Simplicity as Principle
A warehouse and production hall that impresses through its structural design and low-tech approach
Several years ago, the Schumann Group—a specialist in furniture and interior fit-outs—built its new administrative headquarters as a flexible timber structure in an industrial park in Altenkirchen. This year, the building on Graf-Zeppelin-Straße gained an equally sustainable neighbour: a production and storage hall designed by Cologne-based architecture firm Aretz Dürr. The facility deliberately employs straightforward joining and assembly techniques, challenging conventional building standards by replacing technically complex solutions with a structurally honest, no-frills design.
Oriented along a north-south axis, this hall launches a multi-building industrial complex and currently spans 60 metres in length. It can be doubled in size whenever needed, ultimately reaching approximately 3,000 m². The design follows an elegantly simple principle: 40-metre laminated timber beams are positioned on supports at six-metre intervals, spanning the full 24-metre width of the hall without intermediate columns. These beams also cantilever eight metres further east and west. The structure—unified by coupling and horizontal bracing, then topped with trapezoidal metal decking—achieves a refined balance through carefully calculated load distribution. Supports are partially fixed transversely and secured longitudinally by three external braces each, creating both stable bearing points for the continuous timber beams and anchor points for the translucent polycarbonate façade elements below. The multi-layer polycarbonate panels flood the interior with natural light while delivering excellent thermal performance and cost efficiency.
Access is provided by four two-part sectional doors with additional entrance openings on the east and west façades. Natural ventilation and passive night cooling operate through roof smoke vents and opening tilt doors. The deep overhangs, combined with the translucent façade elements, ensure effective solar shading. The solid concrete floor absorbs solar heat gain during winter months while functioning as a thermal buffer in summer. An air heating system powered by four rooftop heat pumps provides warmth throughout the facility.
Photos: Ben Schumann
(Published in CUBE Cologne 03|24)
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