New office building for hotel outfitter TKS in Borken

Various circumstances at the new location of TKS GmbH in Borken, North Rhine-Westphalia, required special measures: the high groundwater level prevented the construction of a basement, which made the installation of the technical building equipment as invisibly as possible a challenge. The triangular plot of land only allowed an extremely narrow construction window for the building's unusual architecture. The client's desire for lots of daylight and flexibility in the room layout additionally demanded sophisticated concepts for high energy efficiency. However, thanks to the close cooperation of all parties involved, the office building was completed on schedule in summer 2019.

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TKS GmbH is the specialist for initial furnishing and renovation during ongoing operations in the European brand hotel industry and is the market leader for the provision of turnkey services. The company also focuses on sustainability. The CSM® analysis developed in-house is employed to analyse the equipment inventory for reusability in order to conserve resources. Items that meet the requirements in terms of function, appearance and handling and can be integrated without breaks are included in the new design concept. No wonder that the hotel supplier also put these values and ambitions first when planning its own new corporate headquarters in Borken.

^{The new TKS office building in Borken provides space for the company's planned growth. © DAIKIN}

Two wings in a triangle

Participants in the construction are selected when building planning starts. In the case of TKS, this step was quickly taken: many experts are based in the company itself. The planning of the interior/architecture and building services was carried out completely in-house. “The coordination between architecture and building services is often neglected in the construction process. However, the fact that the planning for the new company headquarters was done entirely in-house meant that communication between the parties involved was very good and everything went smoothly,” explains Elisabet Sommerfeldt, Managing Director and architect at TKS. A total of just under 2,200m² of floor space is now distributed over two wings that make optimum use of the triangular footprint.

^{Aerial shots illustrate the construction challenges posed by the shape of the site. © DAIKIN}

Heating, cooling and ventilation from a single source

When selecting the building services, the client paid particular attention to the same make of all equipment in order to avoid unnecessary interfaces, as well as to the possibility of heating and cooling the building with only one system. Here Daikin impressed with its Total Solution approach. Now two air-to-water heat pumps, one per wing, ensure a perfect working climate in the TKS offices. Thanks to a hydronic module, no glycol needs to be used. This and the weather protection hoods further increase the efficiency of the units located on the roofs of the two wings of the building, as defrosting is seldom required.

^{The heat pumps are installed on the roof of the building. © DAIKIN}

A D-AHU Modular P series unit with an air volume flow of 3,650m³ for outdoor installation is responsible for the ventilation. A connected direct evaporator with an output of 20 kW tempers the supply air into the offices. In addition, two VAM series 650m³ ventilation systems with heat recovery were installed for aeration and deaeration.

^{Daikin split units on the roof provide air conditioning for the server room. © DAIKIN}

^{A Daikin Perfera indoor unit is responsible for conditioning. © DAIKIN}

Stylish solutions inside the building

Cooling and heating ceilings give off heat or coolness to the rooms. Stainless steel pipes lead the hot and cold water to the ceiling tiles. Ventilation is via air vents. Each room is always supplied with a minimum amount of air. A variable volume flow controller allows the air volume per room to be increased to a preset maximum. The volume flow regulators are controlled via a duct temperature sensor and an air quality sensor, which are installed in the respective extract air ducts of the rooms. If the room air quality deteriorates or if the room extract air temperatures rise, the volume flow controller is opened and the air volume flow increases. If the air quality and room temperature are appropriate, the volume flow controller closes and the air volume flow is reduced.

^{Ventilation is via unobtrusive vents in the ceiling. © DAIKIN}

^{Stainless steel pipes lead the heat or cold to the cooling or heating ceilings. © DAIKIN}

Optimal interaction of architecture and sustainability

The architectural concept is based on a column-free floor plan, high transparency and high daylight incidence in all rooms. The aim was to create a flexible concept that would allow the rooms to be used potentially by subsequent tenants. The layout of the building also focused on flowing spaces, both inside and out, and the equivalence of the individual offices. The topic of sustainability of buildings and building materials also played a major role here: all building decisions were based on the requirements of the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV from 2016). In addition to climate-friendly air conditioning, shading was also an important issue that could not be allowed to conflict with the desire for plenty of daylight. In the building, ceiling sails ensure heating and cooling and offer considerable design options. The eye-catching facade of the office building is made of regional Ringbrand clinker brick and the carpeting exclusively of recycled fibre. “We are very happy with the good interplay between sustainability and architecture that we have achieved in the TKS corporate headquarters,” concludes Elisabet Sommerfeldt.

^{The new office building of TKS GmbH in Borken was completed in summer 2019. © DAIKIN}