The reason for the extension is to meet the increased floor space requirement resulting from the company’s strong growth in the past few years, and the integration into the head office of departments that were previously scattered throughout the Hamburg municipal area. The increase in staff numbers meant that additional office space had to be rented. The new company headquarters brings all the staff together under one roof again in a gross floor area totaling 35,000 square meters, and creates space for further growth. Planning for the second construction phase began in the summer of 2016, and construction started a year later. Completion and handover to Jungheinrich AG is planned for September 2019.
The first construction phase was completed in 2015 and was awarded the certificate in gold by the German Sustainable Building Council (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen, DGNB). The second phase of construction draws on the comb structure of the first building, and will include space for an auditorium, an extension to the staff restaurant, a video conferencing area, training rooms, and office space. The two buildings will be connected by a glass bridge.
Drees & Sommer is providing project management services to Jungheinrich AG throughout the entire planning and construction process. Cost-effectiveness and sustainability are central part of the plan. Mathias Höhne, Project Partner at Drees & Sommer, commented: ‘The most important criteria include high resource efficiency, choosing ecological materials, a high level of user comfort, and optimal life cycle costs.’ He added that the planning process was based on a lessons learned procedure involving the user, the planners and the general contractor, and the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). The aim was to maintain a high level of quality while keeping within budget and on schedule, thus optimizing the project execution for all stakeholders, who could work on a partnership basis.