PRESS

Consistently beautiful

HEWI completes clear design lines in award-winning industrial and administrative buildings - from the door to the sanitary room.

A prime example of a particularly accomplished industrial building in a rural area: The multi-award-winning company headquarters of Firner Trautwein in Dunningen, which has been continuously fitted with HEWI products.

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

Even in industrial areas characterised by functionality, there are always buildings that stand out due to their architectural quality. On the northern outskirts of the municipality of Dunningen, an accomplished industrial building fits quietly and expressively between the main road and the open landscape. The architectural firm RÖING GENANNT NÖLKE Architekten PartGmbB designed the building. Part of the concept, which is characterised by a unique design consistency, is complete furnishing with products from HEWI.

Weightless feel

800 of the total 4800 square metres of floor space is used for administration. It is located at the head of the building, two storeys high, and is laid out around a green, park-like inner courtyard with a high welcoming qualities. The remaining 4000 square metres are required for production and storage space. The elongated hall, which directly adjoins the administration building, has two aisles. Slender reinforced concrete columns support the filigree steel structure. 

Three shed roofs with skylights give rhythm to the building. In the delivery area at the very end of the building, the roof cantilevers far out - it protects against wind and weather and gives the building an easier, floating appearance. The cleanly joined and high-quality workmanship of the metal façade shimmers with a fine, aluminium-silver sheen. The delicate shimmer gives it an easier appearance, as it harmonises with the natural light. This removes any heaviness from the volume of the building. At the same time, the façade stands for precision and expertise - and shows at first glance what the interior is all about: For high-precision and complex metal processing.

Simple elegance and a restrained harmony of surfaces and colours can be found in the light-flooded conference area of the administration building. The window handles from HEWI’s System 162 blend in visually with the window frames in the same colour.

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

Frames, door surfaces, window handles and lever handles from HEWI as well as socket strips and lights all in matt black. This creates an accentuated interplay of very light and dark elements in the room.

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

Clear legibility inside and outAußen und innen klar lesbar

The different uses inside are directly visible from the outside. While the production hall is enveloped by a skin of deeply protruding and receding trapezoidal steel sheeting with horizontal layering and appears almost textile-like, the administration building provides a clear contrast. Clad with aluminium panels, it appears smooth and calm, and the section of the building designed with them looks rather monolithic. 

Inside, the architects have implemented clear design principles on an entirely continuous basis. The entire production hall shines in an almost sacred-looking white. “We even had the industrial crane painted white,” explains architect Prof Alexandra Röing, known as Nölke, and continues: “We deliberately opted for an alternative to the restless atmosphere usually found in workshops and production halls.” The other colours and materials also create clarity. White characterises the production, while exposed concrete surfaces and black elements give the administrative wing a uniform, restrained and elegant appearance.

Complete balance: Exposed concrete and a design trowelled floor in a concrete look create a uniform, continuous look in the administration.

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

The employees at Firner Trautwein appreciate the high design quality of their working environment featuring plenty of natural light, black, wood and textile elements in grey.

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

In addition, the generous glass surfaces bring maximum natural light into the rooms - the entire building is literally flooded with daylight. Even the corridors appear so bright and inviting.

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

Continuity and stringency down to the last detail

The architects wanted to work with the same continuous and stringent design for the interior of the building as for the entire building. HEWI offered them the right range of products for this purpose, suitable for both the office area and the production hall. “The uniform, aesthetic style of the products convinced us,” reports Alexandra Röing, known as Nölke. “The fact that HEWI produces in Germany was also a factor that encouraged us to take a closer look at their product range.” The architect was impressed by the wide range of products on offer, including lever and window handles with an iconic look, as well as a complete assortment of sanitary accessories. These products are both robust enough for industrial use and elegant enough for administrative buildings. The decision to use only HEWI products was quickly made. 

Specifically, these are HEWI’s classic S 111, System 900 with products for sanitary rooms, and S 162 with its straightforward, puristic design. The planners have equipped the factory hall and the associated production areas with continuous stainless steel satin finished products. The administration building features only jet black matt design types, including powder-coated products and robust polyamide door furniture.

The HEWI System 900 offers a wide range of seamlessly combinable products for sanitary rooms, including the barrier-free toilets at Firner Trautwein. The dark colour scheme of the bathroom accessories is just as consistent here as in the other areas.

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

Thanks to its dark colour scheme, continuous furnishing with products from the HEWI Systems 900 and 162, together with other features such as the fittings, becomes a striking design element in sanitary areas.

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

Engineering and design planned together

The architects and clients also paid particular attention to a highly efficient thermal building envelope and energy-saving building technology. For example, the building makes clever use of existing heat, exceeding the requirements for a KfW 40 efficiency house. Through "peak shaving” - the buffering of electricity peaks using photovoltaics and electricity storage - a significant proportion of the company’s own energy requirements can be recovered and used directly for production and administration.

“The employees are proud of their new working environment and customers who visit the company are delighted with the aesthetically pleasing, welcoming atmosphere when they enter the building,” says a delighted Alexandra Röing, aka Nölke. It is no coincidence that the building won the best architects prize, received a HUGO HÄRING prize and was recognised at the Industrial Construction Awards.

Black on black - the iconic lever handle from HEWI’s System 162 blends seamlessly into this warm and clear design environment. 

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

Jet black on white: In administrative buildings, only the darkest design type of lever handles from HEWI’s System 162 can be found.

Photo: Jürgen Pollak

Facts and figures:

Project: New production and administration building, Dunningen

Usable floor space: approx. 4,800 m²

Architects: RÖING GENANNT NÖLKE ARCHITEKTEN PartGmbB, Münster/Lüdinghausen                                   

Principal: Trautwein Präzisionsdrehteile GmbH

 

HEWI products: 

•          System 900 (toilet roll holder, toilet brush unit, disinfectant and soap dispenser, manual soap dispenser, Sensoric disinfectant dispenser, paper towel dispenser, wastepaper bin, wastebin, hygiene bag dispenser, hinged support rails)

•          System 162 (window handles, fittings for framed doors, fire door fittings, spare roll holders, double hooks, single hooks)

•          System 111 

Completion: 2021

 

Awards:
best architects 25, winner; HUGO HÄRING prize 2023/ 2024, award; Industrial Construction Awards 2022, recognition; BAUWELT PRIZE 2023 “The First House”, short-list

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HEWI Heinrich Wilke GmbH

Since its foundation in 1929, HEWI has developed into a system provider for comprehensive solutions in the areas of building hardware, sanitary accessories, and accessible products. Over the past 95 years, the company has grown to become a leader in the field of accessibility and a recognised expert in system design. In line with Universal Design, the focus for HEWI is on people’s individual needs.

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Further Topics

New dispenser system of the sanitary series 477/801

Best of Decade