Sugar Valley

Salvis Consulting brought CSMM on board right from the start as a strategic partner for innovative, user-centric workplaces. With a focus on flexible floorplans and structural adaptability, the aim was to build future-proof offices that respond to the tenants’ needs as they evolve. 

Positioning and marketing the development were also part of the brief, particularly with respect to diversity of uses, enhanced quality of life and a strong neighbourhood identity. Placemaking is the guiding principle here: creating indoor and outdoor spaces as well as structural elements that foster a sense of belonging, build community and stand the test of time.



With this in mind, Torsten Bischoff (Managing Director, Salvis Consulting AG), Andreas Hofmann (Head of Letting and Sustainability, Salvis Consulting AG) and Timo Brehme (Managing Partner, CSMM GmbH) joined architectural journalist Alexander Russ to discuss how consulting and design partners can act as a bridge between user needs, financial goals and the urban planning context. The conversation covers topics ranging from placemaking and flexible floorplans to strategies for creating resilient, future-proof neighbourhoods—highlighting the appeal of Sugar Valley as a model for sustainable transformation in Munich and beyond.

Alexander Russ 
With Sugar Valley, you are creating a new development designed to bring people together—a real focal point for the neighbourhood. There has never been anything like it at this location, a place where residents can mingle with the people working in the local offices and visitors from other parts of Munich. The concept of “place-making” works well in this context. How do you define place-making—and where does it fit in with your concept for the neighbourhood?

Torsten Bischoff
For us, placemaking is a mix of mindset, strategy and design with the main focus on places people use every day. Places that are shaped by both the residents and visitors, that foster well-being and that use sustainable principles to make the city more liveable and resilient—in other words, fit for the future. It takes more than just good ideas to achieve this; it requires a well-defined, well-thought-out strategy. Placemaking means managing complex processes, coordinating different stakeholders and working together to develop effective long-term solutions. The final design translates all of this into architecture: a visible, physical manifestation of the mindset and the strategy. 



Architecture and urban planning as we understand them are about creating open, inclusive and useful spaces that shape the day-to-day lives of the people who use them, provide opportunities for people to come together and promote social cohesion. For us, there is a deep sense of responsibility in placemaking—for the quality of urban spaces, for society as a whole and for our shared, sustainable future. Enhancing quality of life is just one aspect. We also want to provide diversity of uses—living, working, shopping—in close proximity, in other words, a city of short distances. Some people advocate for a “15-minute city”. We like to call Sugar Valley the “5-minute neighbourhood”. We see it as part of a broader trend in society, where people are looking for solutions to our sustainability challenges, trying to figure out what it means in today’s world to promote well-being and do the right thing. It is the quality of the overall package that counts in the end: developments that offer real added value, places that appeal to people at the same time other, more traditional models are losing popularity.



Timo Brehme
We deliberately use the word “placemaking”, because it is an idea you can apply at any scale—whether it’s the broader urban planning context or the interior design of a single space. Our top priority is to make these buildings flexible over the long term—with efficient, convertible floorplans or adaptable structures designed to meet future needs. We can apply these same principles at the micro-level—for example, designing a workplace that evolves with changing needs—and at the macro-level of planning an entire city. Diversity of uses is a crucial factor. I completely agree with Torsten Bischoff when he talks about monofunctional neighbourhoods losing popularity as mixed-use developments that combine residential, office and retail space gain more appeal. Placemaking in this context means building developments that offer more than just a pleasant experience; they offer the kind of dynamism and diversity that creates identity, brings people together and increases quality of life over the long term. We see it as the connective tissue linking mindset, strategy and design, from city planning all the way to designing an office coffee station.

Alexander Russ 
So far, we have been talking about placemaking in conceptual terms. Perhaps we can delve more into the details: How did you put these placemaking principles into practice in this development?




Andreas Hofmann
We started out with an overall urban planning strategy and a master plan for our development, which is a huge undertaking. The first step towards securing approval is to make sure the architectural design blends in well with its surroundings. For us as developers, this is always about striking the right balance between the financial implications and the density, scale and proportions that suit the site. We tried to adapt and reinterpret the mix of architecture already at the site without introducing a contrast that was too harsh. One of the existing buildings was almost 400 metres long, cutting off everything south of Boschetsrieder Strasse—no sightlines, no connections. Our goal was to make the development permeable and enable people to come and go as they please and to stay connected. The second step was to define what amenities we wanted in the neighbourhood. Our main priority was enhancing the users’ quality of life. We designed the outdoor spaces to bring people together—with five playgrounds for various age groups that were deliberately linked to the hospitality units. That way, parents can sit in a café and still watch their kids at the playground. A real win/win! We envisioned it sort of like "Käthe-Kollwitz-Platz" in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg neighbourhood. This is where our temporary use initiatives were particularly useful. They gave us an opportunity to test what really works—from simple things like ping-pong tables to more sophisticated cultural happenings. Thanks to these experiences, we gained valuable insight into which amenities belong in the neighbourhood for the long term.





