Red Barracks
1 / Introduction
The historical barracks in Potsdam, originally built for the Prussian Army, have been converted into high quality contemporary residential dwellings. Through the sensitive and the creative approach the former barracks have been rehabilitated and renovated for modern day living.
Retaining and protecting the existing historical structure was a key challenge. By utilising the experience of our team and their thorough knowledge of historical building construction we ascertained that the existing structure was in a very good condition. This analysis meant that the brickworks, the wooden ceiling beams and the cast iron columns were maintained and remained visible after the refurbishment. Our team proposed casting additional concrete slabs on top of the existing timber floor structure. These slabs not only supported and protected the historical elements in case of a fire but through increased mass also provided a higher sound insulation.
By using innovative technologies such as ultrasound our team were able to apply elegant solutions to the historic structure that optimised the space. The client was able to save not only building costs but also gained more space with height.
Key facts
- Listed building from late 1890s
- Conversion into 27 high quality condominiums
- Characteristics of historic structure preserved
Related Disciplines
The Project Details
Client: Terraplan Grundstücksentwicklungsgesellschaft
Architect: Vangeistenmarfels Architekten
Buro Happold services: Structural engineering, Computation and Simulation Analysis
