Rath GmbH & Co. KG
Come new construction, come Rath.
Lots of communication, more motivation.
For the construction company Rath GmbH & Co. KG in Haiterbach, it was time for a move. Why not build it themselves and create a place that perfectly suits the company? The result is a spacious, bright and modern building - also thanks to the ideal lighting concept from Brumberg.
“Our outdated building in Pfalzgrafenweiler was getting too small for us. We needed a new administration building, including a workshop and warehouse, and we moved it right next to our gravel plant near Haiterbach,” says Managing Director Benjamin Rath. In addition to an impressively large warehouse complex, a strikingly modern, brightly lit office building has been created. Flat, cubist and with wide glass fronts, it looks more like a futuristic gallery than the workplace of a construction company. “Transparency was important to us right from the start,” says Benjamin Rath. “As a construction company, we wanted to openly show how a building works.” Visible through the glass façade: the unclad steel beams, the real wooden floor, an open-plan office bathed in warm light and a hive of activity.
Create what is useful, avoid what is useless - this is the principle behind the design of the office with its 16 workstations. Instead of individual offices, all colleagues sit in one room and can communicate directly with each other. Discreetly installed sound-absorbing elements and fabric-covered partition walls ensure a muted noise level.
Create what is useful, avoid what is useless - this is the principle behind the design of the office with its 16 workstations. Instead of individual offices, all colleagues sit in one room and can communicate directly with each other. Discreetly installed, sound-absorbing elements and fabric-covered partition walls ensure a muted noise level and the right amount of privacy in the workplace. And instead of just any old light source, the slim and straight luminaires reflect the “no frills” character of the office. “We tackled the lighting issue very early on. Energy efficiency and light that motivates rather than tires were important to us,” emphasizes Benjamin Rath.
Project: Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein
Client:Vitra Design Foundation gGmbH
Architect:Frank Gehry, Gehry Partners, LLP
Products: vitaLED
Scope of services: Product supply, product adaptation
Areas of application:
Education | Culture
Efficient light, great illumination.
Timo Beck, Area Sales Manager at Brumberg, was involved in the project right from the start: "The BIRO40 lighting channel system was the right choice. The simple, elongated shape fitted perfectly into the ceiling construction. In addition, the aluminum cover and the wire suspension matched the color of the steel beams perfectly." However, according to Timo Beck, the color temperature was much more important: "The tried-and-tested 4,000 Kelvin creates ideal working conditions, as it is neither too warm nor too white. In the past, whiter light was often used because it was believed to boost performance. Then it turned out that the very high blue component of white light is harmful to health in the long term, causing headaches, for example." Further attention was paid to the suitability of the light for screens. Solution: the prismatic cover (UGR <19), which is absolutely glare-free and makes it pleasant to work in. Another advantage of the BIRO40 lighting channel system is the option of additional indirect light. Timo Beck explains: "With purely direct light, there is a 'cave effect', i.e. the ceiling is relatively dark and the direct light pushes downwards. The light channel brightens up the room and the ceiling area at the same time so that everything appears large, bright and more pleasant overall." For its part, the LED technology of the BIRO40 ensures that the air does not heat up and energy costs are saved.
Individual solutions, satisfied employees.
In addition to the individually configurable BIRO40 pendant light channel, luminaires were needed that provide pleasant light and are integrated into the ceiling - e.g. in the corridors, above the printers and in the WCs, the LED recessed downlights with 24 watts do this job perfectly. In this way, lighting solutions were used in every area of the building that meet the needs of the people working there and at the same time guarantee energy efficiency. Benjamin Rath is very satisfied with the new company headquarters: "The architecture and the lighting concept harmonize and the working atmosphere couldn't be better." The fact that there was no proper inauguration ceremony due to the pandemic is a shame, but it is bearable given the result.
Project impressions.
