A sustainable concept

RHEINZINK material defines the building’s overall concept. In addition to a hidden RHEINZINK solar-heat installation on the roof, a geothermal installation is in place in combination with a heat pump (Hautec). A rainwater utilisation system (nautilus Wassermanagement) conserves potable water resources for sanitary facilities, while level-032 thermal insulation from Isover preserves valuable warmth. One of the declared goals of the building is to fulfil the KfW 40 standard (requiring no more than 40 kWh per square metre of surface area per year). The wooden structural supports (with planking of environmentally friendly OSB plates from Egger) and soft wood fibre board – as well as the windows and their thermal transmission coefficient of 0.9 W/m²K – represent the cutting edge of current technology.

The building technology chosen is a decisive factor in future operating costs. For example, the ventilation system from eht-Siegmund was coupled with the RHEINZINK SolarThermie installation for the building’s climate control, making virtually self-sustaining use possible in terms of heat and air-conditioning technology. In addition, the reversible heat pump installed is capable of cooling the building by transferring its heat back into the ground or directly to the RHEINZINK SolarThermie installation.

Meanwhile, the ventilation system includes a heat recovery component consisting of a cross-flow heat exchanger with aluminium plates. In the winter, the outgoing air passes through the heat exchanger at around 21°C, warming the outside air from -10°C to an incoming temperature of 11°C.

The materials utilised in the building’s interior were also selected with an eye toward sustainability. Only high-quality, long-lasting products were chosen, down to the doors (Kleine-Türen-Manufaktur) and water-conserving sanitary fixtures (Dornbracht).

In implementing the building concept, we sought out cooperations with other innovative German producers of quality. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners once again for their dedicated support.