Futurium
The Futurium (formerly known as the ‘House of the Future’) is an exhibition and events centre in Berlin’s Mitte district that sits right next to Berlin Central Station and the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (another project planned by Werner Sobek). The Futurium’s goal is to make the general public aware of future-orientated developments of national and international importance. The building, which has a total gross floor area of nearly 14,000 m², is divided up into two underground storeys (which include the ‘Futurium Lab’), an above-ground floor with a large space for permanent exhibitions, and several intermediate levels.
Werner Sobek supported the project with comprehensive sustainability consultancy services. This involved comparing various strategies for optimizing the building’s comfort level and energy requirements, a life-cycle-orientated analysis that incorporated both passive measures (with a focus on the building’s facade) and life-cycle comparisons of structural component assemblies and methods of energy production. Thermal building simulations and daylight simulations were also carried out during the course of the optimization process.
A key emphasis of Werner Sobek’s consultancy work was to cooperate closely with technical building services planners and building contractors to collectively optimize the project’s energy concept. This resulted in an innovative energy concept that cleverly combines both active and passive measures in one building (e.g. via the integration of latent heat storage units).
Architecture
Richter Musikowski, Berlin/Germany
Planning time
2013 − 2015 (excl. initial architectural competitions)
Construction time
2015 − 2017
Services by Werner Sobek
Facade engineering (WP 1 −3)
General sustainability consultancy and ecological construction consultancy
Thermal building physics, including services in accordance with EnEV/energy concept
Thermal and daylight simulation
Life-Cycle Assessment, life-cycle costs, recycling concept
BNB certification
Building and room acoustics (WP 1 − 5)
GFA
13,955 m²
Client
Federal Institute for Real Estate, Berlin/Germany
Photography
Dacian Groza, Berlin/Germany
Schnepp Renou, Berlin/Germany
Awards
DGNB Award ‘Sustainable Building’ 2018 − Nomination