various upper and attic floors. The urban style of the development is accen- tuated by the uniform design of the roofs with an- thracite-coloured BARI clay roof tiles manufactured by Röben. Architect Hartmut Kapels explained the choice of material: “These clay roof tiles are largely modelled on historic roof tiles. The soft grey colour of the clay roof tiles gives the buildings a harmoni- ous overall appearance and gives the whole street a completely new face”. The chosen roof tiles also have an impressively aesthetic alignment. However, the tiles also have technical advantages: Their large clearance of up to 30 mm makes them much easier to lay, and their sophisticated folding system offers perfect water channelling and a particularly high degree of protection against rainwater. O F F I C E B U I L D I N G M ü n s t e r ( G e r m a n y ) – Page 62 Planning:WFD Derwald Projektentwicklung GmbH & Co. KG, Dortmund Processor: Rheder Klinker & Fassadenbau GmbH, Rhede (Germany) Röben clinker brick ADELAIDE, LDF Water absorption: approx. 5 % D E TA C H E D H O U S E K a u n a s ( L i t h u a n i a ) – Page 66 Planning: Studio Torrau, Kaunas (Lithuania) Röben clinker brick FARO black-nuanced, smooth, NF Water absorption: approx. 2,5% “ I n o r d e r t o c r e a t e h a r m o n y b e t w e e n t h e d i f f e r e n t f e a t u r e s a n d s p a c e s f o u n d i n t h e b u i l d i n g , w e o p t e d f o r a c o n t e m p o r a r y i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e r e d b r i c k s t h a t h a v e t r a d i t i o n a l l y b e e n u s e d i n t h e M ü n s t e r r e g i o n . ” THOMAS PAPE WFD Derwald Projektentwicklung GmbH & Co. KG S E R V I C E C E N T R E Z e t e l ( G e r m a n y ) – Page 70 Planning: Kapels Architekten Röben clay roof tile BARI anthracite “ C o n s i d e r i n g h i s l i n e o f w o r k i n t h e l o c a l a r e a a n d t h e d e s i r e d r e p r e s e n t a t i v e a p p e a r a n c e o f h i s h o u s e , w e e n d e d u p d e v e l o p i n g t h e a e s t h e t i c c o n c e p t o f a m a n ’ s s u i t w i t h a w h i t e s t a n d - u p c o l l a r a n d t h e n t r a n s l a t i n g t h i s t h r o u g h t h e b l a c k ‘ b r i c k s u i t ’ a n d t h e w h i t e s o f f i t s . ” MARIUS TORRAU Studio Torrau “ We a l s o c r e a t e d d e e p , d a r k g r o u t s t o c o n s o l i d a t e t h e h o m o g e n e o u s o v e r a l l a p p e a r a n c e o f t h e f a ç a d e a n d b r i n g o u t i t s c e r a m i c c h a r a c t e r. ” MARIUS TORRAU Studio Torrau