At present, the international real estate company, CA Immo, in Germany’s capital city is working to construct an office building, right in front of Berlin’s main station, that is innovative in every way: the cube berlin. Resembling a gigantic sculpture from the outside, the building provides free space for inspiration on the inside.
In this smart building of the future, intelligent technology will be capable of learning from its users and will adapt to suit their individual requirements. The cube berlin is thus not only set to support new concepts in office work, but will also enable optimised and resource-saving facility management.
What’s ‘smart’ about the cube berlin?
Smart describes both the cube berlin’s flexible space concept – 10 storeys with lettable space of 300 m² to 1,400 m², an inviting foyer area and a stunning roof terrace – and everything that happens behind the scenes. An app specifically developed for the cube berlin lets tenants book workspaces and meeting rooms, individually adjust light levels and room temperature as well as unlock access points and doors, among others. These sensors and digital components are all controlled by a central ‘brain’ – an artificial intelligence that evaluates vast volumes of building-related data in real time to derive suggestions for optimisation.
Light accompanies us all day
Light plays an equally crucial role in this. Life is unthinkable without light, a fact that also applies to the cube berlin. Dynamic openings in the double facade on every floor provide access to a terrace that runs the breadth of the entire building on each storey. Another real highlight of the building is the roof terrace, which affords a one-of-a-kind view over the whole of Berlin. For the interior space, a decision was made in favour of a smart lighting solution made by the company SOLO Lighting GmbH. The German luminaire manufacturer is specialised in energy-efficient and intelligent lighting systems and completes projects all over the world from consulting, planning and manufacturing right up to installation and commissioning. SOLO Lighting is therefore fitting the cube berlin with no less than 7,000 luminaires that feature a very special and innovative light control system: Blu2Light made by Vossloh-Schwabe.
Blu2Light uses light to communicate
The wireless light control system is based on Bluetooth® and facilitates convenient and simple communication via apps on mobile devices such as a smartphone. Components are interconnected via a mesh network in which the individual sensors serve as both transmitters and receivers. Every luminaire with a Blu2Light component also comes with an integrated beacon function that makes it possible to send and receive messages, as a result of which a tracking function can also be provided.
Thanks to the open communication protocol of Blu2Light, this beacon data is also available for other IoT applications. As a result, it is possible to make a highly precise tracking function available. The lifts are also networked, including a corresponding light control function for the individual storeys.
Matthias Schmidt, Development Manager of CA Immo Deutschland GmbH, said, “A crucial criterion for deciding in favour of Blu2Light was the solution’s high degree of flexibility. As a result, we can operate the wireless light control system using a classic switch or via an app, we can use it with or without sensors and/or beacon function and we can integrate it into the cube berlin’s digital concept. Especially with regard to the diverse requirements of tenants, this flexibility is of immense importance.”
VS MultiSensors that also include light control components therefore form the heart of the system, with around 4,000 VS MultiSensors XS being installed in the cube berlin. In addition to that, further Vossloh-Schwabe components – from DALI LED drivers and compact COB modules to linear LED modules and diverse optics – are being integrated into the project.
Intuitive app increases flexibility
Blu2Light components are integrated into the main building control system (the cube ‘brain’) via gateways. The cube ‘brain’ then controls all functions within the building and users can adjust functions assigned to them using the cube berlin’s smartphone app.
The smartphone and app additionally enable access control and determine on which floor a user can exit the lift. The app opens doors to rented spaces as well as controlling lighting, temperature and blinds. Additionally, users can also book workspaces and meeting rooms using the app. Colleagues can even locate one another within the building, provided they have enabled the tracking function.
The Management Cockpit, by contrast, monitors and optimises building technology and makes preventive maintenance possible.
Address: Washingtonplatz 3, 10557 Berlin,
opposite Berlin main station
Lettable space: approx. 17,000 m²
Storeys: 1 basement with an underground garage,
ground floor with a 2-storey lobby,
10 upper storeys with balconies, roof terrace
Lettable units: Flexible, starting at approx. 300 m²;
ceiling heights of 3 m,
combination of up to four storeys
for a maximum of 400 persons
Construction start/end: Autumn 2016 / Late 2019, early 2020
Architects: 3XN Kopenhagen
A project of: CA Immo Deutschland GmbH,
www.caimmo.com
Project management: omniCon Construction Management,
www.omnicon.de
Light installation: SOLO Lighting,
www.solo-lighting.de
Licht control system: Vossloh-Schwabe Deutschland GmbH,
www.vossloh-schwabe.com
Pictures Copyright: CA Immo (project)
Contact:
Christina Hoffmann
Marketing / Communications
Vossloh-Schwabe Deutschland GmbH
Fon: +49 (0)2351 / 101-607
