Company headquarters ‘Ludwigsgarten’ in Ingolstadt

’Ludwigsgarten‘: In the past a meeting point for beer and supper – today an extravagant office complex

The new office complex was erected on a plot where a traditional restaurant used to be, the history of which can be traced back to 1856. For many decades, the people of Ingolstadt would go there during their Sunday stroll and have a beer and supper at the banks of the Schutter. Later, the popular meeting point was given the name ‘Ludwigsgarten’. The building was empty for a long time and was finally bought by the Schabmueller Group as the site for their new company headquarters. The name ‘Ludwigsgarten’ stayed. There is space in the new headquarters in Ingolstadt for around 30 employees, and the company’s training and seminar area is located in the new building.

The new company headquarters were designed and projected by the Vollack Group from Karlsruhe, specialised on methodical planning and realising of office, industrial, and health buildings, that had won the advertised competition with their design of the building. ‘The tight situation with the plot, as well as the topography with the offset of floors regarding the bordering course of the Schutter were a real challenge,’ says Wolfgang Eitel, Partner and Managing Director of the Vollack Einheit archiTec.

’Smart‘ wins with attractive look and material-typical characteristics

Around 1,400 square metres of usable area – 800 square metres thereof office area – present themselves with a façade of stamped steel plate with a special red-brown coating on the two top floors that has a large impact on the look of the building. Ground floor and basement with their light cladding made of Jura marble additionally emphasise the upper floors again optically. In total, the building obviously has company boss Franz Schabmueller’s handwriting, who consequently decided on high quality materials throughout the design. ‘For the floors outdoors in front of the conference rooms in the basement, as well as on the roof patio on the 2^nd floor, we decided to use NATURinFORM’s ‘Smart’ patio decks, due to their robustness and the low level of maintenance required,’ says Franz Schabmueller. ‘The combination of haptics, optics, durability, and suitability in proximity to water were important factors in the decision-making process,’ adds Wolfang Eitel. Originally decks made of Bangkirai had been an option, but in the end the wood composite material was what was chosen.

Besides the elegant wooden look of the deck, the building owner was also convinced by the material-typical characteristics and its ‘smart’ technical criteria. Because the zero-degree-massive deck ‘Smart’, which automatically allows water to run off thanks to a slight curve, can be laid on patios and balconies without any slant. The surface structure supports this effect, preventing rain or cleaning water collecting. Due to the stamping on the surface, ‘Smart’ is additionally non-slippery (R10) and comfortable to walk on. Despite its low weight and a thickness of only 19 millimetres the zero-degree massive deck is very stable and robust. Apart from the classic colours brown, grey, and anthracite, it is also available as a Natureline edition in oak, amber, and chestnut brown, as well as graphite and basalt grey.