HOCH Baumaschinen GmbH

From excavators to wheel loaders: As one of the leading construction-equipment rental companies in southern Germany, HOCH Baumaschinen keeps construction sites running nationwide. Since 1995, the company and its fleet have grown constantly. In order to create new space for its logistics and administration departments, in 2020 a new building was built at its Steinach site in the Black Forest. Architects Schmelzle+Partner, who designed the existing building, also designed the new one. Old and new thus blend perfectly with each other from the outside and provide the ideal basis for further growth inside with modern open-space offices.

Builder: HOCH Baumaschinen GmbH, Steinach
Occupant: HOCH Baumaschinen GmbH, Steinach
Planning: Schmelzle+Partner mbB Architekten BDA, feco®-feederle
Completion: 2020
City: Steinach
Sector: Economy
Office furniture: Chairs, Desks, Storage space, Conference, Reception, Lounge, Cafeteria, Executive furniture
Photos: Nikolay Kazakov
Brands: Brunner, Renz, Steelcase, Vitra, werner works

The chosen furniture was also to be in keeping with the industrial architecture of the building – purist, but functional. The style is mainly influenced by the chosen design and material language. Particularly striking is the building envelope with its perforated facade panels and curved glass panes, which are also found in the interior.

Inside and outside, cool, smooth surfaces made of concrete, glass and steel dominate. To compensate for this, we have chosen a colour concept with muted and earthy tones. Contrasting with the latter are individual touches in the characteristic HOCH yellow and haptic counterpoints made of natural materials. Felt panels with magnetic cork strips not only make the workplaces more homely, but also offer employees freedom to individually design their work areas.

Bright curtains in front of the glass partition walls in the management offices and the meeting room further underline the homely character and at the same time guarantee privacy. And in the cafeteria, the informal exchange and meeting point for employees, wooden surfaces and a padded bench enhance the feel-good factor.

Despite its high-contrast design, HOCH’s new building thus manages to convey a harmonious overall appearance. The key lies in furniture that has been adapted to the needs of both users and the architecture.