Project Overview

Located adjacent to Berlin's Grand Central Station, EDGE Grand Central Berlin is an intuitive building project utilising smart technology that puts the needs of its workforce first, and the first to be dual pre-certified (DGNB and WELL) project in Germany.

Organisation

OVG Real Estate / EDGE Technologies

Project Brief

Developed around EDGE Technologies’ 3 principles of clever spatial, functional and technical design, it delivers a dynamic environment where general office health is key. This is a place that inspires a real enjoyment of working within it, and where sustainability comes first. A development to attract top business talent, it will match the ambitions of any large or small companies looking to grow alongside their building.

Project Innovation/Need

Everything in EDGE Grand Central Berlin runs effectively and on time through a state of the art IP (Internet Protocol) backbone. It is the spine of the communication infrastructure, and the digital highway of the building. Everything and everyone in the building is connected wired in or wirelessly, which allows EDGE's technology to do its job in making buildings healthier and working lives easier.

A smart building app on smartphones makes adjusting the environment easy: things like light, temperature and shading sun blinds are personalised by those in the building. Additional features like room booking, colleague finding, and many other things are easily added in an upgrade, all of which reduces operations complexity and contributes to the overall aim of a happier workforce.

Design Challenge

A key challenge was the imperative to create the smartest building in Germany and also to build on a revolutionary project in the Netherlands. Following on from where Olympic Amsterdam left off, EDGE Grand Central will be the second major project in a portfolio of new-generation smart buildings championed by EDGE Technologies.

EDGE actively promotes sustainable mobility, making a point of choosing locations with excellent access to public transport and the right mix of public facilities within walking distance. Here, in spite of working a difficult site (adjacent to a high-end rail corridor and major federal road tunnelling right next door) EDGE aims to deliver the smartest building in Germany, maximising sustainability by minimising energy usage.

Sustainability

Smart ceilings – active elements that heat and cool the interior, providing light, and meeting high acoustic standards – ensure the environmentally-friendly use of primary energy resources. This smart system maintains the ideal ambient temperature, enhancing personal wellbeing and boosting performance. Frameless integrated luminaires keep the entire ceiling surface flush with no additional seams, masking, covers, or colour discrepancies. The development also predicts space use, keeping its carbon footprint and operating costs to an absolute minimum.