The small town of Singen near Lake Constance is changing from its manufacturing base to attract the service industry.  Hegau Tower is intended as statement for this change.

The project has to be very competitive and fit the projected rental market.  This led us to the design of a simple long rectangle, which changes in height to form the tower.  ...

The small town of Singen near Lake Constance is changing from its manufacturing base to attract the service industry.  Hegau Tower is intended as statement for this change.

The project has to be very competitive and fit the projected rental market.  This led us to the design of a simple long rectangle, which changes in height to form the tower.  This linearity is reinforced through the projecting glass-screens and the stairs and balconies at the building’s short ends.

The simple form led to a clear structure, a tight all glass façade and a further optimized energy/comfort system.  In order to reduce the technical equipment further, exterior shading is necessary at the long southwest façade.  At the northwest and southeast, improved glazing is able to reduce the solar-loads. The basic conditioning is done with integrated heating and cooling in the concrete slabs.  In order to facilitate controllable fresh air, operable offset flaps at the slab-edge facilitate supply and exhaust.  A continuous convector prevents draft from falling cold air in winter and heats fresh air, allowing for natural ventilation also by extreme cold outside temperatures.  Special tenant wishes for higher comfort can be accommodated by exchanging the regular convectors with fan-assisted units for heating and cooling.