General contractor for new building

The road is clear – and the starting signal can now be given for our new building in the innovation quarter of the city of Düren.

While research activities at our interim location at Forschungszentrum Jülich and at our partners’ facilities are in full swing, the start of construction of our research building in the Düren Innovation Quarter (IQD) is within reach: the general contractor for the construction work has been found and the construction contract commissioned. After an intensive EU-wide call for tenders and a negotiation process, our municipal partner, the sister company of the Düren Economic Development Agency, which is developing the new district near the train station, selected the Aachen-based construction company Derichs u Konertz. The contract has now been signed by Stefan Keulen and David Macherey, the two managing directors of the building contractor, together with Winfried Kranz-Pitre, managing director of IQ.DN, and project manager Kim Herrmann.

Derichs u Konertz can look back on almost 100 years of company history. The family-run company is now in its fourth generation and is firmly rooted in the Rhineland. With branches in Aachen, Krefeld and Cologne, the group offers comprehensive services in the areas of new construction, construction management, project development, construction in existing buildings, construction management, planning and architecture. “The Modellfabrik Papier project captivated us from the very beginning and we are looking forward to the challenging construction task with enthusiasm,” says David Macherey, Managing Director of Derichs u Konertz, about the new task. As general contractor, the construction company organizes and manages the entire construction process – from commissioning and supervising subcontractors to handing over the finished building ready for use.

With the signing of the contract, the construction project has taken a decisive final hurdle. The vision for modern and sustainable urban development can now be realized, Kranz-Pitre is delighted to say. The building was tailored exactly to the needs of the Modellfabrik Papier. “Four laboratories and a large pilot plant with flexible floor space offer optimal conditions for collaborative cutting-edge research and the development of pilot plants for new paper production technologies,” explains MFP Managing Director Peter Bekaert. This makes the new building a visible place for research and encounters – and a driving force for structural change in the region.

The research building, with around 5,400 square meters of floor space, will meet a wide range of sustainable building criteria. This is ensured not only by the timber-hybrid construction method, but also by the recycling concept for the building materials and the rainwater management based on the “sponge city” principle. The building is aiming for the highest certification from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and combines technology, sustainability and design at the highest level. The construction project is being funded to 97.5% by the federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as part of the structural change programs in the Rhenish mining area.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place in a few weeks in May. According to the current milestone planning, the building should be ready for occupancy by the end of 2026.