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VBG headquarter, Hamburg

Facts and Figures
Company PORR GmbH & Co. KGaA and pde Integrale Planung GmbH
Principal Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft (VBG)
Location Hamburg - Germany
Type Office, M&E planning, Commercial building
Service duration 10.2014 - 08.2016
Runtime 03.2015 - 08.2016

Accessible, safe and flexible workplaces

The building construction department at PORR’s north German branch has constructed the VBG’s new main administration building in Hamburg-Barmbek, on the site of a former bus station. The Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft (VBG) is a provider of statutory accident insurance in Germany. The finished construction at the Hamburg site contains offices for some 680 employees, with the ground floor providing spaces for retail and service outlets as well as restaurants. PORR subsidiary pde Integrale Planung GmbH was responsible for closing the gap between performance phases 3 and 4 and for execution planning (performance phase 5).

Changeable floor plans for flexible configuration

Permit planning for the five-storey perimeter block construction and 15-storey office high-rise, with a gross floor area of approximately 35,400m², was provided by Hamburg-based project developer ECE. The flexible floor plans allow for variable office partitioning to facilitate long-term use with different configurations. Two underground garage levels provide around 280 parking spaces. The high-quality textured clinker brick façade, featuring window elements of different sizes, is a successful new interpretation of the brick architecture typical of the Barmbek district. The building received the DGNB certificate in platinum and thus meets the highest standards in terms of sustainability.

Setting the standard for accessibility

The German statutory accident insurance association has its own department of Accessible Workplace Design, which works to design educational and work facilities as accessible venues. This department falls within the purview of the VGB in Hamburg, which is why the VBG consistently provides an outstanding example of inclusivity in its role as an employer: 10% of its workforce are classed as having a severe disability. The site’s proximity to the fully-accessible Barmbek railway station, an important hub in Hamburg’s rapid-transit rail network, was one of the most important factors in the decision to build the new VBG headquarters in Hamburg’s north-east. The building and all entrances satisfy the highest standards of accessibility and workplace safety. A tactile guidance system assists the blind and visually impaired in navigating the interior of the building.