Legero United Campus / Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architekten

Curated by Paula Pintos

Architects: Dietrich | Untertrifaller
Area: 9100 m²
Year: 2019
Photographs:Bruno Klomfar
Manufacturers: Bene, KAPO Fenster und Türen
Building Engineering: teamgmi
Electronics: Klauss
Landscape: Kieran Fraser
Builder: Kulmer Bau
Carpenter: Lieb Bau Weiz

Text description provided by the architects. The Legero United Campus near Graz consists of two differently sized rings. Generous glazing, the facade of bronze-colored anodized aluminum changing in sunlight, and the lushly planted inner courtyards blur the boundaries between inside and outside. The larger office ring is designed to be topped up by an additional floor at any time, meeting the customer’s desire for a ‘growing’ headquarter that can be extended without producing temporary measures.

The buildings show a successful symbiosis of sophisticated building services, sustainable materials, and flexible use of space. “Our goal was to design a campus that reflects the internal processes and the corporate identity of Legero United,” explains architect Much Untertrifaller. “The circle’s lack of direction underlines the equivalence of each area inside the building. We wanted to create exciting, flowing sequences of rooms with a wide variety of interior and exterior features, thus guaranteeing a unique character.“

Functional, Aesthetic, and Economical Structure. The circular floor plans of the office ring create a variety of spatial experiences and allow flexible design solutions for the individual departments. The closed-form protects against noise emissions and creates an independent, self-contained inner world with glass pavilions, wooden decks, and lush vegetation for communication and relaxation. All floors are accessed via three cores accommodating the complete infrastructure as well as a loggia opening to the inner courtyard. The remaining areas thus offer maximum flexibility to organize the workspace.

The office ring’s ground floor containing all semi-public areas such as the foyer, company restaurant, and meeting rooms, is made of reinforced concrete. Exposed on columns, walls and ceilings it reflects the robustness and workshop character of the production. Also, the wood construction of the upper floor remains visible creating a pleasant workspace atmosphere. The shape, design, and ambiance of the cylindrical outlet create a special shopping experience highly associable with the client’s brands. The column-free space is spanned by a star-shaped wooden supporting structure. It can be flexibly redesigned and supplemented by additional cylinders to create a specialized retail center.

Innovative Construction. Supports in wood and composite material, floor-to-ceiling beams in reinforced concrete, and wood-concrete composite ceilings are prefabricated and assembled on site. The use of the delta beam system not only allows for a significant reduction of construction height but also for more design flexibility and simple service cable routing. The integrated fire protection eliminates the need for cladding. Focus on Humans. Special attention was paid to planning work-friendly offices, relaxation, and community zones.

A green inner courtyard is a place of retreat. All furniture and acoustic elements are made of wood. The essential elements of the wooden structure – aesthetic, economic, and sustainable – can be seen and experienced throughout the building. Sustainable Energy Concept. Sophisticated building technology, the use of a geothermal system for heating and cooling as well as the use of well water characterize the sustainable energy supply of the campus, turning it into green satellites with a high feel-good factor for employees and customers.