Office & archiveDB Archive Building

DB Bauaktenarchiv Berlin-Pankow

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LOCATION
Berlin, Germany
TYPE
Office & archive

"The image of two books stacked on top of each other served as the inspiration for the building's design."

CONCEPT

The aim was to design a building capable of accommodating 220,000 archival records, with a distinct architectural identity, while being sustainable, energy-efficient, and integrated into its surroundings as sensitively as possible. The form of the building was inspired by the image of two books stacked on top of one another. The administrative area and the two-storey archive with its mobile shelving storage system are clearly expressed in the building’s volume through the juxtaposition of transparency and solidity. From the outset, the principles of sustainable construction according to DGNB standards were a key consideration throughout the entire planning process. Particular emphasis was placed on selecting building materials with a favorable life-cycle assessment, enabling the simple disassembly of all building components and ensuring their recyclability. The project exceeded the requirements of the German Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV 2009) by 50%. The building’s primary energy demand is 84 kWh/m²a. The archive building is located in Berlin’s Pankow district and opened in 2017.

ArchitekturPlanungVerwaltungsbauArchiv

PROJECT DATA

CountryGermany
Completion2017
Construction VolumeGFA 1,540 m²
Budget€ 2,8
ServicesPhases 1-7
Building Services EngineeringHKC GmbH, Rostock
Building physicsCSZ Ingenieurconsult GmbH
Structural Engineering / Landscape ArchitecturePöyry Deutschland GmbH
PhotographyUlrich Schwarz

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Berlin — International

Enduring through design.
Timelessly relevant.

Complex projects in transport and infrastructure, urban planning and custom builds — sustainable, digital, BIM-oriented, and international.

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BIM-Allianz
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QM-certified
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EcoVadis Silver
Years experience

Our work

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Our services

€800M
Project scope of our largest ongoing project
International Experience
Projects in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and China
2013
QM-certified in accordance with the ‘Planer am Bau’ scheme; TÜV Rheinland certificate registration no.: 01 355 000001/096
2024
EcoVadis Sustainability Rating, DEC 2025 in Silver

From the feasibility study through to detailed design and tendering, we support complex projects with an interdisciplinary team of architects and engineers.

Sustainability starts with Design

How sustainable a building will be is decided in its first design phases. Sustainability is therefore not an additional requirement for us but part of good architecture: we take the whole life cycle into our decisions and develop durable, adaptable solutions that spare resources and keep CO₂ emissions as low as possible.

Ecological, economic and social requirements are drawn together with the specialist disciplines involved into one integrated concept.

What we consider

Certification creates transparency

Not every sustainable building needs a certificate. Where one is wanted or required, we build its criteria into the design early and coordinate the evidence. Sustainability then becomes measurable, comparable and independently verifiable.

Depending on the project and the system, we take on the auditor or assessor services or guide clients and design teams through the whole process:

The standard we set ourselves

Sustainability shapes not only our projects but also the way we operate as a company. We have EcoVadis independently assess our performance across environment, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement — in November 2025 we were awarded the EcoVadis silver medal.

"Planning sustainably means translating responsibility into concrete decisions — traceable, deliverable, and of lasting benefit to clients, to the people who use the buildings and to the built environment."

Precision through conviction

  • Balanced — Gender equality
  • 7 Years — Average tenure
  • 9 — Nationalities
  • 13 Years — Average experience
Our story
1996Milestone

Founded in Berlin

Bettina Dittemer and Fabian Zimmermann found atelier 4d in Berlin, for architecture of substance with a particular focus on infrastructure and on urban planning around railway stations.

Age structure
< 29 years10%
30 – 3950%
40 – 5430%
> 5510%

Join our team

Do you want to develop and grow with us?

Are you interested in exciting major projects and do you enjoy working in a great, international team? Then take a look at our current job openings – maybe there's something just right for you! No suitable position advertised at the moment? No problem – we are always happy to receive your speculative application including portfolio.

Why atelier 4d?

In short: because we stand for diversity, tolerance, and a healthy work environment. This includes flexible, mobile working and a strong, supportive team. We support our employees in a targeted manner – for example, by helping them enter the Chamber of Architects. We also offer you stability and perspectives through long-term, future-oriented projects.

Current Openings

Currently no positions available but we are always looking for talented and motivated individuals. Please feel free to send your speculative application!

Your Contact Person

Sandra Röhr
atelier 4d Planungs GmbH
Stuttgarter Platz 16, 10627 Berlin
E-Mail:bewerbungbot-protection-active [at] atelier4d-architekten.de

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Stuttgarter Platz 16
10627 Berlin, Deutschland
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