Revitalisation with RIGIPS

Sustainably designed office environment: perfect acoustics and comfortable indoor climate

While names such as Admiral, Herkules, Hallertauer Taurus and Magnum might initially raise some questions for the uninitiated, they generate great excitement among beer sommeliers. These melodious names represent hop varieties that are centuries old and used by breweries around the world today to give their creations a distinctive aroma. BarthHaas GmbH & Co. KG, based in Nuremberg, is widely recognised as a leading supplier of hop products. Over the course of more than 225 years, the company has evolved from a Franconian hop trading house into a global flavour expert for some of the world's finest beers. Since 1996, the company headquarters have been located in a two-storey office building in eastern Nuremberg. Increased demand, particularly with respect to the building's technical equipment, has required the building to be partially reconstructed and modernised. The result is a new 'office world' that meets the highest standards.

The desire for a comfortable indoor climate led to the decision to install suspended heating and cooling ceilings in all rooms. Additionally, the newly introduced MEP components were designed to be concealed within the 33 cm-high ceiling void. Photo: INCOTEC GmbH & Co. KG

When the company's founder, Georg Barth, delivered hops by covered wagon to small breweries around Nuremberg in 1794, he could not have imagined that his descendants would one day supply more than 400 breweries worldwide. The company is still family-owned today. The company's headquarters in the Franconian metropolis remain the central hub. During the modernisation of the office building, which has an approximate usable floor area of 2,200 m², the team from INCOTEC GmbH & Co. KG, responsible for the interior construction, faced one central challenge in particular: "Business operations had to continue as undisturbed as possible, which is why we carried out the entire redevelopment in five staggered construction phases", explains INCOTEC managing director Christian Meier. "Employees from each affected area moved to other parts of the building or specially rented replacement rooms during the work. This required careful logistical planning to ensure the optimal use of on-site storage space and minimal disruption to employees' everyday office life."

Special attention was given to the so-called “pills” – several oval, air-conditioned, and ventilated room-in-room solutions intended for use as meeting rooms, among other things. Even the measurement of the curved walls (radii between 1 and 1.5 meters) based on existing reference axes proved complex. The substructure for this consisted of pre-punched RigiProfile Multitec UW 50 profiles for the floor and ceiling connections, as well as RigiProfile CW 50, including the Rigips felt connection seal. Photo: INCOTEC GmbH & Co. KG

Heating/cooling ceiling on long-span beams

The complete gutting of the rooms marked the start of each construction phase. This was followed by the installation of an innovative climate ceiling system. "Until then, the building only had permanently installed air conditioning units in a few offices, as well as portable air conditioners. The desire for a uniformly comfortable indoor climate led to the decision to install suspended heating and cooling ceilings in all rooms. Another advantage of this type of climate control is that eliminating radiators allows for a more flexible use of office space. At the same time, most cabling, as well as the newly introduced MEP components, were made to 'disappear' into the 33 cm-high ceiling void — something we were able to achieve thanks to long-span beam constructions", says Christian Meier.

The sound insulation boards were precast into the required radii using a special vacuum process. The individual board segments remained in the press moulds until they were processed. Photo: INCOTEC GmbH & Co. KG

The substructure comprises CD 60 and UD 30 profiles which support the climate ceiling registers containing water. As the ceiling was also intended to enhance room acoustics, most of the ceiling area is lined with perforated Rigitone Climafit boards (8/18 perforation) from RIGIPS. These graphite-containing ceiling boards were developed specifically for climate ceiling systems and have significantly higher thermal conductivity than conventional gypsum boards. Consequently, the efficiency of heating and cooling ceiling systems can be increased by up to 30 per cent. Improved heat transfer to the surrounding air enables the water flow temperature to be permanently lowered or the cooling meander pipes to be laid at greater intervals, thus reducing the coverage area. This leads to corresponding savings in material and energy costs.

Among the challenges during the installation of the ceiling were the required connections to several curved drywall partitions, for which the fitting team used segmented UD 30 profiles, and to the façade with preparations for a continuous curtain rail. Numerous light coves and factory-made round moulding elements were also integrated into the ceiling.

Finally, the walls were given a returning base cut and filled with Rigips ProMix Plus ready-mixed filler to Q3 standard. Photo: INCOTEC GmbH & Co. KG

Peace and quiet in the “Pills”

“We paid special attention to the so-called ‘pills’: several oval-shaped, air-conditioned and ventilated room-in-room solutions that can be used as both meeting rooms and retreats conducive to concentration. Even measuring the curved walls based on existing reference axes proved complex”, reports Christian Meier. The construction of curved partition walls with various radii between one and one-and-a-half metres was no less challenging.

