building implementation
2006–2008
data
gross cubic volume 329,400 m3, usable floor space 45,530 m2, usable floor space 'main deck' 1,140 m2 – land plot surface area 104,500 m2
client
Pollmeier Aschaffenburg GmbH & Co. KG
structural planning
Bollinger + Grohmann GmbH, Frankfurt
building services engineering
HKL Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Erfurt
energy center design
Seeger Engineering AG, Hessisch-Lichtenau
fire protection concept
Hagen Ingenieurgesellschaft für Brandschutz mbH, Kleve
photos
Thomas Eicken, Mühltal
The company Pollmeier Massivholz GmbH is a leading international producer of hardwood lumber. The third company location is located in Aschaffenburg.
After conducting intensive site location analysis, we developed a 10 hectare lot in the harbor of Aschaffenburg. The location is close to raw material sites (the beech forests of Spessart and the Odenwald for example) and situated close to a container terminal with a regular scheduled liner service to Rotterdam – which plays an important role since the company distributes their products worldwide.
The core of the production building is the hanging building level amidst the high-tech production directly on top of the cross-cut system that allows the production space to be column-free.
The central building level or 'main deck' contains many communicative building functions: the hanging thin steel profiles carry the factory’s cafeteria, office and exhibition spaces, social rooms and cloakrooms as well as an Auditorium for staff training and visitors. Individual functional areas such as a changing room, a kitchen or conference rooms are also within the central building level situated in freestanding boxes.
The hanging building element has a glazed double facade. The transparency allows workers inside to work in a quiet environment but still enables them to have visual contact with the loud production area. Thus allowing employees and visitors of the factory to observe all production processes of the company.
The 'main deck' also serves as a bridge between the west and the east side of the factory on top of the log in-feed unit. The 18m wide opening transport the logs into the factory. Directly under the central building level are crane tracks to transport the logs incase of any building faults or disturbances.
The central idea of the spatial arrangement is to integrate all employees to form a team for joint success. Our spatial concept disables the frequent division of production and administration employees: paths within the building lead to the central building level where employees from all departments (as well as visitors) meet.
Along the north side of the building: informal discussion and interactions can take place with a view of the timber yard.
Training courses and lectures for visitors and clients take place in the auditorium. A floor-to-ceiling curtain encloses the area during use.
Visitors can learn more about wood and the role of forest management as a raw material producer and as a factor in global climate change on display boards within the building.
The factory runs in a three-shift operation and the custom designed operational layout has proven to work successfully.