BFRA

The Firefighters Academy and Campus in Tegel, Berlin, is a facility designed to provide comprehensive training and education for future firefighters. Located near the former Berlin Tegel Airport, the campus forms part of a broader urban redevelopment initiative transforming the area into a center for innovation, research, and education. The building structure is conceived as a timber hybrid system, combining structural efficiency with sustainable construction principles.

The architectural concept reinterprets the building’s spatial organization to address initial challenges related to limited visibility and a lack of programmatic synergy. By dissolving the traditional central core into decentralized elements, the design creates an open and shared central space that encourages interaction and collaboration among users. Externally positioned escape staircases enhance safety while also functioning as informal break areas that provide views across the campus. A generous, light-filled atrium vertically connects all floors, strengthening visual relationships between spaces and fostering a sense of community within the academy.

The design also anticipates the potential future integration of office and teaching buildings A and B, ensuring short circulation routes and close functional connections. This strategy supports a cohesive and efficient campus environment that promotes interaction between learning, administration, and training functions.

Overall, the Firefighters Academy and Campus at Tegel is envisioned as a forward-looking institution for firefighter education, contributing to the safety, resilience, and preparedness of communities in Berlin and beyond.