1st Prize: Competition DRK Waiblingen Emergency Services Station
LOCATION / URBAN DESIGN / ACCESS
The new Waiblingen emergency services station will be built on Beinsteiner Straße, directly next to the entrance ramp to the B14. To ensure that emergency vehicles can leave the site without obstruction and to avoid conflicts with other road users, an emergency exit is located at the southern end of the property.
The site slopes upward toward the B14. The emergency services station, its administrative offices and the integrated control centre are arranged in two separate, compact buildings. They are connected by a plinth level containing a parking garage accessed directly from ground level, where most of the required parking spaces are accommodated. A forecourt is located above the garage and provides access to both buildings. It also serves as a protected outdoor area for occupants and visitors.
INTEGRATED CONTROL CENTRE
The building containing the integrated control centre forms the principal entrance and defines the address of the new complex. The facility is subject to increased security requirements, which are ensured by locating the central functions within the building and implementing additional security measures. Short internal routes ensure quick access to and efficient connections between the individual functions.
On the second floor, a large combined room provides maximum flexibility. It can be subdivided as required using movable partition walls.
EMERGENCY SERVICES STATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
The design combines the emergency services station and the administrative offices in one compact building. The entrance is formed by a spacious foyer with a reception area and seating, which continues into a landscaped courtyard. This creates an inviting, publicly accessible axis extending from the forecourt to the courtyard.
The lecture room is directly connected to the foyer. It can be divided into two separate rooms and provides access to the adjoining common room with a kitchen. Its extensive glazing opens the room toward the forecourt.
A key aspect of combining both functions in one building is the positioning of the two-storey vehicle hall on the same level as the parking garage, making use of the site’s sloping terrain. Although both functional areas are housed in one building, their clear separation and the location of the administrative offices on the upper floors help to minimise potential conflicts.
The building is accessed internally via a circulation route arranged around the courtyard and through the shared stairwells. The two upper floors contain spacious, bright and modern office spaces with views of the surrounding greenery. They are arranged in a ring along the outer façade. On the first floor, meeting rooms and tea kitchens are located facing the courtyard.
Each of the two upper floors has two balconies, providing valuable outdoor spaces for occupants. They also serve as extensions of the interior meeting areas, particularly the tea kitchens.
