The H7 hybrid timber building on Münster’s central harbour
Münster, Germany / 01.2015 - 11.2016
The H7 project is an architectural lighthouse project beside the water of Münster’s city harbour. When it was first built, a height of 32.5m made the H7 North Rhine-Westphalia’s tallest hybrid timber construction, paving the way for this climate-friendly construction concept in Germany. The building construction unit at our Münster branch worked in consortium to complete the part-turnkey construction of this seven-storey building. The project was designed by Heupel Architects and features 4,500m² of office and commercial space, including a construction pit with underground parking. The garage floor contains car parking spaces, charging stations for electric vehicles and e-bikes and bicycle parking.
A successful symbiosis of climate protection and comfort
The Münster city harbour was constructed in the time of Kaiser Wilhelm II as a port of entry for grain and timber. These days, the Kreativkai quay features a combination of storehouses and modern office blocks, and the district is a popular meeting place and cultural and artistic hub. The Kreativkai significantly enriches the university city.
Organic market chain SuperBioMarkt AG has its headquarters on the ground floor of the H7. As an anchor tenant of the building, the company was a key driver of the ecological and environmental focus of the construction concept. Special features include thermal insulation in the form of triple glazing, the choice of natural paints for the walls, an energy-efficient heating and cooling ceiling system and a solar power system.
Facts & Figures
Company
PORR Hochbau West GmbH
Type
Office buildings
Runtime
01.2015 - 11.2016
Sustainability takes first place
During the construction process alone, the decision to source timber from sustainable forestry reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 626t.
The underground parking area, the ground floor of the building and the reinforced central core are all made from reinforced concrete. The six complete upper floors feature a visible timber construction with laminated timber columns and wood-cement composite ceilings. These warm materials serve to create a cosy, home-like atmosphere. Spacious terrace areas on every floor provide room for relaxation. The design of the external façade is also unusual. The building is clad with green-glazed ceramic tiles, visually reinforcing the building’s connection to nature.
A timber construction with improved fire protection
It is becoming more widely recognised that a timber construction does not necessarily mean increased risk of fire. Wood burns slowly from outside to inside, so the progress of a fire is much more predictable than in a steel construction. At the time the H7 was being constructed, North Rhine-Westphalian building regulations permitted a maximum of four complete floors to be constructed in timber. A sophisticated fire protection concept was submitted, together with evidence of fire-protection features in the construction, and the construction authority subsequently issued a special exemption for the H7 project.
What ultimately counts in the construction business is successfully completed projects. PORR has many of these.
