Leuphana University

D+H installed a highly complex smoke extraction system in the new central building of the university.

The central building of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, designed by Daniel Libeskind, starkly contrasts the orthogonal pattern of the former barracks, from which the university was developed in 1997 as a conversion project. The star architect is famous for his complex and symbolically expressive style. With this design, he has set a new structural standard in the Hanseatic city known for its cultural studies. Libeskind's most significant designs include cultural buildings such as the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the Imperial War Museum in Manchester.   

As one would guess based on the exterior appearance of the Leuphana, this university building features very unique façades. There is hardly a single wall standing at a right angle to another. This extraordinary architecture required precision and comprehensive planning with respect to smoke and heat exhaust ventilation (SHEV). The Hamburg subsidiary of D+H developed a solution that links more than 100 components in the building together. To do so, the VdS-certified SHEV bus system AdComNet was used to network modular control panels of various designs as well as window drives and sun shading systems. The advantage of this decentralized system is that it did not require any massive or long drive cables to be routed through the building – the cable lengths and cross sections were reduced significantly. This allowed D+H to configure each fire compartment optimally and ensure safety in the central building. Despite the numerous angles and corners.