Pressroom

The new headquarters of CERATIZIT Austria in Breitenwang in Tyrol demonstrate that major production facilities can also act as models of environmentally-friendly building. Designed to be both energy-efficient and highly flexible, the complex embodies the spirit of the ATP Green Deal by making optimal use of the locally available resources – especially the renewable raw material wood – and by using the groundwater for cooling, the exhaust heat from the machines for heating, and sunlight for generating electricity.

ATP architects engineers responded to the processes behind the development and production of carbide tools by creating a partly three-story and approximately 220-meter-long building with production halls of varying sizes, storage and logistics space, offices, and social areas for over 300 employees.
The visible loadbearing structure, which is made from local spruce, facilitates the optimal use of the space. By “hanging” from the solid connections of the timber trusses, the mezzanine-level offices save space and eliminate the need for an intermediate slab. And these “floating timber boxes” also offer uninterrupted views of the open, brightly lit production areas, whose reduced architectural language underlines the functional atmosphere.

Green Factory
In line with both CERATIZIT’s corporate goals and the ATP Green Deal, the design pays great attention to sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental impact: The exhaust heat from the machines provides much of the heating. The building is largely cooled via the thermal use of the existing drainage water from the sloping site. The redirection of the surplus water to the green area in the northern part of the site brought new life to a dried-out biotope. The extensive planting of the roof of around 15,000 m² has led to an improvement in the microclimate and a reduction in the energy demand. And a large PV plant supplies the building with green electricity.