Sustainable conversion: Siemens tower in Offenbach as a student dormitory?

Sustainable conversion: Siemens tower in Offenbach as a student dormitory?

In Munich, the EXPO Real real estate fair begins on Monday, which focuses on environmentally friendly use of existing properties. In this way, developers particularly have the conversion of no longer required office buildings. The aim is not to tear them down for climate protection reasons, but to convert sensibly.

An outstanding example of this are the former Siemens tower at the Kaiserlei in Offenbach, which have been empty for years. These buildings are now only visible as bare concrete skeletons that indicate standing after the facade and the interior have been removed. The plans for a conversion have existed for more than a year, with the idea of building a large student dormitory with over 1100 rooms that could be part of a new city district. This development could become a showcase project in the area of sustainable building.

funding and challenges

The city of Frankfurt has now adapted its funding program for student living in such a way that projects outside the city area can also be promoted. This economic criterion is fulfilled and could benefit the renovation project. Nevertheless, the question remains whether the towers have to be torn down or whether renovation is possible. The state company Bau und Immobilien Hessen has already commissioned an expert opinion to check whether the statics of the towers are suitable for the planned project. However, one result is still pending.

to the towers there is close cooperation among various planning offices, led by the Hamburg real estate developer Becken, who had the option of the Adler Group until the end of the year. The Frankfurt architecture firm Schmidt Plöcker is also on board to develop the concept for the conversion of the buildings. By planning 1059 single and 69 double apartments as well as a hostel with 374 rooms, one hopes to revitalize the entire area.

innovative building approaches and design

The vision stipulates that the former Siemens turrets are not only adapted to student life, but also upgrade the surroundings by 600 new apartments and a hotel. Instead of a large underground car park, an above -ground parking garage is built to save costs. Special attention is paid to the green public places, which are to be designed as social encounter areas. These should not only serve as resorts, but also promote social exchange.

A central element of the conversion project is prefabricated wooden modules that are to be integrated into the existing estructures. These modules were specially developed and found their inspiration based on ship and exhibition construction. The construction should not only be cost -saving, but also significantly shorten the construction period. The planners speak of a time saving of up to two years, since the modules can be pre -fed in one work and then quickly installed on site.

Markus Plöcker by Schmidt Plöcker explains that this innovative construction is an economic alternative to the conventional construction. Fewer workforce is required on the construction site and the planning of the project improves. Up to 40 modules could be installed within a week, according to the planning of the architectural team.

The overall project not only offers a solution for the empty towers, but also pursues a higher-level goal of increasing the quality of life in the Kaiserlei area. Offenbach's mayor Felix Schwenke sees the revitalization and the development of a new inhabitation as crucial aspects. In the end, it is less important whether this happens through module construction or another method, even if the material costs in the construction sector fluctuate heavily.

A developer has recently been used by a developer near the Kaiserlei Square, special recycled materials are now being used to build a high-rise in an environmentally friendly direction. However, the engineer warns that complete demolition operation in the Siemens tower would require high amounts of steel and concrete, which could endanger the ecological approach. The plans for the conversion of the imperial area must therefore be further specified both in the implementation and in the financial aspects in order to become a reality in the next few years.