Working for the Health Research of the Future

One of our latest projects there is the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus (HPC). Aerial views are the best way to see its special design: The architects gave it the shape of a diamond, inspired by the diamonds on the Bavarian flag. Since the official opening in 2023, biomedicine has met artificial intelligence and the engineering sciences as part of interdisciplinary research on the campus’ somewhat more than 6,000 square meters of usable area.
However, the power of the Bachner team was required to transform the project from planning blueprints into reality. Between 2021 and 2023, three different disciplines were needed: Our order encompassed electrical engineering and the security, data and network technology.

One of the building’s special features is its architecture. After all, its diamond-shaped exterior with rounded corners is a real eye-catcher, and the modern design continues in the building’s interior. “The building was a challenge for us,” said Sogojeva. “None of our cables could be visible. And at the same time, we had to ensure that everything was properly installed and elements like fire alarms were accessible for maintenance.”
The solution? Close coordination – among the technical disciplines, with architects and of course, with the client. For example, the lights in the cafeteria area are suspended at different heights. Each one was installed with accuracy to the centimeter, explained Vanco. To improve the coordination, the team also produced trial installations that helped with optimizing the colors and look to fit in with the rest of the architecture.

Alongside installing switches, sockets and illumination, we connected the majority of the plants in the building to the power supply. This included the terminals for access control, the lighting protection system and the ICE cables. The colleagues on site also took care of tensioning the optical fiber cables and any splicing work necessary.
For buildings like the ones on the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, it is also important to install an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The name of this element says it all: Switchable batteries ensure that electricity will continue to flow after a power outage. Research centers often posses sensitive instruments that could be damaged if the power goes off abruptly. And the biological material stored in refrigerators could be damaged by a power outage, leading to the loss of important data.

The HPC is also optimally prepared for fire: Cable tray enclosures prevent fire from spreading through the trays. The cables of the safety illumination can also withstand fire for up to 90 minutes – until that time, the escape routes are illuminated to ensure that the building can be evacuated. We also installed the emergency responder radio coverage system for reliable radio communication inside the building.

If everything had gone according to plan, the HPC would have been finished earlier, but multiple unforeseen events affected all the parties involved in its construction. “Both the Covid-19 pandemic and the outbreak of war in Ukraine had an impact on us,” reported Deliu. The consequences included short-term personnel shortages and products that could not be delivered or became astronomically expensive.
“Helmholtz Munich and all the technical disciplines involved were in the same boat,” recalled Deliu. “We helped each other whenever possible. Above all, the understanding shown to us by the owner was important. The situation was extraordinary – and we needed extraordinary solutions. It was essential to have colleagues like mine: colleagues who are completely reliable.”

The project’s success is also due to the clear division of labor and coordination among project lead Deliu and the two site managers, Vanco and Sogojeva. The three key players could always rely on each other. And the active support of our project partner, MSB Elektronik, was another key success factor – particularly in the difficult period during which construction was taking place.
The result is worth talking about – Bekim Deliu, Enes Sogojeva, Tomas Vanco and their entire team agree when they look around Helmholtz Pioneer Campus. They are proud of what they helped to build here by applying their expertise. And we look forward to hearing about the studies that will be implemented at HPC.