Main content:
New building of multi-generation residences in Bochum, Germany
Project participants:
Client: Matthias-Claudius-Sozialwerk Bochum e.V.
Architect: Heinle, Wischer und Partner
Energy planner: PB Graw
Building data:
Building type: Residential building
Location: Mauritiusstr. / Düppelstr., D-44789 Bochum
Gross floor area: 12.819 m²
Jury evaluation
"As the focal point of the ‘Claudius-Höfe Bochum’ urban development concept, a new urban quarter is being created around the main market square on a previously disused industrial site close to the city centre. The project has round 11,000 m² of living area and is planned as a 'solar housing development'. The new quarter’s identity will be defined by urban, integrated living which conserves resources. Various energy standards for individual buildings will be investigated – right up to the KfW40 house standard. 250 m² of solar thermal units distributed throughout the quarter will support hot water provision and heating as part of a local heating network which will complement the existing district heating connection. An 80-kWp grid-connected solar power system will help to supply the electricity consumed in the households."
Project_characterisation
Building concept
The ‘Matthias-Claudius-Sozialwerk’, a Christian-oriented organisation which runs two integrative schools (a primary and a secondary school) and a work project, is currently building innovative residential facilities for around 160 people which are integrative in a number of ways.
Specifically, a mix of rental accommodation will be created with 15 single-family homes, around 40 single-storey apartments of between 45 and 100 m², of which eight will be accessible to handicapped people and of various sizes, two shared facilities each with room for eight residents, and facilities for 18 visitors – all on a derelict city-centre site of approximately 10,000 m².
In order to implement this ambitious concept of multiple integration, the project will not be a pure living quarter, but rather a fully serviced area which is based on the proven idea of a village community. The main elements of this development provide evidence of the ‘village in the middle of the city’ approach: a town hall, a church, a school, a public house and a hostel. These will not necessarily be individual buildings; instead, social facilities are to be provided that are essential for a functioning community.
Energy concept
Diverse energy-saving measures form natural elements of a pioneering architectural design. A visible symbol for this is the elegant design of the ‘Energy Tower’ on the market square. The sustainability criteria for development projects, such as the list provided by the German Sustainable Building Council which was considered here, are fulfilled to a large degree by the current development.
‘Solar housing development’ standard: The ‘Claudius Höfe Bochum’, one of 50 solar residential projects being supported in North Rhine-Westphalia, fulfils special criteria regarding the use of energy. Significant measures for energy-saving, energy-efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources are combined in this residential development. Planning recommendations for a development which is planned in an integrated manner, taking community, environmental and economic aspects into account, have been particularly adhered to.
The potential for using active and passive solar energy in heating and electricity provision for the building was taken into account at an early stage of urban planning. Shading and building orientation were optimised where these factors were not already determined by the existing urban structures or by city-centre residential density considerations. In this way, the prerequisites for the use of active and passive solar energy were put in place.
The heating energy requirement is under 35 kWh/m² p.a., meaning that the buildings correspond to the 3-litre-house standard. Solar energy accounts for more than 60% of hot water needs. The project thus also fulfils the criteria for solar housing developments in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Optimisation of the insulation standard has not yet been completed. The installation of a photovoltaic system on the flat roofs of the development is also being considered.