flächiger Baukörper

English translation: mid-rise/moderate height

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	flächiger Baukörper
English translation:	mid-rise/moderate height
Entered by:	Sanni Kruger (X)

09:55 Nov 24, 2015

German to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Architecture / Description of a building concept

German term or phrase: flächiger Baukörper

"...zum anderen wird mit dem *flächigen Baukörper* bewusst ein ruhiger Akzent gesetzt und kein weiterer Hochpunkt innerhalb der städtebaulichen Umgebung erzeugt."
This is from a description of a new building, justifying their decsion not to build a highrise building. I don't seem to be able to find an elegant translation for this.

Sanni Kruger (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 85 (1 open) (8 without valid answers) (15 closed without grading) Answers: 77 United Kingdom
Local time: 03:24

mid-rise/moderate height

Explanation:
Considering the fact that this building is six stories high, I would either say mid-rise or of moderate height. "Ruhiger Akzent," in my view, means that it's neither too high nor too low - more like low-key (or in German "unaufgeregt," i.e., calm).

"flächig" seems to be comparably low with a relatively flat roof - at least that's what I could gather from what I found during my web search.

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Note added at 9 hrs (2015-11-24 19:07:04 GMT)
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Added note:
Despite the discussion only focusing on height, you probably want to add in there that this building (as said above) provides some space on the roof (imagine a block of flats or an apartment complex).

I limited my answer to the term in question, since building seems to be an accepted translation of Baukörper.

"Unter Baukörper wird das vom Menschen sichtbare und erlebbare Gesamtvolumen eines Gebäudes mit und ohne nutzbare Innenräume verstanden. Die architektonische Gestaltung ist vor allem auf die Ausformung der Grenzflächen der Baukörper gerichtet."
http://m.schuelerlexikon.de/mobile_kunst/Architektur_des_Ein...

Architecture is the design of buildings, inside and out, and sites including structural, mechanical, and other systems (with or without consultants for those systems).
https://www.otis.edu/sites/default/files/OTIS_Architecture-L...

Selected response from:

Björn Vrooman
Local time: 04:24

Grading comment

Thanks once again for your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

low-rise building

philgoddard

3 +1

ground-hugging structure/building

barbarameyer

mid-rise/moderate height

Björn Vrooman

homogenous structure

Ramey Rieger (X)

Discussion entries: 9

Björn Vrooman

18:43 Nov 24, 2015

Thank you very much, I just did. Our posts were simply coinciding, so I had to switch to the answer section :)

Sanni Kruger (X)

United Kingdom

ASKER

18:36 Nov 24, 2015

Thank you everyone for the interesting discussion. It's really helped me and my solution is something along the line of "a wider structure of a more moderate height", which I think reads very well in the context.
Björn why don't you post your "mid-rise/moderate height" suggestion as an answer and I'm happy to award you the points?

Björn Vrooman

Additional note

18:34 Nov 24, 2015

I found the reference and I think half of a sentence needs to be added to make it clearer:
"Mit der bewussten Entscheidung, kein Landmark in der Form eines Hochhauses zu erzeugen, sondern subtile, nachhaltige städtebauliche Ergänzung orientiert sich der Neubau in seiner Massstäblichkeit an der benachbarten..."

Considering the other sources I found and what seehand said, I'd say flächig is meant as:
comparably low and pretty flat roof to provide some room/space

I strongly disagree with the notion that "ground-hugging" works well with "ruhiger Akzent," since Akzent means that the building is not that high - or low! - compared to other ones surrounding it (or compared to other points in the skyline of a city) - hence, comparably low.

I have two other words for you with regarding your context, maybe I'll add some more if they pop up in my head:

low-key (first thought I had)
https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/Coningham and Lime Grove webs...

plain-spoken
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-facebook-...

Just to give you some ideas. Like marketing, architectural topics can be hard to digest...