Alexander Russ 
Before we sat down, you mentioned that it often doesn’t take much to achieve this…



Torsten Bischoff
That’s right. Really simple, almost mundane things often make the most difference. For example, the ping-pong zone was one of the pop-up initiatives that enjoyed the broadest appeal, both among office workers on their lunch break and the neighbourhood kids after school. The same applies to our outdoor spaces. We designed them specifically to attract different groups of people. Then, of course, there is the question concerning use in a larger sense. What would it take to get people saying, “This is exactly the kind of infrastructure I want in the place I live and work.”? And what about the people in the surrounding neighbourhoods? We’re talking about everything from neighbourhood services to small-scale retail. Fortunately for us, there are a few large supermarkets nearby, so our development didn’t have to provide for all the occupants’ needs—we were able to concentrate on day-to-day demands instead. These were our guiding principles when we designed Sugar Valley.

Andreas Hofmann
There’s also another question: What do we locate where? In terms of the urban planning, we made a conscious choice to mix things up. We literally threw all the different amenities into a box, gave it a strong shake and then spread them out in different areas: some residential units here and a few offices there, all centred around a public square. Having a centrepiece like this was crucial for us—not only in terms of the amenities on offer, but also to provide some cultural accents. The square is a magnet that draws people to the neighbourhood, from the immediate vicinity but also from further away. That is why openness was such a top priority for us. A lot of developments see themselves as closed-loop systems, clearly segregated from their surroundings. Our approach in Obersendling was different right from the start—we didn’t want to build a self-contained island, but rather a transparent, permeable neighbourhood that blends into the surrounding area and seeks to integrate rather than separate.



Timo Brehme
This reminds me of a quote from Jan Gehl, the Danish city planner who was an early opponent of the car-centric city and advocated for urban development “at a human scale”. He said that a good city—or a good neighbourhood—should be like a good party. Everyone stays longer than they probably should. If you take that idea one step further, you ask yourself, where do most of the people hang out at a party? It’s usually in the kitchen—huddled close together, enjoying social interaction and having the refreshments within reach. This was a big motivation for us, to put the food and the drinks at a central location where the people tend to gather. These are the kinds of things that bring a neighbourhood to life.


Andreas Hofmann
If we manage to achieve what Timo is talking about, then we will have accomplished our mission: Inspiring people who work here to stick around after they finish for the day. They may even come back at the weekend and invite their friends to attend a concert, grab a bite to eat or just enjoy the outdoor amenities together.

Alexander Russ 
Taking this idea further, is it possible to translate this approach into concrete building design—particularly in office properties? When you are designing a building, you have no idea which tenants will occupy the space in the end, how they structure their operations or how they work. How can you still create user-centred design?



Timo Brehme
There were more than 100 people working on this process.
Designing a development at this scale is very complex, and at this early stage, you generally don’t have any future tenants at the table. That doesn’t mean we can’t still design with them in mind. After all, it’s important to tailor the floorplan design, the structural adaptability and the finishings to the needs of actual users from the start—even when faced with a wide range of design specifications and building codes. This approach is what we mean when we say “user-centred design”.

Alexander Russ  
Can you give us an example of what happens when stakeholders have conflicting objectives?

Timo Brehme
High-rise design in Munich is a classic example. City planners want a skyline with slim, elegant towers, but the strict height restrictions make this practically impossible. To build a financially viable and user-friendly high-rise, you need ample space on each floor, ideally 1,000 square metres or more. Slimmer towers look great, but there is often such limited space available that it simply isn’t practical for most uses. This is an example of how city planning requirements directly conflict with occupant needs.

Torsten Bischoff
This is what we had in mind when we started designing the development—users who don’t even exist yet. It’s also the main reason we got CSMM on board so early in the process. In many projects, the architects do their best work when they have a clear, defined concept for the space and its use; for example, when they already know who the future tenants will be and exactly what they need. This case was completely different: We’re designing spaces for unknown users, and we have no idea what they actually need, what kind of organisation they run or how they work. This vacuum—we call this a “planning delta”—can be tricky, because you might make decisions during this phase that could potentially limit certain future uses. Our shared task was to strategically fill this delta, with assumptions based on our market experience, current trends and similar developments—and with designs that allow for the widest possible range of future uses.

