DLR receives "Sustainable Building" certificate
On 1 February 2018, Dietmar Horn, Ministerial Director at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Construction and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), presented the certificate for "Sustainable Construction" to the construction management of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
The new building for the Robotics and Mechatronics Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen is awarded the silver seal of approval according to the BMUB's "Sustainable Building" (BNB) evaluation system. The building was constructed with funding from the Free State of Bavaria and the Federal Republic of Germany and is the first grant construction project in Bavaria to be awarded the BNB certificate. "DLR conducts research for the sustainable development of our society and at the same time pursues the goal of conducting this research in a sustainable manner.
Accordingly, we are very pleased that the certification of the Robotics and Mechatronics Centre enables us to demonstrate that our new buildings meet the high requirements of sustainable construction," explains Klaus Hamacher, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board.
Characteristics for "sustainable construction" are met
The building by "Birk Heilmeyer und Frenzel" architects has a number of features for high-quality construction: These include a highly insulated building envelope and the use of innovative building technologies such as combined heat and power generation with a block-type thermal power station, a heat pump and a 500 cubic metre latent heat storage tank. An innovative LED lighting system on all floors also helps to reduce electricity consumption. "Sustainable construction combines the objectives of economical, environmentally friendly, technically appropriate, user-optimised and time-efficient construction. This is precisely why we are very pleased to receive this award, as it once again demonstrates the high performance of DLR's construction management," emphasises Markus Ullmann, Deputy Regional Head of Construction Management South.
Individually controllable daylight control, windows with high sound insulation values and optimum room acoustics ensure a high level of comfort at the workplace. The construction management used low-emission building materials - resulting in a high interior air quality. Spacious communication zones offer DLR employees space for informal encounters outside the workspaces. These common areas also include the four walk-in courtyards with their different plantings, surfaces and seating. Employees and guests can reach all workplaces and common areas barrier-free. "The building combines optimal room design for modern robotics research with very high environmental standards. We were particularly pleased that, thanks to careful planning and early coordination between the institutes, construction management and architectural office, the project met the time and financial requirements very well," says Professor Alin Albu-Schäffer, Director of the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics.