DKI - Deutsches Kunststoffinstitut, Technische Universität, Darmstadt

Expansion, Institutes

Owner: Technische Universität Darmstadt, vertreten durch das Dezernat V – Bau und Immobilien
Architect: mtp architekten GmbH, Frankfurt

Performance: Structural Design
Work Phases: 1-6
Total Area: 2.000 m²

Completion: 2011

The Deutsche Kunststoffinstitut Darmstadt (DKI) consists of the departments chemistry, physics, analysis and technology. It practices both basic research and comissioned research in cooperation with private companies in the area of polymer chemistry and polymer processing. Because all departments needed additional space a three storey new laboratory building has been erected parallel to the existing main building with which it is connected by a connecting wing.

The new single staircase laboratory building that has one utilization unit per floor extends the institute. The accesibility of the 13,5 m x 42,5 m building that has 4 m high ceilings and is constructed upon an 1,15 meter grid is enheanced by the freight and passenger elevator. The depth of the building is segmented in hallway, laboratory and writing area. The necessary areas for the building services are centralised in the upper floor. The laboratories serve the research on the synthesis of polymeres, physics and analysis.

The supporting structure of the two main floors is a reinforced concrete grid that has been built using precast and semi precast concrete elements. The structural elements are beamless floors, pillars and walls. The roof of the technical floor is a steel construction (profile steel + trapezoidal sheet metal). The bracing of the building is ensured by the reinforced concrete shear walls and an elastically mounted ground plate acts as foundation.
The supporting elements of the connecting wing are built as steel frame. A light trapezoidal sheet metal construction forms the roof of it, the floor between the storeys is built as composite steel floor.