Andreas Hofmann
The early stages are when key decisions are made. We usually set the fixed volume of each building in the master or development plan and that determines what options are available in each case. If you make the wrong decisions during this phase, they could be very difficult to correct later on. That is why it is so crucial to bring all of the disciplines on board early—first in the urban planning phase and later when we start on the architectural design. We worked together as a team to evaluate the long-term viability of each entry in the competition. That way, we started with everything in place for buildings that would be easy to let and meet the demands of future tenants.




Timo Brehme
You have to decide right at the start whether you plan to rent the building to a single tenant or to multiple tenants. Designing for multi-tenant use from the beginning is the only way to keep all the options open later on, regardless of whether, for example, the tenant is a law firm with a lot of individual offices or someone who prefers a more spacious, open-plan layout. We refer to this as the "white space" between the façade and the core—and the way you design this white space determines the range of scenarios that are possible over time. 

A key point here is to identify possible limitations early on and to determine the degree of flexibility that makes the most financial sense—after all, flexibility comes at a cost. So, we define the surface area, width and ceiling height early in the planning phase to ensure we can accommodate different use strategies. It is equally important to have the right technical infrastructure to allow for later adjustments without too much effort. While technical planners often have to keep certain specifications within a fixed range, it is vital to keep your options open here. The same applies when you consider whether a space could be used as a laboratory in the future. These kinds of considerations are part of the planning process from start to finish—and the best way to ensure a property’s longevity.

Torsten Bischoff
After a series of long, complex discussions, we came to a bold conclusion: In one of our office buildings, we deliberately placed the access points on the exterior façade—contrary to common design principles, which normally reserve spaces with the most natural light for traditional private offices. Our goal was to leave the interior space as open and as flexible as possible. In our view, these interior zones are likely to become more popular in the work-place designs of the future—whether as meeting rooms and communication zones or as an open office kitchen or a cafeteria for the entire staff. By shifting certain features to the façade, we opened up interior space for tenants to adapt to different workplace models. This was an unusual step that called for a bold approach. That said, we’re confident our solution will meet the requirements of tenants today and also keep the building viable and competitive for years to come. After all, there is nothing more disappointing than finding out you have to tear down a 20 to 30-year-old building simply because it’s no longer fit for purpose.

Alexander Russ 
You mentioned that flexibility has its cost. Could you give us a concrete scenario that would force developers to choose between budget and flexibility?

Torsten Bischoff
Building services are a good example, particularly when it comes to ventilation. Let’s say you want tenants to be able to use the property as an office but also as a laboratory—that would increase the required air exchange rate by a factor of five to seven. For that, you need significantly bigger riser shafts, more density in the offices and a larger share of communal space. The amount of lettable space will decrease as a result, which lowers rent income and, in turn, the purchase price.

Timo Brehme
This is where we ask a key question: How much flexibility do you really need and how much effort and money are you willing to invest to achieve it? A larger volume of air means larger duct cross-sections, higher ceilings and more complex technology. In extreme cases, it may even mean you lose an entire storey, if there are height restrictions in place. Flexibility starts with the most basic decisions: whether to have a series of individual offices or a spacious, open-plan layout. You need to know from the beginning whether a building might potentially let space to multiple tenants. It is vital to evaluate early on where restrictions might arise and whether you can provide more options. This includes defining usable area, width and ceiling height in a way that allows various use strategies—along with the technical infrastructure that can be adapted later on with a reasonable amount of effort. For technical planners, that often means abandoning your fixed targets. But it is still crucial to think about scenarios that you haven’t planned for yet: Could the space be used as a lab in the future? Would it be possible to convert the space for that purpose? Considerations like these help secure a building’s long-term value, and they are a key part of the process from beginning to end.



Torsten Bischoff
Everything is connected—from supporting structures to space efficiency. These are all decisions that need interdisciplinary input.

Andreas Hofmann 
We also introduced a special feature in Sugar Valley that isn’t commonplace today. The first office tower is designed so that single tenants can install internal staircases between floors. This not only creates a physical connection, but also a visual connection between the storeys—a real bonus for communication and cohesion. There is, however, a cost associated with this option for preparing the ceilings and installing fire safety systems.

Torsten Bischoff
In some cases, we also added higher load capacities in certain areas—even in the high-rise—to accommodate non-standard uses. There are also enlarged openings in the façade as well as one ground-floor façade that opens completely to make the building accessible to vehicles if necessary. All of these measures come at an additional cost, but they also allow for significantly more potential uses.

Andreas Hofmann
It is important to note that flexibility is always synonymous with longevity. When your building is designed to be converted for different uses with minimal disruption, you save resources and extend its life. This is how we know that flexibility is important not just in terms of the supporting structure or the building services, but also in terms of meeting the needs of future users. 

