Headquarters serves as a symbol of sustainability, innovative façades and the future world of work

The Schüco Campus in the northwest of Bielefeld has gained a new and distinctive building. The latest addition to the company premises, which have gradually expanded over 60 years, is the Schüco One company headquarters – and it makes quite a statement at the corner of Herforderstraße and Karolinenstraße. In recent years, the Digital Hub One office building and the Schüco Welcome Forum have been built in the immediate vicinity. The renovated Schüco Corporate Services building also commenced operations here in spring 2022.

The relatively large volume of the Schüco One building with its dynamically rounded corners is the antithesis to the generally rather heterogeneous environment that is characteristic of industrial buildings. The Copenhagen-based architectural practice 3XN, which primarily focuses on people’s needs when designing buildings, is responsible for the architecture. Jesper Bork, Project Director of 3XN, describes the architecture of Schüco One as something that will also have an impact on acceptance behaviour: "I’m sure that it will be easier for people to communicate and have informal discussions with one another in Schüco One, yet staff will also be free to change the way they work to suit their preferences and requirements."

Transparent, dynamic and communicative

With seven floors above ground and 7200 square metres of usable space, the newbuild boasts a grand foyer on the ground floor, while open and modern office spaces without traditional corridors can be found throughout the rest of the building. A glass bridge spanning five floors connects the newbuild with the old building. Together, the two buildings form the Schüco One company headquarters. Beneath the bridge, the main entrance leads into the ground floor of the newbuild, which is open to the public, via the newly designed plaza. From the outside alone, the distinctive façade with its flowing units makes it clear that the company is future-proof. The alternating open and closed façade units give the building a dynamic appearance, which continues inside. The interior is characterised by clean lines, organic shapes and daylight, with a central atrium that spans every single floor. The white parapets arranged around a rotunda to create the terraces here give the building its distinctive design. A large glass roof above the atrium floods the deepest parts of the building with daylight.

New Work principles for collaboration and communication

The focal point of the entrance level is the wide staircase leading to the first floor. It is designed as a meeting place and, if necessary, can also be used for events or exhibitions. As a promise of things to come, as soon as you enter the building, it is clear that dialogue, communication and information sharing are at the heart of Schüco One. Based on the New Work principles and the architectural practice’s "Architecture Shapes Behaviour" ethos, the architecture encourages people to collaborate and share their knowledge with others in an open working environment that features an aesthetic design. There are plenty of creative working spaces, where people can either work as part of a team or on their own. Fixed work stations are rare. Most employees and each team can choose for themselves the place that is best suited to the current task they are working on. Wherever they choose, they will have to pass through the central atrium. This creates a continuous flow of movement without any dead ends. Public, semi-public and private areas have been created throughout the building, providing people with places to share information or escape from others, as required. There are terraces on the third, fifth and sixth floors as well as a roof terrace where employees can work or indulge in a spot of contemplation outdoors.

Certified and circular

A high level of user comfort is just one element of the comprehensive sustainability concept, which is intended to lay the foundation for a long service life of the newbuild as well as a high level of employee satisfaction. The three LEED, BREEAM and DGNB labels according to which Schüco One has been certified are compelling proof of sustainable planning, high-quality aesthetics, energy-efficient operation and a modern work environment. As a result, this building is probably the first project in the world to receive not just one, but three of the most renowned certifications for sustainable construction. Following the commissioning of the building, the individual conformity assessment is now being carried out by the three certification companies. In addition, the verification of all the materials delivered to the construction site in accordance with the Sentinel Haus Institut standard confirms that the office building environment is very healthy. Moreover, the entire façade system is Cradle to Cradle-certified (C2C). Almost all of the installed products have been awarded the "Silver" certification level. Criteria such as social fairness, freedom from hazardous substances, minimal water consumption and the use of renewable energies in the production process are the cornerstones of the C2C principle. In addition, the extensive use of C2C-certified materials and products ensures that the building continues to be of value once it reaches the end of its useful life, as its components can be returned to the technical material cycle. This supports the circular economy and reduces the amount of waste in landfills.

Low-maintenance, efficient building services and ventilation technology

The innovative energy concept of Schüco One also plays its part in the certifications. The low-maintenance building services should ensure energy-efficient operation of the building. The heating requirements of Schüco One are primarily covered by the district heating network, but a geothermal heat pump is also available. The building is ventilated using a displacement ventilation system with integrated heat recovery. At the same time, employees can also open or close the windows themselves as necessary, and almost every office has window vents with limiting stays that can be opened manually.

