Featured Project
Quality doesn’t need a brash presentation

Alnatura, one of the most successful players in the organic food retail sector, not only seeks to help its customers lead healthy lifestyles. In building its new headquarters in Darmstadt the company went to great lengths to ensure its staff have a working environment that is both healthy and pleasant. Moreover, the new building was to meet the strictest criteria for eco-friendliness. Accordingly, the building was made largely of clay, wood and glass. The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) has already honored these efforts and awarded the Alnatura Campus its platinum certification, the highest standard in its evaluation system.

Inside, the open work areas are arranged around a large, central atrium. A broad strip window in the roof and the two glass facades ensure ample daylight can enter the building. Given its open structure, sound insulation and acoustic solutions were important considerations during planning. In 2015, the client and architects from Haas Cook Zemmrich Studio decided firmly in favor or acoustic panels by Troldtekt. They feature in the building’s restaurant as ceiling cladding and are made solely of natural materials like wood and cement. For the Alnatura headquarters a gray shade was chosen so that the panels act as a calming counterweight to the colorful, strongly patterned wallpaper that decorates the restaurant walls.

Aside from excellent acoustic conditions the architects also placed great store on an excellent room climate. They had a special ventilation shaft installed from a neighboring pinewood forest to the building that supplies the rooms with fresh air. The acoustic panels by Troldtekt, which is a member of DGNB, have received numerous international certifications as a product that is especially conducive to a good room climate. The use of these panels has a positive impact on the evaluation points for criteria that as a whole make up over 50 percent of the entire DGNB certification. This was another reason why they were the first choice for the Alnatura headquarters. Thanks to these and many other details the client and architects have succeeded in creating a workplace that reflects how the company sees itself, something that is likewise mirrored in its stores and products.