Timo Brehme
The “Flight-to-Quality” trend is also a key factor for users. It allows companies to reduce their overall surface area while also investing significantly more in the quality of the workstations and communal areas. This is changing the way tenants configure their office space: fewer traditional private offices and far more special-purpose spaces such as meeting rooms, breakout rooms and open-plan team zones. The density of technical equipment increases as a result—and although there’s no DIN standard for this, it’s something you need to keep in mind during the planning stage. Here’s an example: Let’s say a company rents 5,000 square metres instead of 10,000 square metres and decides instead to invest in top-class fittings and fixtures. That means a much more appealing environment, higher staff satisfaction and more opportunities for employees to interact. We need to design more flexible spaces, so that they will still be relevant and adaptable even in ten or twenty years’ time.

Alexander Russ 
Would it theoretically be possible to convert an office building into flats at a later date?

Torsten Bischoff
That depends heavily on the building regulations. No residential use is permitted in commercial zones. It wasn’t until the government passed the German Land Use Ordinance (Baunutzungsverordnung) in 2017 that we could start designating certain areas as an “urbanes Gebiet”, or urban area. This relatively new category allows for mixed use of housing, offices, amenities and culture. That is why we included one building in the development plan with sufficient ceiling heights and a flexible façade design that will accommodate a change in use from hotel to office and vice versa.

Alexander Russ 
Let’s move on to the topic of sustainability. You have a 100-point plan for the development. Can you give us a brief summary?

Andreas Hofmann
From the very beginning, we thought about how sustainable we actually wanted to be. We came up with the following formula: net-zero carbon emissions during construction, net-zero carbon emissions in operation and 100% ESG compliance. In terms of operating the buildings, we are relying primarily on our low-energy solutions. And for the construction phase, we introduced a range of measures designed to reduce carbon emissions—for example, hollow core slabs that require 30 to 35% less concrete as well as engineered concrete with additives that further lower emissions. This allows us to hit targets that are similar to or better than those of timber-hybrid construction—without any of the potential structural issues. 100% ESG compliance is our next goal. The EU’s Taxonomy Regulation forces investors to prioritise sustainable buildings, so we conducted a legal review early on to determine whether we can comply with the EU’s disclosure regulations for Article 9 products, the highest sustainability category.

Torsten Bischoff
That’s how we came up with our 100-point plan: We made sure that every action was clearly assigned to a taxonomy category so we can benchmark ourselves on an ongoing basis—from technical solutions to details such as salt-free winter road maintenance or environmentally-friendly cleaning products.

Alexander Russ 
Is there one thing you are particularly proud of?

Andreas Hofmann
Our low-energy strategy is certainly the centrepiece. We are particularly proud of the lifecycle assessment tool we used during the planning stage. With this tool, we verified the carbon emission levels and recyclability of every material we selected.

Alexander Russ 
Does the circular economy play a role here?

Andreas Hofmann
Absolutely. Every new build has a building material passport that documents which materials were recycled, which are recyclable and how to disassemble the building later.

Alexander Russ 
Mobility is also a priority for the development. What is your plan?

Torsten Bischoff
We take the long view when it comes to mobility: Public transport is right on the doorstep, and we have various options on site, from car sharing and cargo bikes to ample bicycle parking and an underground car park with EV charging stations. And with the digital tools we use to manage occupancy in the underground car park, we can minimise the number of parking spots.

Andreas Hofmann
Connectivity is also one of our top priorities. Our digital platform bundles the car and bike sharing options, public transport tickets and neighbourhood information for users. That way, they can switch seamlessly between different modes of transport.

Torsten Bischoff
And as cycling continues to grow in popularity, we decided to separate the car and bike traffic, designing bright, easily visible bike parking spaces on the ground floor along with showers, changing rooms and lockers—a detail users like a lot. We are also setting up a “bike shower” where cyclists can wash their bikes on site.

Alexander Russ 
One last question: What impact do you think the neighbourhood will have over the long term?

Timo Brehme
There have been a lot of neighbourhood developments in Munich—but sadly not all of them have been successful.It is my hope that this project will gain recognition far beyond Munich thanks to its quality, diversity of uses and broad appeal. Our temporary use initiatives have already shown that this neighbourhood has the potential to attract people and bring them together. If we manage to maintain this energy through the final roll-out, our development will become a compelling model of effective urban development.

Andreas Hofmann
At Sugar Valley, we have the opportunity to transform an entire neighbourhood covering four hectares—and potentially expand the current focus beyond the city centre. We strive to be open, transparent and diverse, and we are prepared to put in the pioneering work it takes to achieve this.

Torsten Bischoff
Our goal is to create a dynamic, thriving neighbourhood with a 24/7 buzz. If the broader Munich community embraces it and people start coming here from outside the immediate area, our efforts will have all been worth it. What matters most to us is not that the concept is copied—but that our development process serves as a model for other developers.

Alexander Russ 
Many thanks for the discussion.