- Who is the client?
- Xylem’s analytics division manufactures physical-chemical analysis devices for applications in the areas of water, wastewater, marine and coastal waters, food, beverages, the environment, chemistry and pharmaceuticals.
- Verdion’s winning design will increase efficiency for Xylem
- Xylem appointed Verdion to deliver a 15,000 sq m facility at the Achalaich business park in Weilheim, Upper Bavaria. We were selected for our designs that incorporated a production plant, distribution centre, research and development laboratory, and offices and communal areas surrounded by landscaping and open space on a 27,000 sq m plot. Xylem liked that we took our response further than the initial brief – more than simply focusing on an efficient building design for its business, we designed a facility that will reflect the company’s corporate ethos and provide a stimulating and productive place to work.
- How did Verdion add value?
- Cutting contamination through carefully considered building-design
- Maintaining a sterile environment is key to the purity of the analysis work Xylem carries out, so movements around its facility need to be carefully managed. A key feature of our design is the physical separation of the office accommodation, with its looser requirements, from the production and R&D areas. People are less likely to move between the two, and when they do the demarcation will be clear. Office staff won’t need to concern themselves with clothing changes or cross sensitive areas to reach communal space. More importantly, the reduction in movement will significantly reduce the risk of cross-contamination throughout the facility.
- Rooftops that harness the power of nature
- The zoning requirements for the building stipulated that the roof must either be fitted with photovoltaic cells or be planted as a green roof. We produced a design that does both. The office building will feature a green roof, and other roof areas will be equipped with a photovoltaic system providing power to the site, ‘sun collectors’ for producing warm water for the heating system, and a rainwater recycling system that will showcase Xylem’s corporate goal of improving the way water is used, conserved and re-used.
- A roof with a view
- The location of the R&D building especially provides a spectacular view of the Bavarian Alps, so at the earliest stages we designed a spacious terrace on the roof – a space with potential for hosting customer events and team gatherings as well as somewhere for people to enjoy quietly. The idea was received so well that the company is also considering adding an outdoor workout area to the terrace. Ulrich Schwab, Germany’s Managing Director of Analytics at Xylem, said: “The company WTW, which was renamed Xylem in 2016, has been active in Weilheim since 1954 and is therefore firmly rooted on site. As a result, we are very pleased to be able to secure a new location in the city with our project partner Verdion for our urgently needed space expansion. This new building enables us to modernise our production and increase efficiency, and opens up further growth opportunities.”
Built-to-suit
Xylem, Weilheim
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