Waldkliniken Eisenberg

5 floors + basement, 8.600m² floor space, 246 beds in 128 rooms, 1500 oak leaves in the building (e.g. wallpaper)

Atmospherically more like a hotel, the interior differs significantly from the usual standard in Germany. In the new building of the Waldkliniken, two-bed rooms predominate, whose Z-shaped geometry allows each patient a personal space of retreat and, in the arrangement of bathroom, furniture and veranda, offers space for interaction and privacy as required. In addition, patients can eat together and communicate with each other in the light-filled lounge area of the intermediate room. The design breaks new ground in terms of sustainability in hospital construction not only in terms of spatial standards, but also in the choice of materials. Built in a wood-concrete hybrid construction, the reinforced concrete skeleton of the building was reduced to a minimum, necessary with regard to the large spans.

The result is a circular structure with large openings that direct the view specifically into nature. The large window openings create a strong connection to the forest with its weather and seasons. Part of the concrete structure is sustainably used for temperature control of the bed rooms via a building component activation system. An ice storage tank provides the source for the necessary seasonal base temperature for heating and cooling. The heat exchangers for the supply and exhaust air can be coupled directly as heat recovery by means of a circuit network, or with the ice storage for cooling.

(Text: HDR Germany, Matteo Thun & Partners; in shortened form)