Projects / 4/18/2024

German Football Federation (DFB) Campus

Sustainable solutions for installing rubber, linoleum and textile floorings in the new complex housing offices, training areas, rooms for football players

The German Football Association has now a modern headquarters with offices, educational spaces, conference rooms and football pitches. The coverings for the interior floors were chosen for their comfort and sustainability, using resilient materials such as linoleum and rubber, applied with eco-friendly adhesives.

The German Federation's new home

The German Football Federation (or DFB - Deutscher Fußball-Bund) has a new headquarters. Extending over 15 hectares of land, the site of a former racecourse, there is now a new, ultra-modern complex hosting both the Federation’s administration offices and areas dedicated to the football academy’s educational activities, as well as conference rooms, areas for press conferences, changing rooms, rooms for the players, internal courtyards, a canteen and an indoor football pitch. All the facilities are located within several buildings connected together by the white structure for the roof and by the “Sport Boulevard”, a parallelepiped-shaped structure running north to south along the whole length of the complex, joining the various sections. With its airy spaces, numerous corridors and internal glass partitions, this section of the campus has been designed to encourage communication and discussions between all those who work and train here.

The backdrop of the complex is formed by five outdoor football pitches (three in natural grass, one in synthetic grass and one with a mixed playing surface) which are visible from many of the internal areas. Driving the architectural project, by the Kadawittfeldarchitektur design studio of Aachen (Germany), was the client’s desire to bring everything “under one roof” and incentivise values such as transparency, trust, synergy, and open mindedness.

Linoleum, rubber and textile floors for comfortable and sustainable surroundings

The choice of which materials to use for the internal flooring was based on precise instructions from the client, and particularly that of creating comfortable surroundings to promote the wellbeing of all those studying and working at the campus, with particular attention to sustainability. Also, because the complex was completely finished in just three years, in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, the flooring had to be installed extremely quickly.

As a result, the choice went to several types of resilient (rubber and linoleum) and textile flooring in relaxing, neutral shades which were installed using rapid and eco-sustainable solutions by Mapei which, apart from guaranteeing high performances and durability, also enabled installation work to be completed quickly.

The substrates for the floors were treated with ECO PRIM T PLUS universal primer with very low emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) prior to the application of ULTRAPLAN XTRA self-levelling compound. The latter product is characterised by its ultra-fast drying properties, which also played a part in speeding up preparation of the sustrates. In fact, after applying ULTRAPLAN XTRA, resilient flooring may be installed after around only 12 hours and after around just 6 hours if applied in layers up to 5 mm thick.

The substrates were treated with ECO PRIM T and levelled with ULTRAPLAN XTRA, before bonding linoleum flooring with ULTRABOND ECO 530, rubber flooring in the training areas with ULTRABOND ECO V4 SP and textile floorings with ULTRABOND ECO TACK TX+.

The next step was to install 1400 m² of linoleum flooring in the offices using ULTRABOND ECO 530 adhesive, while the rubber flooring, characterised by a high level of resistance and durability, was bonded in the training areas with ULTRABOND ECO V4 SP adhesive, specific for PVC and rubber.Both products are water-dispersed adhesives and are ideal for bonding flooring in areas subjected to both static and dynamic loads, including intense loads such as from traffic and chair castors according to EN 12529 regulations. What is more, apart from ensuring excellent peel strength and good dimensional stability, opting for these products was in line with the client’s specifications regarding eco-sustainability: these adhesives are, in fact, certified EMICODE EC1^Plus by the GEV institute for their very low VOC emissions and also carry the Blauer Engel mark, awarded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment to products with a low impact on the environment.

ULTRABOND ECO TACK TX+, on the other hand, was chosen for 9000 m²of textile flooring in some offices and sport areas, an acrylic-based tackifier specifically designed to allow carpet tiles to be removed and replaced as and when required. Apart from creating a permanently tacky film, this product is also rapid-drying, again helping to speed up installation work as required by the client.

So again, Mapei systems were also able to give a decisive drive to the execution of works leading to the creation of this new “temple” of German football.