On the one hand, more and more old office buildings and office parks are losing their function. On the other hand, there is a great demand for living space in cities and agglomerations. This publication shows the opportunities, but also the difficulties, associated with the conversion of this particular building typology.
The conversion of office properties certainly represents only a very small and special segment of our urban development. But it deserves more attention, both in terms of the history behind this inconspicuous building task and in terms of the future potential that we are far from having exhausted. The conversion of this particular building stock is a serious alternative to demolition and new construction.
Seven practical examples show how diverse and varied office building conversion projects are. From historic individual properties to modern office districts, the framework conditions are often very different. However, it is precisely by dealing with the existing buildings that they can develop new qualities for their surroundings (Lyoner Viertel, Frankfurt; Büropark Seestern, Düsseldorf; O-Werk, Bochum; Goltsteinforum, Cologne; Beginenhof, Essen; Gerling Hochhaus, Cologne; Hochhaus an der Baierbrunner Straße, Munich).
The study commissioned by StadtBauKultur NRW was prepared in cooperation with the ILS - Institute for Regional and Urban Development Research.
"With all kinds of regulations, cities want to ensure sufficient and cheap parking spaces. But economically this is nonsense. It is higher earners who are subsidised. Parking thus becomes a question of justice."
"Europe's largest rental scheme for e-load bikes has started in Cologne. The initiators see the project as an active contribution to the energy transition and want to transfer the system - if it is successful - to other cities."
Since January 2017, building owners who have a residential building constructed and certified in accordance with the requirements of the DGNB have the opportunity to receive a grant for construction support from KfW. This covers 50 percent of the eligible costs up to a maximum of 4,000 euros per building project.
The grant is linked to the KfW product "Energy-efficient construction and refurbishment" and can relate to various services within the scope of DGNB certification, such as auditor services, specialist planning and the performance of measurements of indoor air quality or air tightness.
Environment Minister Heinen-Esser: "The protection of the starry night sky serves health, species and climate protection and enables fascinating nature experiences at night".
A fascinating natural spectacle: The Eifel National Park is one of few places in Germany where you can see the Milky Way with your naked eyes. Now the International Star Park Eifel National Park has received the final and so far unique recognition in western Germany. (Photo: Maximilian Kaiser)
Schleiden-Gemünd / Nettersheim, 05.04.2019. Experiencing the starry sky at night with twinkling celestial bodies is a special experience for many people that is now only possible in a few places in Germany - one of these places is the Eifel National Park. Since 2010, a regional initiative has been successfully campaigning for the protection of the night sky and the preservation of the natural night landscape - in 2014, this was followed by the provisional designation as the first "International Dark Sky Park" in Germany. Now this initiative can look forward to the final recognition as International Star Park Eifel National Park. On the grounds of the observatory of the astronomy workshop "Stars without Borders" in the Eifel National Park, Dr. Andreas Hänel, highest representative of the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) in Germany, presented the certificate of recognition to Environment Minister Ursula Heinen-Esser and the head of the Eifel National Park Administration Dr. Michael Röös. The distinction of being a protected area of the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) is a title that only a few regions worldwide can use to promote themselves, in Germany there are only four. For the Eifel National Park, which turned 15 this year, this recognition is a nice "birthday present".
The Eifel National Park is a refuge of undisturbed night skies and has been recognised as a star park since 2014. "Rarely does a topic offer so many win-win situations," said Environment Minister Ursula Heinen-Esser when handing over the certificate. She emphasised the many benefits of protecting the starry night sky: "Dark nights have a positive effect on health, conserve resources and thus help to protect the climate. Darkness is important for many nocturnal animal species, especially insects. Artificial light at night can be a serious threat to them." For North Rhine-Westphalia, he said, the final recognition of the Eifel National Park as the only star park in the entire western half of Germany was an outstanding honour. "The final recognition of the Eifel National Park as a star park helps to raise the profile of our state as a nature destination as well," the state environment minister summed up.
The initiative goes back to the astronomer and lighting consultant Harald Bardenhagen from Cologne, who managed to convince the region of the value of the starry sky. Initially, Bardenhagen found enthusiastic comrades-in-arms in the administration of the Eifel National Park, the district administration of Euskirchen, the national park towns of Schleiden and Heimbach, and those responsible for the Vogelsang property. However, until the final recognition as a Dark Sky Park, further efforts on different levels were necessary: In the design of the outdoor lighting to reduce the artificial light in the National Park and the directly surrounding villages or in the development of tourist offers for stargazing for the general public. The North Eifel Nature Park, in which the Eifel National Park is embedded, has also been intensively involved in this process.
Dr. Michael Röös, Head of the Eifel National Park Authority, thanked Mr. Bardenhagen for his unprecedented commitment against light pollution and his dedication to protecting the night sky and making it possible to experience it. "With the final recognition of the Eifel National Park as an International Star Park, we have reached an important milestone with the region and at the same time taken a pioneering role in the protection of darkness in North Rhine-Westphalia."
"Together we will significantly expand this unique selling point", Manfred Poth, Chairman of the North Eifel Nature Park, was pleased to say. With the innovative project application "Under the Tent of Stars - Eifel by Night", the nature park was able to prevail in the "Nature Park Competition.2021.NRW" of the NRW Ministry of the Environment and, for the first time in its history, took first place. "With the associated 400,000 euros in funding, the protection of darkness through public relations work, through educational offers of sustainable development and tourist infrastructure projects in the Eifel will experience a significant further development," explained Poth. More than 40 project partners, including the Eifel National Park Authority, want to participate in the realisation.
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On the one hand, more and more old office buildings and office parks are losing their function. On the other hand, there is a great demand for living space in cities and agglomerations. This publication shows the opportunities, but also the difficulties, associated with the conversion of this particular building typology.