These were supported by a substructure consisting of pre-punched RigiProfile Multitec UW 50 for the floor and ceiling connections, as well as RigiProfile CW 50 with Rigips felt connection sealing. First, the drywall professionals installed a 40 mm layer of non-combustible, highly sound-absorbent mineral wool (ISOVER Protect BSP 30) between the studs. The walls of the meeting boxes had to meet increased sound insulation requirements of up to 65 dB. We decided to line these inside and out with three layers of the special sound insulation board, Rigips Die Blaue. However, due to the sound insulation requirements, cutting or milling, which is usually necessary to achieve curved shapes, was not an option. We therefore pre-bent the boards into the required radii using a special vacuum process. The individual board segments then remained in the press moulds until assembly,” says the INCOTEC managing director. Finally, the walls were given a return base cut and taped to Q3 standard using Rigips ProMix Plus ready-mixed filler.

The finished “pills” from the inside and outside. Photos: INCOTEC GmbH & Co. KG

Sound insulation values up to 71 dB

High visual and acoustic requirements were not limited to the meeting rooms. Throughout the building, double stud walls, two layers of Rigips Die Blaue on both sides (including 2 x 40 mm thick glass wool insulation with ISOVER Akustic TP1), were to achieve high sound insulation values of up to 71 dB while also realising numerous design highlights. For example, a multitude of quarter-circle walls was created and lined with dry flexible Rigips Glasroc 6 boards. Numerous fire protection solutions, for example in shaft walls and the integration of fire-rated zone doors, were developed in detail together with Rigips technical advisors responsible for the project.

The result is a modern office world that offers BarthHaas employees a highly comfortable working environment in terms of both climate and room acoustics. Among other things, the climate ceiling system developed and implemented by INCOTEC has allowed the building to be successfully certified as a sustainable building by the DGNB.

High requirements in terms of both appearance and sound insulation were demanded throughout the building. The double stud partitions in the office areas were to achieve high sound insulation values of up to 71 dB and also incorporate numerous design highlights. Photos: INCOTEC GmbH & Co. KG

Project Data

Client: BarthHaas GmbH & Co. KG from Nuremberg
Design: Loebermann + Bandlow Architekten Gesellschaft mbH, Nuremberg
Interior Contractor: INCOTEC GmbH & Co. KG, Altdorf
Technical Consultant Drywall Systems: Martin Heinz, Saint-Gobain Rigips GmbH

SAINT-GOBAIN RIGIPS GMBH

RIGIPS. You have the solution for everything. #RigipsForEverything
Recognised as a system provider by construction professionals for its high-quality drywall solutions, RIGIPS offers a wide range of gypsum and speciality boards, Rigidur gypsum fibre boards, profiles, accessories and high-performance fillers and joint compounds. These tried-and-tested solutions have proven their effectiveness in interior and exterior drywall construction. In particular, our range of systems for weather-protected façade constructions makes us the ideal partner for timber frame construction projects. With its ever-expanding range of products for healthy living and its highly effective fire and sound protection systems, the manufacturer delivers maximum safety and comfort. This extensive product and system portfolio is complemented by a broad range of services and personal expert consultation, providing valuable support in planning and executing even the most demanding construction projects. At the same time, RIGIPS is committed to environmental responsibility, focusing on sustainable climate protection and the conservation of natural resources. For instance, gypsum board recycling solutions are closing material cycles, and packaging made from recycled materials is reducing the need for primary raw materials. RIGIPS has been recognised multiple times as a Brand of the Century and is one of the most important brands for modern drywall solutions in the German market. The company is part of the international Saint-Gobain Group.

In a nutshell: Rigips® – building better for people and the environment.

ABOUT SAINT-GOBAIN

As a global leader in sustainable lightweight construction, Saint-Gobain develops, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial sectors. Its integrated solutions for renovating public and private buildings, lightweight construction and decarbonising the construction and industrial sectors are developed through continuous innovation. These solutions offer both sustainability and performance. The Saint-Gobain Group is guided by its purpose: "MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME".

€51.2 billion in sales in 2022
More than 168,000 employees, present in 75 countries
Committed to achieving CO₂ neutrality by 2050

Find out more about Saint-Gobain at www.saint-gobain.de
and follow us on LinkedIn Saint-Gobain Germany.

Further information:
SAINT-GOBAIN RIGIPS GMBH
Schanzenstraße 84
40549 Düsseldorf
P.O. Box 11 09 48
40509 Düsseldorf
Phone 02 11 / 55 03-0
Fax 02 11 / 55 03-208
[email protected]

Editorial contact:
baumarketing.com GmbH
Christoph Tauschwitz
Laubenweg 13
D-45149 Essen
Tel.: +49 201 2202 400
Fax: +49 201 2202 460
[email protected]