DERIX clears the floor:
Four awards at the NRW 2024 timber construction prize

Presentation of the NRW timber construction prize for the Mülheim airship hangar to the project participants.
© PK-Media Consulting GmbH

Four projects in which the DERIX Group played a key role were honoured with awards at this year’s NRW 2024 Timber Construction Prize.

The airship hangar in Mülheim, a spectacular 26-metre-high wooden structure, was completed in 2022. Great emphasis was placed on sustainability and circularity when designing and building the hangar: Conventional materials were consistently replaced with wood. The roof shell is made of X-LAM panels and the intersections of the trussed arches are held together by wooden dowels. The construction time was greatly reduced by using prefabricated and precisely bound timber components. The flexible use of the hall – as a home for airship Theo and at the same time as a spectacular event venue – also impressed the jury.

Office building The Cradle in Düsseldorf, which was completed in 2023, received a special award. The building, constructed according to the Cradle to Cradle principle, is 11,400 m2 in size. By using 2,150 m3 of wood, it was possible to significantly reduce CO2 emissions compared to conventionally constructed new buildings. Wood was not only used as a construction material for this building, but was also integrated into the building as sun protection. The Cradle sees itself as a material store, as all building materials were selected with a focus on deconstructability and circularity. The aim is for the materials to remain in the material cycle even after the building has been dismantled. This goal is supported by the DERIX Group’s take-back obligation.

The conversion of St Mary’s Church in Essen was completed in 2022 and also honoured with a special award. The church was fitted with wooden ceilings and walls and converted into 12 residential units. The use of wood minimised the conversion costs and it is possible to return the building to its original state at any time. The award recognises the building above all as a successful example of structural adaptation to changing requirements, which demonstrates the future viability of buildings and shows how new uses can be created.

The Haus on Top in Düsseldorf, which was completed in 2023, received a commendation in the category of extension / MFH as part of the NRW 2024 Timber Construction Award. The project involves the ambitious addition of a storey to a city centre building built in 1897, whose last floor and attic were removed and then replaced by another floor and an attic. X-LAM was used as a sustainable and efficient building material in the extension of the building and an additional 195 m2 residential unit was created.

We are extremely pleased that the DERIX Group was able to be involved in these outstanding projects and that the quality of DERIX products and services was so convincing. The projects are impressive and DERIX congratulates all those involved.