Brainergy Hub

The innovative use of material, form and renewable technologies means the Hub is not only passive, but energy producing, and will function as the the brain and battery of the Brainergy masterplan. Located along the Autobahn, HENN’s distinctive, circular design acts as a lighthouse, symbolizing Germany’s shift towards renewable energy and a green future.

The Hub’s circular form is symbolic as well as pragmatic: as the Brainergy’s central building, the circle is omnidirectional, a democratic shape that never turns its back on the other buildings. The circular footprint and balcony inscribe a pixelated cloud of highly rational structural elements. The Hub’s modular system allows for easy subdivision and a playful infill of solid and void spaces. The grid is punctuated by a large central atrium and four smaller courtyards that vary from single height to triple height, providing fresh air and daylight to the building’s occupants.

HENN’s flexible system contains spaces for seven companies, with collaboration spaces and communal programs located around the central atrium. The main spiral staircase leads visitors through this extroverted space, while the circular balcony and external staircases act as shortcuts for employees and allow the office modules to operate independently. The recessed ground floor of the Hub creates a strong north-south axis on the site, linking a lake to the north and an existing orchard to the south.

Brainergy Hub uses a hybrid structure of timber, concrete, and steel. Warm wood is used for interior cladding and timber is used for columns and beams; concrete slabs offer efficient spans and thermal mass for passive heating and cooling strategies; and the steel balcony and exterior stairwells offer stiffening structural support. Solar panels are deployed on the roof and the facade: photovoltaics rotate with the sun along the Hub’s circular balcony, transforming the building into an energy-producing sundial. The Hub is a cog in the master plan’s network of passive buildings, any excess energy produced is given back to the network.