The integration of living spaces, shops, offices and a luxury gym in the TurmCarrée in Frankfurt am Main required a project-specific fire protection concept. One of the things it took into account was reliable smoke extraction from the commercial premises in the event of a fire. In line with the building’s high-quality design, choosing Schüco TipTronic SimplySmart SHEVS meant choosing the most up-to-date system-integrated safety technology. The smoke and heat exhaust ventilation systems, which are controlled electronically via the central building services, fit seamlessly into the appearance of façade, thanks to actuators that are integrated into the profiles. They were implemented by the metal fabricator as a secure interface solution from a single source.

With the TurmCarrée, Eschenheimer Tor – one of most vibrant locations in Frankfurt – has gained a new architectural landmark distinguished by its variety of uses. The integration of the four functions of working, living, shopping and fitness/wellness enlivens the TurmCarrée 24 hours a day, seven days of the week. The clever visual and spatial separation of office, living and commercial spaces coherently establishes the desired orientation and discretion for the non-public aspects of city life. This is achieved by having separate entrance areas and access zones, variation in the façade design and a separate layout for the individual functional areas.

In line with the existing post-war building, a light natural stone (shell limestone) was chosen for the façade. The appearance of the façade for the six-storey newbuild is divided into a two-storey base area with arcades, four upper storeys and a set-back stepped storey. Sloping natural stone elements frame the windows in the upper storeys and visually link together two storeys each, which creates a lively interplay of light and shadow on the façade. The large floor-to-ceiling windows (Schüco AWS 75.SI) are fitted with triple pane insulating glass and external sun shading.

The residential section of the building – situated on the quieter courtyard side – was designed as an independent building structure and has a light plaster surface. The entrances to the apartments on Katzenpforte street and to the underground car park are set into the base area. The room-height light openings in the upper storeys were fitted with opening vents and glazed spandrel units.

The expert fire protection report for the TurmCarrée was issued by the engineering office HHP Berlin. In the report, the inspectors laid down the necessary binding measures for fire and smoke protection in large commercial areas. Natural smoke and heat exhaust ventilation systems (NSHEVS) keep emergency exits and escape routes free from smoke in reasonable fire scenarios via a “natural” inflow and outflow of air. The surface areas of the openings necessary for smoke extraction were measured and laid down in the report relative to the installation scenario. From a design perspective, it was desirable for the necessary SHEVS to be integrated as unobtrusively as possible as controlled openable window areas in the streamlined appearance of the glazed mullion-transom façades. Discussions were therefore held during the planning stage between the architects and the façade fabricator Haga Metallbau GmbH. A building automation consultant from Schüco provided the fabricator with technical support, supplying all the in-depth information about the SHEVS components required for the respective installation scenarios as well as their wiring and interfaces.

The complete solution, which subsequently allowed the SHEVS to be easily connected to the central building control system and alarm technology, demonstrated other advantages in the advanced stage of the build. During the marketing of the commercial areas, delays occurred in the division of the rental spaces, tenants expressed specific design requests and there were changes to the door technology. These modifications influenced the design and size of the SHEVS, which had a knock-on effect on the façade fabrication that had already started at Haga Metallbau. In addition, building authority approval for oversized SHEVS had to be obtained while the project was in progress. Despite these special circumstances, the metal fabricator managed to ensure that the technically demanding components were completed at the same time as the façade installation and that the deadline for the construction process was met.

There were also particular requirements in terms of sound reduction that had an influence on the SHEVS system design. More stringent noise reduction requirements had to be implemented in some areas of the façade. Specially made full-size sample units were subjected to a comprehensive range of tests in the Schüco sound reduction test rig before they were constructed in order to optimise the design and the choice of glazing. The tests examined different modifications with incremental sound reduction requirements and the special solution comprising window units optimised for sound reduction with integrated continuous wind flow ventilators.

In total, 17 Schüco TipTronic SimplySmart SHEVS were integrated into the concealed façades of the functional units of the TurmCarrée. Owing to their mechatronic fittings which are concealed in the profiles, the special function of the opening units as SHEVS areas cannot be seen. Other areas of the façade at the rear of the building were fitted with individual SHEVS window units from Schüco, some of which were equipped with slimline surface-mounted transom actuators. Each commercial unit forms its own smoke compartment and amalgamates the SHEVS contained therein with their own central control units, SHEVS operating panels and manual ventilation buttons into autonomous functional units.

Martin Richter, Project Manager at Haga Metallbau, highlighted the effectiveness of the cooperation between his company, the Schüco building automation consultant and project partner P&K Elektrotechnik for this project. The latter company was responsible for the electrical wiring as well as the installation and programming of the Schüco SHEVS central control units and operating panels. All in all, this was a complex, multi-trade process which took place unobtrusively in the background and which ultimately provided the client with a fully functional interface to the central building automation system on schedule.