Björn Vrooman

@seehand

17:11 Nov 24, 2015

I thought about this too, since flächig is stated as "extensive" in some dictionaries, but the sources I've found were more in the sense of "flach" = "nicht sonderlich hoch."

seehand

Germany

not so sure

17:05 Nov 24, 2015

but couldn't it be something like an elongated or rectangular building form? I think the focus is really on the form ...

Björn Vrooman

15:06 Nov 24, 2015

Just happy to help.

And while Phil may be right that there is no universal definition of low-rise, I much prefer the categories of low/mid/high for use in architecture.

Best wishes

Sanni Kruger (X)

United Kingdom

ASKER

14:33 Nov 24, 2015

@Björn Vrooman

I think "a structure of a more moderate height..." hits the nail on the head. Thanks for your suggestion.

Björn Vrooman

@Sanni

12:39 Nov 24, 2015

There is also "mid-rise building," which would work in your case.

[American Heritage Dictionary entry at:]
http://www.yourdictionary.com/mid-rise

Or "of moderate height" - but either way, it will underline that this building is not going to be another skyscraper.

oa_xxx (X)

Germany

11:31 Nov 24, 2015

low-lying? or low-rise.

Answers

7 mins confidence:

homogenous structure

Explanation:
It's rather difficult to be even halfway certain without an image to go by, but I assume form the context that they mean it fits in with the surroundings. I took the 'flächig' to mean planar...

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 04:24
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43

1 hr confidence:

low-rise building

Explanation:
This appears to be a picture of the building concerned. As you say, it's the opposite of high-rise: the dictionary gives "flat" and "planar", which don't quite work here.

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Note added at 4 hrs (2015-11-24 14:30:02 GMT)
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There is no universal definition of lowrise.

Reference: http://www.dict.cc/german-english/fl%C3%A4chig.html
Reference: http://www.competitionline.com/de/beitraege/80313

philgoddard
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 31

Notes to answerer

Asker: It's close, but does not exactly hit the mark because according to my research, low-rise buildings are only up to 3 storeys high and this one has 6. Perhpas I shoudl have made that clearer in my question.

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

ground-hugging structure/building

Explanation:
...would go well with ein ruhiger Akzent in the sentence and, at the same time, contrast well with the idea of a high-rise building.

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Note added at 8 hrs (2015-11-24 18:26:12 GMT)
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Since "low-rise buildings are only up to 3 storeys high and this one has 6", you could call it matter-of-factly a <non-high-rise building/structure.

...further analysis showed that there was an injury rate of 0.1 per fire in both high-rise and non-high-rise buildings.
http://surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/R018-57D4.pdf

Building Fires report suggests the risk of death during a high-rise building fire is significantly lower than in a non-high-rise building.
http://www.securitysales.com/article/life-safety-to-get-fire...

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Note added at 8 hrs (2015-11-24 18:29:19 GMT)
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@ Sanni Kruger

You say that "low-rise buildings are only up to 3 storeys high and this one has 6". To circumvent the problem, you could call it matter-of-factly a non-high-rise building/structure, as in the links posted above.

barbarameyer
Native speaker of:

German,

English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Eleanore Strauss: very nice

1 hr

-> Thank you, ElliCom

neutral

Björn Vrooman: Would work - if it were not for the fact that the asker said that the building has 6 stories. // A lot can contrast with high-rise buildings, even mid-rise ones. You can't pick and choose from context, since that will render the answer useless.

1 hr

-> Asker's context: "...justifying their decsion not to build a highrise building". You're looking at the 6 storeys, I'm looking at the (contrast with the) high-rise building.

neutral

Ramey Rieger (X): I like the image very much, but can't apply it to a 6-storey building. Sorry!

1 hr

-> Asker's context: "...justifying their decsion not to build a highrise building". You're looking at the 6 storeys, I'm looking at the (contrast with the) high-rise building.

8 hrs confidence:

flächig

mid-rise/moderate height

Björn Vrooman
Local time: 04:24
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

Thanks once again for your help.

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English translation: mid-rise/moderate height

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