Quarter development 'Betriebswerk' – conversion and expansion, Heidelberg, Germany

Quarter development 'Betriebswerk' – conversion and expansion

The former railroad depot is a project development of an area of landmarked buildings with new buildings added. Space for working and temporary living for around 500 people is being created in a mix of co-working and co-creation spaces, apartments, a daycare center, restaurants and cultural spaces.

Amidst the challenges posed by climate change, the aim is to create a living space that saves resources and has a positive impact on the city and the environment. The architects have designed a sophisticated spatial program for the successful conversion of the buildings. Transsolar analyzed the different areas for the various space usage separately and worked out their individual concepts for comfort, with the aim of always designing according to requirements and yet conserving resources in the best possible way. As a robust basis, the focus is on passive functionality of the built space in combination with minimal technical installations to enable high-quality comfort under the aspect of sufficiency.

Geometric solar shading, thermal storage mass and night cooling provide a very good basis for thermal insulation in summer, while highly efficient passive cooling options are provided by ceiling fans. Additional technology for passive or active cooling and ventilation is only used if there is an increased demand.

The room heating and, if necessary, active cooling preferably work with radiant heat. An internal heating network covers the energy supply by minimising the use of active cooling. The waste heat from server systems is fed directly into the heating requirements to utilise the synergy. A well system serves as a renewable energy source for cooling. Photovoltaic panels on the roofs produce electricity, 100% of which is used in the quarter itself.

The existing buildings, the building additions, the hall, the seminar rooms, the foyer, the gallery, the pavilions and the new office buildings are temperature-controlled using efficient systems for heating at low temperatures and cooling at relatively high temperatures, both via floor activation, which provides a high level of comfort for users as they are supplied with the required flow temperatures as desired. The ventilation systems in the existing extension, the hall, the seminar room, the foyer, the gallery and the pavilions are also connected to both networks to ensure that the air is pre-tempered in all seasons. The supply air for these utilisation areas is both heated and cooled as required. The systems are equipped with efficient heat recovery. Where possible, the ventilation system is designed using the low-pulse displacement air principle to ensure maximum user comfort and energy efficiency at the same time.

Transsolar developed the energy concept for the entire quarter on this basis. The heating and cooling supply for the area is provided by a three-part local supply network. It supplies heating and cooling at three different temperature levels. The main heat source of the network is the connection to the existing district heating network. In addition, the server waste heat from the factory buildings is integrated into the heating circuit and utilised for heating purposes. Cooling is obtained from a local well system. The system has buffer storage for the heating circuit and for the cooling circuit.

The projects in the first construction phase (mainly old buildings) are scheduled for completion in 2024, with further five phases (new buildings) to follow by 2026.

The Depot Quarter is an IBA Heidelberg project. A six-member technical advisory board complements the Betriebswerk company, develops, monitors and manages the processes with the aim of realising an overall ecological resource efficiency that achieves lower Carbon emissions than a new passive house. DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council) gold certification is being targeted for the project.