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Project

Steinhude Rents Solar-Powered Boats

Credits: ©2010 Randall Stout Architects

The Steinhude Sea Recreation Facility on Bath Island is a recreational island facility, located on the largest freshwater lake in Northern Germany. This is a forty-six thousand square meter island for recreation and nature preservation. As part of Expo 2000, the local community chose to add a solar-powered facility with a small boat dock for solar-powered recreational boats. In fact most of the building's roof form is clad in photovoltaics. The building is small, totaling about 3,500 square feet. Its services include public toilets, lifeguard facilities, a small café, a small observation deck, boat storage for the lifeguards, and a generator for supplemental power for the kitchen. Energy self-sufficiency is achieved with photovoltaic panels, solar hot water collectors, a seed-oil-fueled cogeneration microturbine, daylighting, natural ventilation, passive solar design, building automation, and high-performance materials. These systems provide complete lighting and power needs for the building, as well as enough energy to recharge a fleet of eight photovoltaic-powered rental boats, with excess electricity to sell back to the utility grid. Other sustainability features include graywater reuse and rainwater harvest systems, sustainable materials, and waste reduction. The facility was a Top Ten Green Building selected by the American Institute of Architects COTE to celebrate Earth Day 2003.

 

Steinhude PVs

The Steinhude Sea Recreation Facility is not only energy self-sufficient but also recharges a fleet of eight solar-powered boats and generates surplus power to sell back to the utility grid. The photovoltaic panels distribute cells within an insulated glazing unit, allowing the photovoltaic panels to serve as roof, daylight provider, and electricity generator in one application. The panels (with inverter and batteries) provide all of the building's lighting needs. ©2003 Randall Stout Architects

The project is located on the south shore of Steinhude Sea in north-central Germany. The 46,000 square meter island (11.4 acres), attached by a bridge to the mainland, is adjacent to sea banks lined with marina piers and residential structures. The four current use zones of the island are the beachfront, a sportsplatz, a green area for sunbathing and music performances, and a nature walk with children’s playgrounds.

Element locations are determined by their function. The cafe and lifeguard areas are positioned for beach and marina views. The observation deck, nine meters high, allows unobstructed views with panoramic graphic panels that identify shoreline landmarks and the historic Wilhelmstein Island.

The project aesthetic acknowledges the recreation/vacation culture of the island. The roof form of the main building stretches out as an abstract reclined figure, facing south, to bask in the sun. The major construction materials consist of wood, translucent wall panels, windows, and metal stairs. Dramatic night lighting effects are created by ambient spill light from the building, emphasizing the building form.

Landscaping emphasizes the rugged natural character of existing vegetation. The southern edge of the building roofline is held unusually low so that it appears to emerge from the landscape. The roof form is curved toward the earth berms to create harmonious lines between built and natural forms.

The photovoltaic panels (153 square meters in surface area) provide power for electric boats and the building lighting on a seasonal basis. A natural gas turbine generator provides additional power for peak loads associated with the cafe. The project is connected to the city power grid for distribution of electrical surplus. A graywater system supplies the public and staff toilet facilities. High standards of energy conservation including natural ventilation and building automation reduce power consumption.


Documents

  Steinhude Sea Recreation Facility Article ARCHITECTURAL RECORD 2001 (1,570 kb)


Resources

Steinhude Sea Recreation Facility (Germany)

Randall Stout Architects (California USA)

Steinhude Sea Recreation Facility 3-D Model (Germany)