LUI HOUSE – the brick business card

It could be said that this four storey, orange-red brick building was the missing puzzle piece which now completes Herford's MARTa district. The cube-shaped building fits in naturally amongst various points of interest such as the MARTa museum, the Elsbach Haus, the historic Rubensfabrik and the Steigenberger Intercityhotel, which was also designed by Karsten Monke. It is of course no coincidence that the colour scheme and materials chosen for LUI HOUSE complement its neighbouring buildings. Yet every element in and on the building tells a unique story: its own.

... because he'll probably never be finished with it. He needs to make decisions while being influenced by an enormous number of factors.” Architect Karsten Monke knows what he is talking about. All the same, he managed to design and build his 2000 square metre LUI HOUSE in a swift 18 month period, including the interiors. Over the 18 months, Monke put as much of his free time, energy, and heart and soul into realising his vision as he did practical work. “During that time, my children only talked to me using the formal German ‘you’ pronoun,” the Herford-born architect jokes. Monke's flexible position as client, architect, project manager and interior designer enabled him to circumvent lengthy coordination processes with a client and complete the build in good time.

Monke had already formed a vision for the office building in the first few weeks of the planning stage. Instead of a classic complex with offices rented out long-term, LUI HOUSE would be a vibrant place where diverse people and sectors could come together. The actual workspaces were reduced to the basics. To compensate for this, the building features co-working spaces, a creative lab for workshops, training, and company events, and conference rooms which can be rented out. The conference rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art media and conference technology, and can be booked and used by companies and independent business owners; they are used only when needed. This means that vacancy and idle funds are avoided.

The ‘new work’ concept is topped off with a multifunctional lobby, which can be used for intimate concerts for up to 250 people or can function as a public café. “The eatery connects the inside to the outside.” Monke explains. “Besides serving the people who work in the building or who are attending conferences and workshops, it is also available to those from outside the complex, who want to enjoy the view over the new boulevard while sipping a coffee on the southern terrace.” LUI HOUSE was nominated for the BEST WORKSPACES Award 2022 in Germany. BEST WORKSPACES is the first international architecture award for intelligent workspaces and office buildings.

The theme of vibrancy runs like a thread through the whole building project, just like the client's love of detail. The results can be seen in the brickwork of the façade: unlike a classic wall, the bricks are arranged so that their indents are visible. The inspiration behind the exciting surface of creative brickwork came from a group of buildings Monke saw on a private trip to Copenhagen. With the help of his personal brick expert, Backstein-Kontor from Cologne, Monke sought out a small brick factory in the south of Denmark which made these bricks in the traditional way. "The production leader and I ended up experimenting with various designs before settling on our final hand-moulded brick. I really wanted to create a colourful vibrancy in the brickwork – we achieved this black colouring by scattering the bricks with manganese.” As if this weren't exciting enough, Monke wanted the LUI HOUSE façades to be made completely out of clinkers. “Every window, every spandrel height, every lintel height needed to fit with the crooked Danish clinkers. We therefore mapped out almost every detail and every brick of this building before construction.” To check whether the dimensions would fit, Karsten Monke built the first sample wall out of clinkers himself during the shell construction phrase.

Besides acoustics, the lighting concept played an important role for Monke. “Lighting can be used to support the architecture and can really set the scene. But it can also ruin a scene, for example in a car dealership, where everything is equally lit.” The entire building is fitted with Occhio lights which offer smart light control. The software allows every level of the building to be programmed with a variety of distinctive settings, which can create different atmospheres in a room depending on need, time of day or season. By using an iPad or hand gestures, the lighting can be dimmed or faded and the colours changed. “Light needs shadow to be effective,” explains the expert.

LUI HOUSE is completely energy self-sufficient even down to the water taps, and its sustainable building structure makes it a showcase project for the area of Herford and East Westphalia. The large photovoltaic system on the roof generates energy for the whole building, be it for the smart lighting on all the floors, technical equipment, or the two heat pumps. These pumps are connected to a deep geothermal energy system with eleven holes, each of which is located 100 metres lower than the previous one. Heat recovery via floors and ceilings enables aeration and ventilation, and bidets aid in reducing the use of toilet paper.

But is the energy-efficient concept also economically sustainable? “Far too few architects and clients consider the life cycle costs,” says Monke. But around 80 percent of the total costs which arise during a building's life cycle crop up only after construction has been completed. Therefore, the choice of materials has a huge impact on maintenance and repair costs. “We can usually only make these decisions in the planning process. The concept of ‘Cradle to Cradle’ is on everyone's lips nowadays, but it should be a matter of course, not just a trend.” This idea played a vital role in this project. 

The experience Karsten Monke gained from various internships prior to his degree in architecture, such as working as a roofer and a structural engineer, reveals itself in his planning and construction. “I naturally approach things more practically and look at building materials differently. My colleagues who have completed purely theoretical degrees lack the awareness of the complexity of a building, and the understanding of how materials work on a build.” Monke's practical expertise and background in construction and engineering have, however, also helped shape his attitude towards architecture. “Today, you can buy tiles that mimic the appearance of a hardwood floor. I can't understand that.” Neither does he have time for synthetic products used to prevent a material from changing visually. “When synthetic materials are damaged, they look broken. But when an authentic material has a flaw, like faded colours or a change in the surface finish due to age, it gives it a certain character. Just like us, materials can age gracefully.”

With LUI HOUSE, Karsten Monke was able to immortalise this sentiment. He used only authentic natural materials which were manufactured by hand. The modern and robust polished stone floors contribute towards achieving this architectural vision, as do the exposed plastered walls. These were intentionally left uncoated so as to let the vibrancy of the material shine through. “The walls were only covered in a transparent coat of paint to prevent them from from deteriorating, so the natural cloudiness of the lime-cement plaster was preserved. These imperfections reinforce the overall image of the building excellently.” The architect also conceptualised the complex's interior and selected the elements himself. As with the rest of the building, he placed tremendous value on individual elements, high-quality craftsmanship, and character. Karsten Monke's combination of the modern with the traditional gives his design a distinctive character and makes his work unmistakable. Every eye-catching element of the building serves (at least) one function; so, even here, idle capital is avoided.