The philosophy we live by: well-being and climate action from day one
The green rooftop is part of a concept that stands for environmentally conscious construction: a photovoltaic system generates part of the building’s electricity, water-saving taps and toilets reduce water consumption, and smart building technology regulates energy usage. As a company with sustainability firmly anchored in our corporate strategy, moving to a modern and environmentally friendly building, as proved by its Platinum certification from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), is a logical step for us. At the same time, the new Frankfurt location at Lyoner Straße 13 stands for flexible thinking and working.
Sustainable office architecture
The office concept is worlds apart from old-fashioned open-plan offices with lacklustre rows of desks. Instead, we wanted to design an open landscape with different zones that create an inspiring working environment with comfortable areas for informal exchange, as well as meeting rooms for agile work or quiet focus areas for tasks that demand concentration. Two Wi-Fi networks allow staff to work and take calls wherever they are in the building without having to keep logging in again. They can just open their laptop and start.
We have a wide range of places where employees can spend their breaks, including generous green areas, a cafeteria on the ground floor with access to the green atrium, balconies and a gym. The marketplaces on each office floor are the building’s central meeting places. Each one has an integrated kitchen and provides enough space for two or more colleagues to meet for tea or coffee and a chat in a relaxed atmosphere. And because we take flexibility and new work very seriously, we also offer a mother-child room and a prayer room.
We also made sure that the interior furnishing lives up to our sustainability standards by using durable recyclable materials and products that are low in both pollutants and in emissions. The furniture carries the Blue Angel certification, and even the coat hangers made of grass fibres with recycled or biodegradable plastics are environmentally friendly.
Mobility
And while you are inside the office building, your car or even your bike can recharge its batteries. In the parking garage, you will find 29 charging stations for electric cars and 120 charging points for e-bikes. All the electricity here and for the entire building comes from 100 per cent renewable sources.
Smart technology
Smart building technology and the intelligent regulation of lighting and the indoor climate contribute to saving energy and therefore to reducing carbon emissions through features such as heating-cooling ceilings, humidification and dehumidification systems, façades that let in plenty of natural light and windows with combined heat and cold protection. Heat is mainly obtained by cogeneration. Even relatively small measures such as motion detectors for lights or instantaneous water heaters in toilets and showers play a part in reducing energy consumption.
Going green
A photovoltaic system on the roof of the office building covers some of the electricity requirements. The roof also has another function: a huge biotope is being landscaped there on an area of around 4,000 sqm. This has a positive effect on the environment in multiple ways. We are growing various plant species, including sedums, perennials and small and large shrubs, as well as multi-stemmed wood plants, that support biodiversity and help reduce fine-dust air pollution. The rainwater collected from the green roof is used to irrigate the plants. Excess rainwater is collected in an underground buffer tank, which is then returned to the natural water cycle to help create groundwater. The biological cycle we are establishing binds almost 3 kilogrammes of CO2 per square metre every year, reduces the noise level by up to 46 decibels and directly contributes to cooling the city’s climate.
