An interior view of a modern patient room featuring a hospital bed, a feature wall in a bold colour and a large window with yellow curtains.

varisano Clinic Frankfurt Höchst

Exterior shot of a modern hospital building with a clean white façade and tree tops in the foreground.

Interior shot of a multi-storey hospital foyer with large windows, open waiting areas and graphic wall design.

Pilot project as a passive hospital building

The varisano Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst marks a milestone in hospital construction: as the world’s first hospital built to the Passive House standard, it combines maximum energy efficiency with the requirements of a full‑service medical provider. The architectural design originates from wörner traxler richter planungsgesellschaft, with HPP Architekten responsible for the execution planning of this highly complex large‑scale project.

At a Glance

World’s first hospital to receive Passive House certification, serving as a pilot project for energy‑efficient healthcare design

Execution planning for a highly complex major project at maximum‑care level

700 beds across 79,000 square metres GFA

10 operating theatres including one hybrid theatre

Passive hospital construction

Hospitals are among the most energyintensive building types. Passive House construction places exceptionally high demands on airtightness, thermalbridgefree detailing, technical integration and a highly optimised building envelope. At the same time, operating theatres, intensive care units, and sensitive medical processes must function without interruption. The challenge: to create a building that saves energy without compromising patient safety or comfort.

Collaborative planning, digital processes

Execution planning for the new hospital building, comprising four transverse wings, covered eight aboveground storeys with around 700 beds, ten operating theatres, and one hybrid theatre. Every adjustment, from structural coordination to the integration of stateoftheart medical technology, was carried out in close collaboration with specialist planners and the client. OpenBIM processes enabled continuous clash detection and digital quality assurance.

Complexity under demanding conditions

The planning process had to respond to constantly changing conditions: new regulations, altered requirements, technological innovation and external factors such as the pandemic and supply‑chain disruptions. Through digital tools and an interdisciplinary team, these planning challenges were successfully addressed and the execution delivered on schedule.

Project Profile

Project: Varisano Clinic Höchst
Location: Frankfurt am Main
Client: Zech Hochbau AG (ehemals BAM Deutschland AG)
Partners: Architecture: wörner traxler richter planungsgesellschaft; Execution planning: HPP Architekten
GFA: 79.000 m²
Completion: 2023
Uses: Maximum care hospital, operating theatres, hybrid theatre, maternity unit, children’s hospital, radiology, emergency de-partment
Awards: buildingSMART International Award 2017, Category: Con-struction Using Open Technology

Interior shot of a bright stairwell with a wide central ramp and large windows along the right-hand side.

Interior shot of a pleasantly designed birthing room with a round tub, floral wallpaper and medical equipment.

Interior view of a state-of-the-art operating theatre with ceiling-mounted equipment, monitors and a centrally positioned operating table.

An exterior shot of a modern hospital building with a clean, white façade and tree tops in the foreground.