Balconies and terraces, Hanielpark Düsseldorf (Germany)
An ensemble of character – modern urban life at Hanielpark
Contemporary, urban and sustainable: The new residential and commercial development at the corner of Grafenberger Allee and Sohnstraße in Düsseldorf-Düsseltal is an ensemble showing architectural highlights in terms of urban building and design. The complex with a total of 89 rental flats, barrier-free features and attractive commercial spaces on the ground floor combines modern living with close proximity to Hanielpark, a green retreat in the middle of the city. "Smart", a WPC board with curved surfaces by Naturinform, in Chestnut brown colour has been used for the balconies and terraces of the residential homes, thus generating a harmonious relationship between architecture, comfort and functionality.
Urban integration: new face for Sohnstraße
Sohnstraße in the Düsseltal district is one of Düsseldorf's streets that put the change in urban building on display: Historical buildings, grown residential quarters and modern new buildings conflate into a vivid townscape. The newly built building complex at Hanielpark closes a former greenfield site at the central crossing of Grafenberger Allee and Sohnstraße, thus vitalising the quarter with its contemporary mixed use.
The Kaspar Kraemer Architekten architectural firm from Cologne designed a building ensemble that sensitively integrates into the existing structure. A prominent high point at the corner emphasises the access to Sohnstraße, and with the building blocks to the East this creates a green, tree-covered outdoor space in front of the ground level commercial spaces. At the same time, the harmoniously designed buildings form a contrast in terms of urban building to the heritage-protected Haniel garage from 1952, one of the first car parks in Germany.
With a rhythmical façade structure, high-quality materials and a sophisticated open space design, the ensemble blends in harmoniously with its surroundings and provides a new areal framework for Sohnstraße.
High quality of living, functionality and diversity are compelling
The residential development comprises five building entrances – two on Grafenberger Allee, three on Sohnstraße. A total of 61 private rental flats and 28 funded and affordable flats were built, complemented by local supply spaces on the ground floor. All flats have barrier-free access and high-quality features: parquet or vinyl flooring with a natural wood look, modern sanitary installations by renowned manufacturers and walk-in showers ensure modern living comfort.
Every unit comprises a terrace with a private garden section or a balcony, which ensures a high quality of living in the outdoor areas as well – thanks to the durable WPC flooring by Naturinform. An underground garage with 70 parking spaces – with optional electrical charging stations – as well as a large bicycle garage for approx. 200 bikes bear witness to the sustainable, urban mobility concept.
"Our requirements on the project were clear: We wanted to create a building that attracts people with high-quality materials – aesthetic, robust and durable. Especially with regards to the balconies, it was important to us that the flooring not only looked good, but would also stand up to the strains of everyday life", explained Timo Klostermann, Project Manager at Düsseldorf-based ImmoSubstanz Sohn GmbH & Co. KG. A number of technical and economic aspects led to the decision to use WPC boards by Naturinform as balcony and terrace flooring. "Ease of maintenance, durability and quality were decisive for us. As landlords, we want to keep operating cost at a low level and use materials that will still look good even after many years. Moreover, we strive to use products manufactured in Germany. This is an important quality characteristic for us, too." His conclusion is definitive: “The floor covering blends in harmoniously with the overall image of the building and visually complements the architecture in an excellent way. This is a high-quality and overall compelling product.”
"Smart" – convenient zero-degree technology
The "Smart" WPC solid profile by Naturinform used for the project combines technical sophistication with modern aesthetics. As a so-called zero-degree board it allows for installation without slope – a key advantage for barrier-free balconies and terraces. Thanks to the slight surface curvature, rain and cleaning water can run off in a controlled way so that no puddles occur. Not only ensures this safety and convenience, but essentially contributes to the ease of maintenance of the board as well.
The surface is embossed on one side and features a compelling natural look and feel as well as anti-slip properties. The material itself is a high-quality wood-polymer material (WPC) with approx. 70 percent domestic residual wood fibres from PEFC-certified forestry. Wood and polymer are combined in an extrusion process leading to a weather- and UV-resistant solid profile of stable shape.
Its technical and ecological properties make "Smart" a particularly user-friendly, durable and sustainable product: It is splinterproof, barefoot-friendly, recyclable and fully manufactured in Germany. The boards will keep their form also in the long run, will not swell up, and are resistant to moisture and frost.
Also the versatility of "Smart" is a key advantage. Besides classic plain colours such as Terra brown, Black brown, Grey and Anthracite, Naturinform also offers a "Natureline" variant with warm, chatoyant wood tones. The Chestnut brown colour used for the Düsseldorf project blends in perfectly with the brick stone façade and gives the outdoor areas a natural, elegant aura. The material colour will go through a natural maturing process over time where the surface will receive a matt, homogeneous wood tone which will then remain colour-stable and natural after the maturing period.
Besides standard lengths of 3, 4, 5, or 6 metres, Naturinform offers special lengths of up to 13 metres, which significantly contributes to reducing waste and joints. Boards with a length of up to 7 metres were used for the Düsseldorf project.
With a construction height of only 19 millimetres, "Smart" is also perfect for building projects with low build heights and thus very well-suited for renovations. Combined with Naturinform's fastening system, this creates high-quality outdoor floor coverings which will last for decades.
Another argument for WPC products by Naturinform: The surfaces of the boards do not need to be oiled or painted. They can easily be cleaned with water. The curved surface supports the self-cleaning effect. This significantly reduces maintenance efforts and contributes to a long service life. This is an important advantage, above all for the construction of rental housing.
Precision in detail: Installation by a professional business
The installation of the approx. 90 balcony surfaces within a tight schedule was performed by Schreinerwehr GmbH from Wesseling – an established master workshop specialised in sustainable timber construction projects which operates with a 15-person team in the entire Rhineland area.
"We already knew the products by Naturinform from smaller projects and knew that they are characterised by dimensional accuracy and durability", said Georg Willig, one of the managing directors of Schreinerwehr GmbH.
"The greatest challenge in this project was the barrier-free installation without slope of the boards with lengths of up to 7 metres. Since they could not be brought in through the staircase, we cut them into precisely fitting lengths in our workshop and delivered them to the construction site."
The aluminium substructure, self-levelling patio feet and profile connectors used also came from the Naturinform portfolio. "The quality of the products convinced us. Installation went smoothly, and we were able to successfully complete the project within two months with a 6-person team", said Georg Willig and concluded: “The project was ambitious for us, but thanks to the high-quality materials and precise logistic planning, we were able to obtain an excellent result. We will be delighted to work with Naturinform again.”
Conclusion
The residential and commercial development at Hanielpark in Düsseldorf became an ensemble that combines sustainable architecture, functionality and quality of urban building. The choice of "Smart" by Naturinform proved to be an optimum decision: Besides technical and ecological advantages, the material also provides creative freedom and constant stability, which adds to the intrinsic value of the property.
"This project shows that durable, low-maintenance and sustainable materials are a critical part of modern architecture today", emphasised Pia Hobeck, Managing Director of Naturinform.
"Smart" stands exactly for what clients and architect are looking for today: timeless design, functionality and ecological responsibility."
