Drees & Sommer and kadawittfeldarchitektur are working together on a pioneering construction project being planned by evolutiq GmbH. The building will be smart, digital and user-oriented with a gross floor area of more than 20,000 square meters and space for 800 workplaces. Drees & Sommer support for the construction project includes digitization technologies and measures to ensure efficient air conditioning.
The prestigious new building will be located in the immediate vicinity of THE SHIP and the historic Alte Wagenfabrik (Old Carriage Factory) on the vibrant campus in the Cologne -Ehrenfeld district. The special feature of the project is that the Vorum is being developed as a human centric building, which means that it is planned entirely from the users’ point of view.
The design is based on the latest research on digital building technologies and their interaction with human health and well-being. “Our goal is to create an ideal work environment that is fully geared to the needs of the people working in it, giving them a sense of well-being and allowing them to develop,” says the principal, Dr. Oliver Steinki, Managing Director of evolutiq GmbH. Dr. Steinki is the initiator of the project and one of the principals of the neighboring new building, THE SHIP. His aim is to reconcile the agility of modern, digital work with the building itself.
As a smart building, Vorum features the latest digitization technologies and IoT sensors. The comprehensively networked building operation system is designed by Drees & Sommer. Here, the planners are focusing on aspects such as greater amenity, a better work environment, and greater efficiency and satisfaction for the employees in the building. While complying with the strictest data protection guidelines, the Vorum will gradually get to know its users and their needs, and respond accordingly. Lighting and air conditioning, for example, can be automatically adjusted to the users’ preferences.
A special app for the Smart Commercial Building allows keyless entry, as well as contactless control of lighting and thermostats. The app will also feature heat maps that indicate the current utilization of various zonesof the building, allowing large concentrations of people to be avoided.
Particularly during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond, highly flexible hybrid workspaces are needed that allow collaboration regardless of distancing requirements. For this reason, the office space in the Vorum is designed in the form of activity-based workspaces, and can be flexibly designed as required.
The project is scheduled for completion in 2024, and marketing of office space has already begun.
For more information, please see the press release.