DKG headquarters

Smart reuse
A strategically located shed on the company’s own factory site was chosen as the site for the new building. The shed was demolished and the foundation and ground floor slab reused as the basis for the two-story new building. Compared to complete new construction, this reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 35%. The contours of the former shed define the 3,800m2 office. To bring daylight into the 80 meters long and 27 meters wide office, two centrally located atriums form the basis of the design.

Transparency with wood accent
The wooden louvers that protect the work floors from direct sunlight on the south facade merge into a canopy on the west facade. Thanks to the open nature of the canopy, trees and plants on the terrace of the restaurant on the first floor create a pleasant outdoor space that establishes a relationship with the green surroundings and the factory.

Connecting atriums
Daylight, cascading through the atrium roofs, welcomes employees and visitors to the reception atrium. Here is the entrance to the restaurant where factory and office employees eat lunch together. In contrast to the formal reception atrium, the atrium on the east side has an informal character with a coffee bar and various seating areas. The office floors are accessible from the two atriums, each with a wide staircase. Meeting areas have been created around the atriums. The atria contribute to spontaneous meetings between employees and invite them to take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Employee wellbeing
Detached meeting rooms divide the column-free office floors into clusters of workstations. Here the departments are acoustically grouped to prevent noise pollution among employees. The building is ventilated with 100% outside air. The design ensures employee well-being with a healthy indoor climate and comfortable work environment while maintaining an open character.

Ready for the future
The futureproof design is characterized by an efficient and flexible layout in which different forms of work, focused on collaboration, are supported by a wide range of workstations. The column-free office floors, where the floor to ceiling windows allow natural light to enter profoundly, are freely dividable and flexible for other forms of work in the future.

Nitrogen oxides emissions
Because of the nearby Natura 2000 area, both site work and demolition and construction activities were mainly carried out with electrically powered construction equipment. In close consultation with the contractor, nitrogen oxides emissions were limited to 16.55 kg NOx/year. The DKG headquarters was completed in the first quarter of 2023.