Poststrasse Süd - E

LOCATION/HISTORY

Ostermundigen (BE), an attractive suburban municipality near Berne, has developed into a successful small town with around 18000 residents. The area around Ostermundigen railway station has proven to be very dynamic because, in addition to the S-Bahn and several bus lines, it will be even better served in future by the new Bern-Ostermundigen tram.

When the steel construction company Debrunner Acifer wanted to give up its site between the east side of the railway embankment and the Poststrasse, HRS Real Estate AG acquired the area and redeveloped it. In cooperation with general planners Burckhardt + Partner AG, a modern office building for the TCS headquarters was constructed on the former industrial site. A Migros supermarket was opened on the ground floor.

CONCEPT/ARCHITECTURE

The 100-meter-long and almost 30-meter-high new building provides space for around 600 work stations for Touring Club Switzerland. TCS was thus able to consolidate its German-speaking Swiss branches at one location.

The central architectural element is the scaled integration of the building’s volume into the urban context, which has both a village and urban character. Recesses in the building encompass contour lines that incorporate the old building structures of the Bernstrasse as well as future developments in the community. The twostorey loggias along the Poststrasse visually break up the length of the building. On the side of the railway embankment, the building remains urban and large-scale in appearance.

The materials used in the facade were chosen to fit in with the site. The metal elements retain the brown, bronze-like shades and thus make reference to the railway tracks and former industrial use of the site. The subtle green tone of the enamelled glass in the façade parapet creates a connection with the railway embankment and the Ostermundigenberg hill, a local recreation area in the direction of Gümligen.

The supports of the base storey are clad in coloured concrete elements, referencing the local sandstone. The roof terraces and loggias were planted with large shrubs and trees to prevent overheating and to offer users shaded, attractive outdoor spaces.

SPECIAL FEATURES

HRS Real Estate AG completed the new building in just 15 months. This was only possible because the facade, including the window - panes, was made entirely of prefabricated elements.

ENERGY CONCEPT/SUSTAINABILITY

The new Poststrasse Süd building meets the guidelines of the 2020 Minergie ® standard. The entire free roof area was used for the construction of a photovoltaic system that supplies the building with electricity. This system generates an output of 103 kWp.

The building is connected to the Mösli Ostermundigen district heating network. This provides 70 percent of its heat from regional wood chips and waste heat from the Emmi company. Natural gas boilers are used to cover peak loads. Cooling is provided by two compression chillers; heating and cooling is supplied via heating and cooling ceilings and radiators.