Renovation and gutting of former barracks
Targeted craftsmanship and the use of modern machinery preserve the historic building fabric and pave the way for a modern office and multifunctional building.
Work carried out
- Pollutant remediation
- Gutting
- Selective demolition
- Non-destructive demolition / value-preserving demolition
Machines in use
- Mainly manual work
- Small equipment
- Mini excavator
- Compact excavator
- Skid steer loader
GOLDBECK Nord GmbH is converting the listed army bakery in Kassel into a modern office and multifunctional building. Knepper is creating the conditions for this with extensive gutting and demolition work.
Building in existing buildings is sustainable. No new resources are used for any components such as walls, foundations or floors that can be retained as part of the revitalization. One exemplary building project is the army bakery in Kassel, which will be at the highest level in terms of architecture, infrastructure and energy technology when GOLDBECK has completed the conversion. A fundamental part of the core refurbishment is the careful demolition and careful removal of harmful substances. A project that also fits in with Knepper's corporate philosophy: Preserving building fabric is an important contribution to circularity.
Laura Diehl is site manager at GOLDBECK in Kassel and responsible for the Heeresbäckerei construction project. "During the planning phase, we made a conscious effort to preserve as much of the existing building as possible. We will even reuse some of the building materials elsewhere in the building," she says, explaining the company's approach to building in existing structures. During the joint on-site visit, Knepper gained a precise picture of the planned scope of the renovation measures for the three full storeys and the vaulted cellar. This resulted in a concept for the most efficient approach possible. A sure instinct was required here: much of the work had to be done by hand and the mini-excavator could only be used to a limited extent due to the permissible ceiling load.
As is often the case with existing buildings, the remediation of harmful substances plays an important role. In the building of the former army bakery from 1939 / 1940, joint compound containing PAHs and asbestos was used in the area of the ceiling tiles, which now had to be extensively renovated. To this end, the upper floor was initially enclosed as a black area. The Knepper team worked with great care using the wet cutting method to first cut the joints and then chisel them out. The material was professionally packed and transported outside via the material lock. After the construction site was cleared following the clearance measurement, further work was tackled, such as the demolition of the chimneys and the dismantling of the roof structure. "Knepper carried out all the work very deliberately, efficiently and, above all, cleanly and with little dust. That was exactly what the project needed," concludes Laura Diehl. "The non-structural demolition worked really well, so we later also purchased the structural demolition from Knepper," she continues.
As the planning progressed, the client and architect came up with new ideas. Generous glass cubes in the concrete ceiling were to increase the incidence of light in the building. Knepper quickly found a solution for this and other additional tasks. Openings measuring 9 x 2.50 meters were cut into the concrete ceiling and the concrete pieces were lifted down by crane. In addition, 12 dormers were also cut back and lifted off the roof in one piece. "This always worked very well and was carried out quickly. All it took was a phone call and someone from Knepper came to take a look on site," says the site manager. At times, 15 people from Knepper were on site, making countless openings in the vaulted cellar and removing around 1,000 tons of rubble by hand. The team also salvaged historical building materials such as rare molded tile parts that are no longer produced today. Thilo Grünebaum, site manager at Knepper, sums up the project as follows: "We are delighted to have contributed to the success of this important building-within-a-building project with our expertise and are looking forward to seeing the results once construction is complete."
Your contact person
SALES DEMOLITION AND DISMANTLING
Phone: +49 2941 2841-310
E-Mail: vertrieb@knepper-gruppe.de
"Knepper carried out all the work very deliberately, efficiently and, above all, cleanly and with little dust. That was exactly what the project needed."
Laura Diehl
Site manager at GOLDBECK in Kassel
"We are delighted to have contributed our expertise to the success of this important building-within-a-building project and look forward to seeing the results once construction is complete."
Thilo Grünebaum
Site manager from Knepper
Further references
