VLV - National Insurance Agency of Vorarlberg

When we think of an office building today, we don't think of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, nor do we think of the ‘bure’, the table covered with cloth. We think of Google and how the service sector is constantly transforming itself. Only by understanding the overlaps between traditional, cultural and established standards can we achieve a sustainable, future-oriented culture of cooperation. The new construction of the VLV headquarter consistently followed the shifts in these intentions, translating an enduring architectural value into both sustainable and social terms.

It was intended to offer a respectful glimpse into future: A look behind the listed facade into a structurally contaminated building from the 1970s. The former office of the VLV insurance company located behind the heritage-protected façade were carefully transformed into a medical center through a sensitive refurbishment of the existing structure. The materials of the ‘70s building were meticulously removed and replaced with a new construction that responds both ecologically and culturally to its context. Beyond the search for applied sustainability the aim was to develop a viable approach that would later shape the corporate culture. The mental concept of insurance is that of a “shelter”. The second aspect is transparency. To incorporate these productive contradictions into design they must be resolved in a compelling argument for sovereignty of architecture. Architecture here becomes an act of reflection where reasoning meets the indeterminate and order converses with uncertainty.

Materialisation and structure were derived from the client's needs for an expression of security coupled with transparency. The configuration of the façade also reflects versatility and variable nature of possible office cluster types. A clearly structured outward-facing grid made of recycled concrete mixed with black chippings is complemented by a multi-layered pressure-glass façade of the same geometry creating both lightness and a sense of separation from the outer skin. The approximately 80cm wide façade cavity enables natural convection straightforward construction and partial shading of the spaces behind. The protective robustness of the outer shell is contrasted by the vitality of local timber. The choice of materials and the two-layer façade are interventions designed to ensure sustainable and easy maintenance. The entire energy supply is provided solely by heat exchangers connected to 200-metre-deep bored piles. Cooling and heating loads are supported by component activation.