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Krulli Kasvuhoone

Tallinn, Estonia

º£½ÇÊÓƵ supported developer Krulli Quarter and architectural firms Cobe and KOKO to create a vision for the adaptive re-use of a former industrial steelworks warehouse in Tallinn, Estonia.

The project will deliver a world-class, sustainable and low-CO2 building to provide the tech community with a creative start-up hub, focused on flexibility, comfort, and the quality of the indoor environment for occupants.

The project retains the heritage-protected historic warehouse facades, while creating a series of new comfortable and adaptable spaces within.

We took on an advisory role, providing oversight and sustainability guardianship, as well as renewable energy solutions at both the building and wider district level.

Our team also provided insight around timber structures, building physics, energy and daylighting.

The building will have a low level of embodied carbon, comparable with leading industry targets.

Challenge

The Krulli Quarter, to the west of the city centre, is undergoing a major regeneration, transforming the formerly industrial area of Tallinn into a mix-use area as well as a home for the growing cluster of technology innovators in the city.

Krulli Kasvuhoone is envisioned as a lighthouse project, aimed to seed and inspire the wider transformation of the district. The aspiration is to have a people-centred urban space, focused on providing tech workspaces and leisure facilities.

Sustainable building design is high on the client’s agenda. This building will be the first in the new district and must set a precedent for the other buildings across the site.

Our multidisciplinary team was engaged by architect Cobe to support the design development, with a focus on integrated solutions, creative engineering, and deep-dive conceptual work – all with a clear focus on the of the development.

We were commissioned to provide an advisory role, giving oversight and sustainability guardianship to the project, as well as renewable energy solutions at both the building and wider district level, timber structure advice, life cycle assessment and building physics insight around daylighting, overheating prevention and improving indoor climate in areas with listed facades that cannot be retrofitted with insulation.

Solution

Krulli aims to create a world-class, sustainable and low-CO2 building where embodied carbon is reduced through sustainable construction and circular approaches, operational carbon is minimised through passive design measures and the of use sustainable energy supply systems.

The architect’s design proposes a building that is a combination of halls and timber boxes, standing within the warehouse structure, maximising connections between occupants and creating a modern working environment within the walls of the historic walls of the outer structure. Through a strategy of re-using existing building materials wherever possible, alongside the use of low carbon timber structures, the building has a low level of embodied carbon, comparable with leading industry targets.

Optimising the performance of the roof and facade enhances indoor climate quality and energy use, providing a more flexible and efficient use of space. We delivered a range of key recommendations, including reducing glazing ratios in both facades and roofs, primarily to reduce heat loss in winter, whilst balancing good daylight quality inside the building. This reduced both energy and cost, due to the high cost of the glass relative to closed facades and roofing.

The size and position of windows has been optimised and skylights added or redistributed to enhance the indoor environment through improved daylight levels. Our experts also gave recommendations for the design performance of the facade – ensuring thermal comfort and minimising solar heat gain, which included advice around the incorporation of an external shading system, as well as additional layers of solar protection in the form of energy coatings and internal shading.

We delivered a series of detailed assessments of both the embodied and operational carbon intensity of the project, alongside benchmarking to compare it with similar developments around the world. We also provided a range of intervention recommendations to further optimise its sustainability credentials.

Our experts set out a clear pathway to sustainable design, outlining the steps required to ensure the development meets the client’s aspirations. We also recommended the consideration of a district-wide approach to renewable energy generation to decarbonise the entire site as the wider regeneration progresses.

Value

We worked closely with the design team to develop a range of sustainable, integrated engineering solutions that best complement Krulli’s aspirations and the architectural intent to achieve a modernised, low-carbon, healthy building that provides a comfortable environment for occupants.

The building will connect the past with the future through an innovative re-use of existing elements, creating a future-proof hub for Estonian innovation.