Carpus+Partner builds innovative laboratory building for Sartorius Stedim Cellca

With the construction of the Cell Line Development Center, a flagship project has been completed at Ulm Science Park III within two and a half years. (Image credit: Carpus+Partner AG, ©Jörg Stanzick)

Structural glazing facade construction: Each of the 675 glass panes is unique. (Image credit: Carpus+Partner AG, ©Jörg Stanzick)

Glass partition walls enable open workplaces and flexible laboratories. (Image credit: Carpus+Partner AG, ©Jörg Stanzick)

Hell and open: Open Space Office with multiple Think Tanks. (Image credit: Carpus+Partner AG, ©Jörg Stanzick)

During the symbolic key handover: Sartorius-Stedim-Cellca Managing Director Hugo De Wit (3rd from right) with the Carpus project managers (from left) Eric Demary, Anna Koenigsfeld, Sönke Morgenstern, Selin Yöney, Herbert Voss, and Susanne Raulf. (Image credit: Carpus+Partner AG, ©Jörg Stanzick)

From Concept Planning to Completion: Within two and a half years of construction, Carpus+Partner has completed a state-of-the-art laboratory and office complex for Sartorius Stedim Cellca – formerly Cellca GmbH. In the new Cell Line Development Center, the cell line expert has been developing and producing cell cultures for the biopharmaceutical industry since the end of 2019.

To meet the globally growing demand for stable cell cultures for the biopharmaceutical industry, Sartorius Stedim Cellca is moving into a new, modern laboratory and office building from Laupheim to Ulm. The Aachen-based planning and consulting firm Carpus+Partner realized the flagship project with integrated logistics tailored to the needs of the biotech company and its parent company Sartorius. From the concept study to the master planning, Carpus+Partner led the construction of the new Cell Line Development Center and harmonized demanding laboratory processes according to Sartorius standards with the specific site conditions.

Plenty of Space for Innovations

An animal cell line is the essential element in the production of modern therapeutic proteins for drug development and manufacturing. These proteins perform crucial functions in the human body across a variety of cellular processes. Until now, Sartorius Stedim Cellca used a rented laboratory in Laupheim to develop cell lines and protein production processes as a partner to the biopharmaceutical industry, license technologies for protein manufacturing, and supply cell culture media. The newly constructed complex in Ulm offers approximately twice as much space—6,000 square meters of usable area—for innovations and the growing number of employees. There, significantly more cell lines can be produced on behalf of global pharmaceutical companies.

The Cell Line Development Center consists of a one-story base with an underground parking garage including a delivery area, topped by a three-story wing with a striking glass facade. This innovative building structure sets a benchmark for the future architectural image in the new Ulm Science Park III. Carpus+Partner completed the complex within two and a half years. Sartorius CEO Dr. Joachim Kreuzburg and Hugo de Wit, Managing Director at Sartorius Stedim Cellca, were pleased that the increasing demand for cell cultures can now be met optimally.

Open Space Office and Glass Laboratories

From the outset, Carpus+Partner faced several major challenges. The client provided an unusual triangular plot on a hillside with a steep incline, which, according to municipal regulations, had to be fully developed. Additionally, they emphasized functionality and economic efficiency in line with international Sartorius standards. At the same time, the innovative spirit of Sartorius was to be reflected architecturally, providing employees with an ideal working environment.

Internally, Carpus+Partner and their client opted for an open-space office concept with many retreat options and think tanks. Paired with a clean-desk philosophy, this created a work atmosphere conducive to optimal workflow. Around 120 employees can move flexibly at their workstations and—more importantly—communicate with each other. With the reorganization of workflows, they leave the laboratory areas on the first two upper floors for data analysis, providing opportunities for professional exchange—without being tied to a fixed desk. At the old site in Laupheim, employees had previously entered the laboratory area once and worked in a comparatively separate environment.

The new laboratory space offers many functional possibilities for relaxed and efficient research and cell culture production. Glass partition walls enable open, bright workstations and flexible laboratories. At the same time, they hermetically seal the sensitive production areas of the cell cultures, ensuring maximum product safety and quality. A glass corridor along the laboratories provides visitors—usually current or future clients—with insight into the highly modern development rooms.

Facade as a Representation of a Large Cloud

Externally, the new building also represents a modern company. Carpus+Partner created a “statement” in Ulm Science Park III by combining green roof landscaping, visible concrete, and a multi-story glass wing. The glass facade is particularly innovative in design and architecture, developed through intensive facade consulting with the client and an internal, cross-site design competition at Carpus+Partner.

Over a total area of more than 3,200 square meters, 675 glass panels were installed in a structural glazing facade system. Each element, weighing up to 650 kilograms, is a unique design piece. Like puzzle pieces, they form the image of a large cloud. This effect was achieved through a novel double digital printing process with white circular dots of different sizes applied across the entire glass facade. Additional effects are visible in the laboratory windows. It is possible to look outside but not into the building. Furthermore, external sun protection can be omitted because the dots shade the glass surface by fifty percent. This reduces solar gain into the building, preventing the laboratory wing behind from heating up.

This new printing process is distinguished primarily by the sequence in which 3.5-millimeter white dots are first applied and fixed in the oven, followed by 3-millimeter black dots. Different spacing and arrangements of the dots bring out the texture on the facade.

In Harmony with Nature and Employees

Long before the planning began, it was clear that the site had to be fully developed. Carpus+Partner compensated for the requirement of a fully glazed facade with a roof design including eight trees. The planning and consulting firm combined economy, ecology, and design to create a productive work environment with a high quality of life. The outdoor landscape planners at Carpus+Partner paid particular attention to the aesthetic arrangement of trees and shrubs. Distributed seating options create recreational areas with diverse usage opportunities. Power supply points and Wi-Fi coverage ensure workplaces with an outdoor atmosphere.

The new laboratory and office building of Sartorius Stedim Cellca is aligned from the base to the roof with both the requirements of the biotech company and the quality standards of the globally operating life sciences group Sartorius. Its functional allocation of spaces according to processes and workflows creates the structural prerequisites for a significant increase in production capacity, including full service for clients.