Highly efficient building envelope

The façade construction in particular, which has been custom-built by Schüco Engineering, plays a crucial role in the sustainability of the building. It combines aesthetic qualities with the technical features of Schüco systems. The ground floor envelope is transparent on all sides and looks like a glass plinth, on top of which a folded sculpture sits. The top six floors consist of alternating transparent and opaque units, creating a dynamic look. The façade has folds and resembles an accordion. This structure not only looks stunning, it also prevents the rooms inside from overheating. Nevertheless, the façade still allows the interior to be flooded with daylight. The same is true of the glass roof above the central atrium, for which a Schüco AOC add-on construction with a mechatronic roof window system has been used. Sun shading is provided by electrochromic SageGlass; when it is very sunny, the glass darkens and restricts solar heat gain, but remains transparent at all times, providing an unobstructed view of the sky.

Innovative character of the main façade

The façade combines aesthetics with innovative technology in a compact form. Its complex geometry was only made possible by digitally controlled production methods, which were further facilitated by the BIM-based design of the building. The high degree of prefabrication of the façade ensured that it could be installed on schedule. The main façade with its six upper floors is based on the Schüco AWS 75.SI+ window system. The façade has been designed as a special construction with a 90 mm basic depth and achieves the desired U value of 1.0 W/(m²K). The alternating fixed glazed units, side-hung windows with limiting stays and solid panels give the façade a sort of rhythm as well as its shape. The electrically-operated and system-integrated Schüco Integralmaster glare protection ensures that the workspaces remain free from glare in accordance with workplace guidelines. The external Schüco CSB sun shading on rollers ensures that the interior is provided with shade from the first to the sixth floor as well as on parts of the ground floor. Its guide track is concealed in the profile and a clear view of the outdoors is guaranteed at all times – even when the blinds are completely lowered. The terrace exits have been designed using AWS 90 window doors as a special construction.

The transparent plinth on the ground floor consists of various Schüco façade systems. The FWS 50 mullion/transom façade with the highest thermal insulation properties was used in the curved areas as well as in front of the rooms on the east side, while the FWS 35 PD Panorama Design façade was used on the flat areas next to the main entrance. All of the electrically operated components in the façade are centrally controlled, but can still be operated manually by employees at any time.

Green façade

In the entrance area on the ground floor, a section of green façade separates Schüco One from the existing building. It emphasises the sustainable nature of this construction project. The Schüco Green Façade system solution was used, in which plants take root and grow in a fleece-based material filled with substrate. Green façades like this clean the air, contribute to a positive micro and macro climate, and promote biodiversity.

Project details

Project title: New Schüco One company headquarters

Architects: 3XN Copenhagen A/S

Schüco fabricators:

Feldhaus Fenster+Fassaden GmbH & Co. KG, Emsdetten

Riedel & Söhne GmbH & Co. KG, Dortmund

Ventker Metallbau GmbH & Co. KG, Tecklenburg-Brochterbeck

Knaup Metallbau GmbH & Co. KG, Rheda-Wiedenbrück

Soreg AG, Wädenswill, Switzerland

Floor area: 1100 m²

Gross floor area: 8500 m²

Usable space: 7200 m²

Completion date: June 2022

Schüco systems used in the project:

Main façade, 1st to 6th floor:

Special construction with 90 mm basic depth, based on the Schüco AWS 75.SI+ window system.

Glare protection: Schüco Integralmaster internal roller blind solution

Sun shading: Schüco CSB external aluminium micro louvre blades with SMI drives
Monitoring of window opening: SensTrack wireless

Terrace exits: special window door construction based on Schüco AWS 90

Façade, ground floor:

Curved and flat areas on the east side: FWS 50 mullion/transom façade

Flat areas next to the main entrance: FWS 35 PD (Panorama Design) mullion/transom façade
Window facing the Welcome Forum: AWS 75 TipTronic window system

Green façade:

Schüco Green Façade system solution

Glass roof above the atrium:

Schüco AOC 75 add-on construction

Roof window: Schüco AWS 57 RO as a special construction with SageGlass sun shading

Rooftop access:Façade system: Schüco AOC 60 add-on construction with curved panes

External door: Schüco ADS 75 SimplySmart

Interior partition walls:FWS 35 PD mullion/transom façade
Doors: ADS 65

Doors in the core of the building/stairwell:WC/ancillary rooms: Schüco ADS 75

Stairwell fire doors: Schüco ADS 80 FR 30