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Architects: kbnk ARCHITEKTEN
- Area: 1461 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Piet Niemann
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Lead Architects: Frank Birwe, Christian Schünemann
Text description provided by the architects. Embedded in a dense mantle of trees and shrubs along the historic Schiffergraben, the new headquarter for the local real estate company HBI is situated right opposite Buxtehudes old town and a surrounding small-scale residential development area. The natural green outdoor defines the design of the office building. The building becomes a "house in the clearing", embedded in a natural forest area. The homogeneity of the distinctive solitaire is broken up by generous window areas with delicate window profiles, giving it lightness and translucency.
As a basic volume similar to an angled Y, the building formulates a welcoming gesture on the entrance side, while aligning with the prominent view axis of the St. Petri Kirche. The HBI office is accessed via a bridge across the Schiffergraben. The forecourt is paved with old basalt stone and offers seating and bicycle parking. Following the topography of the site, the entrance level is designed as a split level with airy room heights in the foyer and meeting area. The use of few, high-quality materials such as natural oiled oak, polished green-grey Anröchter sandstone, in combination with muted white walls and a well thought-out lighting concept, grants the interior an inviting atmosphere. While the facade is given a glossy finish with glazed bricks, the interior is made exclusively of materials with matte surfaces.
The dynamic interior spaces, which are already been shaped by the building structure, are complemented by light coves in the ceiling. Light-flooded rooms with a view into the lush green and the old town of Buxtehude ensure exceptional workplaces. Enabled by a flexible room zoning it’s possible to implement different layouts ranging from cellular offices to open-space offices. The 2nd floor houses a kitchen and lounge for the employees, as well as an almost 100 m2 large, sunny terrace.
