Building for the future in a historic setting
In the Opladen plant, modern student accommodation has been built in the centre
The historic exterior walls bear witness to the long industrial history of the site, while the modern interior lifts the new city quarter Cube Factory 577 into the future: on the site of the former railway repair works in the Leverkusen district of Opladen, new life has been created under the leadership of the project developer Cube Real Estate. Right in the middle of it: attractive new living space in the form of 302 student apartments.
For the planning and construction of the sanitary units, the project developer relied on serially prefabricated installation walls from TECEsystem, making the construction process significantly more efficient than with conventional construction methods. ‘The modular construction should be checked and planned in the early development phase, that is, in the service phases 2 to 3,’ explains Behnam Afshar, who is coordinating the development of the urban district for Cube Real Estate GmbH together with Jens Hedtke.
Building with industrially prefabricated elements is becoming established
‘Due to the high number of micro-apartments and the similar bathroom types associated with them, the bathroom area could be modularised with serial prefabrication. In addition to the consistently high quality of the work, the short assembly times were advantageous – also because the modules are stacked on top of each other and it was possible to easily install the pipework in the shafts,’ explains Jens Hedtke.
‘It is important to plan for the appropriate implementation at an early stage in the design process so that the construction method is taken into account before the tender is issued, otherwise interface problems may arise on the construction site. If this is successful, modular construction can shorten construction times and reduce errors on the construction site,’ says Behnam Afshar. ’With regard to modular construction, it is important to discuss the interfaces with the trades at an early stage. Preliminary work must be completed by the time the modules are delivered to the construction site at the latest, so as not to hinder the construction process.’
The new student residence is grouped around an open courtyard. Eight different types of living are available in a four-storey rectangle. High-quality technology is hidden behind the wall. That's because just as many industrially prefabricated installation walls from TECEsystem are installed in the approximately 302 apartments. The supporting structure, supply lines, modules for the toilet, wash basin and shower, as well as insulation, fire protection and sound insulation, are delivered to the construction site just in time as a prefabricated assembly.
In most cases, floor-to-ceiling installation walls were used, with the kitchenette of the respective apartment connected to the rear. Integrated laminated wood panels in the installation walls ensure that the wall cabinets are securely hung.
Fire protection and sound insulation included
In this specific case, those responsible opted for fire protection in the ceiling penetration sealing principle. For the correct and safe execution of the ceiling penetration sealings, the installation walls were delivered with precisely fitting, lost formwork. The respective pipe penetration sealings are inserted into this and marked before the breakthroughs are grouted. TECEsystem installation walls meet all building regulations for sound and fire protection. They are always made from the TECEprofil supporting structure. This is approved by the German Institute for Construction Technology for the construction of non-load-bearing fire protection structures and is provided with the corresponding Ü marking Z19.140-2573 in the factory.
In addition, the installation walls meet the legal requirements according to DIN4109-1 and the increased requirements according to DIN4109-5. TECE provides a warranty for this.
LEED v4 certification
The offices completed in the first phase of construction have already been LEED v4-certified. Factors for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification include criteria such as location, transport, sustainable location and innovation. It is used internationally and defines standards for sustainable construction. In the future, the entire site is to meet the globally recognised standard for environmentally friendly and resource-efficient construction.
