Modular labor and administrative building incubator in Heidelberg Innovation Park (HIP)

Module placement for the new administrative and laboratory building in Heidelberg, © Cadolto Modulbau GmbH

Interior view of the laboratory rooms with large-area glazing, © Cadolto Modulbau GmbH

Interior view of the laboratory rooms with large-area glazing, © Cadolto Modulbau GmbH

With the Heidelberg Innovation Park, a brand-new hotspot for innovation and research is emerging. The goal is to create a place where researchers can work on solutions for the future. Among other things, the multi-storey administrative and laboratory building "Inkubator" will be constructed using modular construction. Planning and implementation are divided into two phases. On May 11, 2023, the acceptance of the first phase was carried out.

Cadolto was commissioned by Gustav Zech Stiftung Management GmbH (GZS) to realize the new building. The entire office and laboratory building spans five floors and covers a gross floor area of approximately 7,300 m². The first phase consists of 81 modules with a total area of over 3,300 m². The second phase comprises 98 modules with a total of approximately 4,000 m² and will be completed at a later date.

Just a few days after acceptance, the new construction of the first phase will be taken over by the Heidelberg Technology Park, which will sublet it to BioLabs. The laboratories meet safety level S2 and are equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory and TGA installations. Great emphasis was placed on extensive glazing for increased transparency in laboratory work during planning and design. The white ceiling supply units, which conceal the piping, also create a clean working atmosphere in the laboratory rooms.

Karsten Küssmann, Managing Director of Cadolto Modulbau GmbH: "The requirements for modern laboratory spaces are constantly increasing. In addition to rapid provision of the structural infrastructure, flexibility in usage is an important aspect. We are pleased to provide space for innovative research projects at the Heidelberg science location with the new building, which will be filled with forward-looking ideas as the users move in."

The office and laboratory building planned by CYRUS.ARCHITEKTEN Partnership Society mbB Frankfurt is one of four new buildings in GZS's development project at Heidelberg Innovation Park. The modular construction was designed for a flexible usage concept. The adaptability of the spaces and maximum flexibility for future usage cycles were already considered in planning. This also allows for easy reconfiguration at later stages, enabling laboratory and office spaces to be adapted to different requirements as needed.

A key reason for choosing modular construction for the project is the significant time savings compared to conventional building methods. For example, while the basement for the underground parking was constructed using traditional methods by ZECH Bau SE, all modules are produced in parallel at Cadolto's factories. This allows individual construction phases, which would normally occur sequentially in conventional construction, to take place simultaneously, saving valuable time in the construction process. Additionally, because the building is intended to allow flexible use, modular construction was the ideal choice, as its modularity provides the necessary flexibility for future office and laboratory spaces.

Isabel Jahrsdörfer, Project Manager at Cadolto Modulbau GmbH: "This project demonstrates that all trades can be provided from a single source within the Zech Group. Through close networking of all project participants and associated processes, we can look back on a successful realization of the first construction phase."

The second phase, consisting of 98 modules, will be completed in fall 2023 and will be available for multiple rental units.