Our latest updates

A challenging year is coming to an end and CROSS is looking forward to discover new potentials in the future. We wish you a peaceful holiday and a happy new year!

BIM as a planning method is now the standard for us and for many colleagues. The next question is how BIM can also be implemented in the approval process to make the processes faster and more efficient. So how can digitalization also be advanced in this area? The topic is essential for those involved on the part of building authorities, clients and architects in order to master the challenges of the future.

We want to help shape this future and are therefore taking part in the BIM-based building application research project in NRW as a partner of the city of Bochum with our current House of Knowledge project.

Last Friday, the kick-off event took place at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering – Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Experts and project teams from seven municipalities came together to share their findings and experiences. The transfer of knowledge between the ongoing projects is a central component of the project.

We are looking forward to the results of this inspiring research project and to the upcoming exchange with all project partners such as the initiators Ministerium für Heimat, Kommunales, Bau und Digitalisierung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, Prof. Markus König / Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Fa. VSK Software.

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We have taken an important step forward - together with Oberbürgermeister Thomas Eiskirch and the citizens of the Stadt Bochum, a time capsule was sunk today and the foundation stone of the future was laid. As a symbol of digital analog content and a lucky charm, the time capsule contains the building plan, a daily newspaper, loose change, a Tonie from the city library, a flyer from the House of Knowledge and a USB stick containing the council resolution - the future sends its regards. It was a really special day for us, and we enjoyed this event in the best weather!

The work to date in 2023 and at the beginning of 2024 has focused on the comprehensive renovation and gutting of the existing building. The House of Knowledge will be expanded from its current 6,000 to 11,500 square meters by the planned completion.Once thework is complete, the House of Knowledge will be the new home for the adult education center (VHS), the city library, the UniverCity knowledge network and a market hall. It will serve as a multifunctional center for education, exchange and culture and thus make an important contribution to Bochum's urban development.

We have news to share! Preparatory work for the new construction of the International School Utrecht (ISU) on Cambridgelaan in the Utrecht Science Park (USP) will soon commence. The building will feature a striking facade, be situated in a healthy, green environment, and connect the diverse cultures of the students who will attend. It is expected that classes will start in the new, sustainable school by 2027.

Terraced Landscape and Water as Inspiration

Since 2019, a total engineering team consisting of Cross Architecture, SVP Architectuur en stedenbouw, Copijn Landscape Architects, Pieters Bouwtechniek, and DWA has been working on the design, focusing on a healthy, green environment with a terraced landscape at its core. The undulating lines of the vegetation, decorative edges, and elevation changes of the gardens and plazas make the landscape inseparable from the building. The design of the building itself reflects the rippling water typical of the historical Hollandse Waterlinie and the Amelisweerd area. Artist Zoro Feigl, known for his kinetic art, drew inspiration from this and created a beautiful artwork that will be integrated into the building, placed where all children will be able to see it daily.

Connecting Different Cultures

The school will provide primary education, secondary education, and after-school care for 1,200 students aged 4 to 18. These will include children of internationals working temporarily in the Netherlands, as well as Dutch children returning from abroad or departing for international destinations. Their younger siblings can be cared for in a small-scale daycare center within the same building.

Traffic flows for the different groups of students are cleverly separated. The review team commented: “The entrance with stairs and a mirrored ceiling is in a logical place; the separation of the entrance is positive. It feels organic, open, and welcoming.” While each age group will have its own entrance and space, the connection of different cultures plays a significant role in the design. At the heart of the building, the auditorium and a central courtyard with music studios will act as a unifying factor. You don’t necessarily have to speak each other’s language; here, you get to know each other through music, dance, and theater.

Ready for a Sustainable Future

The new school will meet high sustainability ambitions, including the Dutch standards of Frisse Scholen, GPR, energy neutrality, and circularity. The design team consulted with municipal and University of Utrecht specialists at an early stage. Not only will the students have a pleasant space, but the building will also provide housing for bats, house sparrows, and swallows.

Construction to Start in 2025

Since its opening in 2012, ISU has been housed in various temporary units. With the new construction, ISU will have a permanent location. This ensures that the international school is ready for a future where educational institutions help children grow into global citizens. Construction contractor Van Wijnen Arnhemand technical contractor ITN Techniek will begin preparatory work for the new building this fall, with construction set to start in January 2025.

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Credit: SVP, DMOO

"The Dutch have always been rock 'n' roll"  ... our answer to the question of what we admire about Dutch architecture. Journalist Vera Lisakowski from kultur.west magazine visited us in our Aachen office and talked to Markus Sporer and Marcel Blom about the similarities and differences between Dutch and German building culture.

