Beta Realities

H15 Crafts Quarter

What if a workshop was as flexible as the craft itself?

H15 is a collaborative craft quarter that reimagines the modern workshop—an adaptable, timber-constructed space designed to grow with its users. Situated within the Hamburg-Nord business park, the building serves as an open platform for craftsmen, offering maximum flexibility to accommodate a diverse range of production and office functions.

Local carpentry alliances, start-ups, and small businesses can shape their work environments within a highly customizable framework. High floor-to-floor ratios allow businesses to modify and expand their spaces freely, while the façade incorporates customizable shading elements, enabling each company to express its identity. Drawing inspiration from industrial architecture, the all-timber construction merges traditional craftsmanship with contemporary workspaces, fostering open, versatile floorplans. At the intersection of two functional masterplans, H15 extends beyond workspace: its rooftop cultural garden integrates small offices and co-living spaces, providing a home for visiting carpenters and reinforcing a community-driven, future-oriented model of work and craft.

Project Region

Europe

Project Period

2023

Location

Hamburg, Germany

Team

Paul Clemens Bart, Marvin Bratke

Status

Concept

Programme

Workspaces, Production

Client

Genossenschaft Handwerk im Quartier (iG)

Collaborators

graadwies, str.ucture, SO Ingenieure, Schlüter und Thomsen

Size

5.500 sqm

Visualisation

Yoshi Render

Embedded in its Context.

H15 carefully responds to its surroundings, aligning with both the industrial grid of the business park and the residential structures nearby. While the lower floors follow the orientation of the industrial buildings, the upper levels shift to echo the housing blocks beyond. The resulting composition establishes a balanced dialogue between scale, form, and neighborhood, creating a building that feels rooted in its setting while projecting a contemporary identity.

The Workshop Base and Rooftop Village.

The ground level and two elevated workshop floors form a robust base, while above them, a more playful “village” unfolds. Here, small offices, apprentices’ accommodations, and green courtyards form a clustered rooftop community with its own distinct character. This elevated landscape offers terraces with sweeping views, opportunities for collaboration, and adaptable spaces that can grow and transform just like the crafts practiced within.

The Makers’ Framework.

H15 unites craftsmanship and construction in one coherent vision. Its visible timber frame, organized in a clear nine-meter grid, creates generous, flexible interiors that reveal the structural honesty of wood. At the same time, facades and rooftop elements can be shaped by local trades, allowing crafted details and garden installations to leave a personal mark. The result is a building that functions as a living canvas—rooted in tradition, adaptable in use, and continuously enriched by its community.

A Dynamic, Layered Façade.

H15’s recessed façade is clad in timber battens with varying angles, producing a shifting relief that changes appearance with the movement of the sun. This ever-changing play of light gives the building a distinctive, vibrant expression. Climbing plants are integrated into the design, softening the architecture with greenery and reinforcing the connection between craft, nature, and the evolving identity of its users.

Sustainability as a Guiding Principle.

Designed with longevity and adaptability in mind, H15 embraces sustainable strategies on multiple levels. Solar panels and water retention systems are integrated into the roof, while urban gardening strengthens local biodiversity. The projecting façade provides natural shading and weather protection for the timber structure, enhancing durability. Generous grids and floor heights ensure easy re-use over time, complemented by e-charging stations for bikes and cars—creating a resilient, future-oriented place for craft.