You can read the article here: www.kulturwest.de/die-niederlaender-waren-immer-der-rock-n-roll

Educational buildings have a special social and societal significance. They are places of learning as well as places of communication, they are spatial mediators of content and accompany us through our everyday lives as a matter of course. They are cross-generational meeting places for social life and places of identification for the city in which they are located. Their architecture makes a significant contribution to this. Because the architectural design of these places influences the way we experience education and learn knowledge.

At CROSS Architecture, we find a tailor-made answer to every question. A look at the projects we have planned or realized reveals a variety of approaches. The starting point is always the understanding and implementation of the wishes and needs of future users.

You can find a complete overview of previous educational buildings such as the House of Knowledge in Bochum, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, the International School Utrecht and the Mining Museum in Bochum via the "Work" button on our website.

Our CROSS House in the Netherlands will be completed this summer and we are looking forward to being ready to move in this fall. Parts of the new building will become the office headquarters for our Dutch team – so this special project also means a big change for us. The CROSS House is a building with two residential units and a studio on the first floor on a 100 square meter building plot. This fills a gap in the urban structure of the De Kamp district in Haarlem's historic city center. Bordered by the historic 18th-century Hofje van Guurtje Buret and a 20th-century housing project, the design restores the architectural balance that once characterized this small site.

The House of Knowledge will become reality and open in 2026 in Bochum. Until then, our 3D model is being tested. During the “Baukongress – Die Zukunft des Bauens“ in Aachen, Formitas AG ventured into the digital world and experienced the House of Knowledge in digital space. How will it feel to stand in the real House of Knowledge? We still need a little patience, but we are already looking forward to it.

Credit: Formitas AG

Behind the scenes, we are busy working on our newsletter, which will land in your mailboxes in the coming weeks. Our newsletter keeps you up to date on the status quo of our projects, milestones and thoughts on architecture and beyond - a digital insight into our vision!

Sign up here: www.cross-architecture.net/newsletter

One of the biggest, most challenging and exciting projects we've worked on so far? The House of Knowledge in Bochum. At the moment, something is changing almost every day on the construction site and the building process is progressing.

The status quo of the building demolition:

- North wing gutted up to ground floor

- North wing ceiling above ground floor is currently being demolished

- North wing courtyard façade removed down to ground floor

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More updates to follow!

Credit: Herwig Niggemann, Stadt Bochum

We're celebrating: CROSS Architecture turns 8! Launched in 2016 and still going strong. We would like to thank everyone who has accompanied us on this journey. A lot has happened in the last eight years. Whether interesting projects, great moments with our team and colleagues and different challenges. We are looking forward to what the next years have in store for us.

The German government aims to build 400,000 new homes every year. However, this is still a long way off. The discussed introduction of building type E could help to build more simply, efficiently and quickly. But what is the situation in the Netherlands? What is different here and how does the government there deal with such construction projects? in their search for answers, the ZDFheute editorial team approached us.

With our German-Dutch DNA, we combine the "best of both worlds" - the experimental approach of the Dutch school of architecture with the technical precision of German building culture. Cornelius Wens and Markus Sporer visited the Netherlands with the ZDFheute team. Using a number of practical examples, they showed where the main differences in construction lie and what the German building regulations could possibly learn from the Dutch.

The result of the visit can be found in the zdf media library: www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute-sendungen

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The House of Knowledge won first prize in the "Reactivated Centers" category.

We celebrated properly! A great success for the city of Bochum and the entire project team. Thanks to the laudator Cornelia Zuschke for the wonderful speech. We are delighted with the extremely positive response.

Laudatory speech by Cornelia Zuschke, Head of Planning LHD:

"Isn't it great when a local authority, as the owner of a property, takes the future of its city center into its own hands and also takes an unprecedentedly creative approach? Our winning project this year reflects exactly what we so often discuss as the city center of the future: a place where life takes place. A place that is public, that does not oblige the consumption of goods, but rather enables the consumption of encounters, education and enjoyment. A place that invites and encourages. A place where citizens feel wanted and visitors feel welcome. And all this between old and new architecture that sets completely new standards in terms of design. The jury is convinced that this year's winning project does a lot of things right and wishes all those involved in the project every success!"

‍www.polis-award.com/gewinner/gewinner-2023

At Willy Brandt Platz 8 - diagonally opposite the construction site - the "Baubude" for the House of Knowledge has opened.

The contact point for anyone who wants to find out more about the project can find pictures, plans and models of the House of Knowledge here. There is also the opportunity to walk through the virtual model on a large screen with a controller, look around and visit the roof terrace. The House of Knowledge Cargo Bike also brings the project to the city! The wooden model in 1/200 scale fits into the tailor-made model attachment and will be on display at various locations in Bochum. We are delighted with the many great ideas for communicating the project idea. After a visit to the Baubude, we recommend a stop at Cafe Oktober - best espresso in town!

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