BIGMODERN - Subproject 5: Feasibility studies about innovative technical solutions

The application of innovative technologies means additional planning and coordination effort which usually cannot be incorporated into the conventional planning processes of the BIG. To overcome these barriers for the application of innovative technologies, the sub project at hand aims at preparing information, feasibility studies, planning records, experiences and practical examples in a way, that they can be implemented directly into the planning process.

Short Description

This project is a sub project of the flagship project "BIGMODERN - Sustainable modernisation standards for buildings owned by the Federal Republic of Austria of the period from the 1950s to the 1980s"

Status

completed

Summary

Starting point / motivation

To reach the aim of sustainable refurbish-standards in praxis, there have to be bigger changes in different technologies. Innovative technologies in the context of modernization mean additional efforts in planning and coordination, which are hardly possible in the standard planning process. Changes in the standard planning process and in the used technologies imply risks for the building owner like exploding costs, less saving than planned in operation and susceptibility to failure. To get innovations into modernization-standards, these risks have to be minimized.

The core element of the flagship project is the implementation of two demonstration projects, which should be modernized especially for the BIG according to above-average quality standards concerning energy efficiency and sustainability while complying with an industrial management point of view. This is supposed to rise the BIG’s awareness of breaking new grounds in order to maintain innovative and yet cost-effective renovations.

The aim is to set new standards in conventional renovation and to tap the BIG’s full potential concerning implementations.

Contents and Objectives

Aim of this sub-project is to gather and prepare informations/experiences of pilot projects and research, so that it can be directly used in the planning and decision process of the building owner Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft (BIG) and other building owners. The results of subproject support the planner and project-manager in the draft-design and design phase of the innovative elements of the renovations with decision-standards and analytical tools.

The main target-field is the modernization of school- and office-buildings of the 50s to 80s. Final result is a decision matrix and a planning-handbook with collected feasibility facts and informations. The project will lead to sustainable standards with innovative technologies as normal modernization-standard, minimizing the risks in the lead-up design of projects.

For the refurbishment of the school- and office-buildings of the 50s to 80s four main fields of investigation have been identified:

Subsequent installation of ventilation systems with heat recovery: Without heat recovery the energy savings are limited due to ventilation heat losses – the chance for higher renovation standards would be lost. Indoor air quality is also a significant factor in school buildings. At the moment there are only few experiences existing for these kind of buildings.
Shading, daylight and lighting: In existing buildings it is a challenge to get the optimum between shading and energy efficient lighting and the use of daylight. But it is a central issue for ergonomic workplaces.
Sustainable cooling and summer comfort: To reach comfortable conditions in office buildings in the summertime is getting more and more important. In future refurbishments of office-buildings all advantages from passive cooling and sustainable cooling systems should be taken.
Innovative facade systems: High and efficient quality standards in refurbishment normally means high burdens for the user (dust, noise, long-term building sites, changing windows etc.). To avoid these burdens, innovative and prefabricated facade systems will be pushed forward with this project.

Results

In the frame of this subproject being part of the flagship project BIGMODERN, a decision matrix as well as a handbook for planning, including feasibility facts and a collection of information, serving as decision guidance for planning and implementation of sustainable building refurbishment, is being developed. In this way, the risk for planners and builders of the usage of new sustainable technologies shall be minimised.

The sub-project contributed remarkably to an integrated design process with a comprehensive tuning and optimisation process between the planning of the sub-systems of the building. In this context integrated planning can be seen as an indispensable requirement for the implementation of high-level standards with respect to sustainability and energy efficiency in the modernisation of federal public buildings.

Project Partners

Project management

Mag. Dirk Jäger
Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft m. b. H.

Project or cooperation partner

DI (FH) Gerhard Hofer, Mag. Klemens Leutgöb, DI Margot Grim, Dipl. Umwelt-Natw. ETH Màrton Varga
e7 Energie Markt Analyse GmbH
DI Gerhard Bucar
Grazer Energieagentur GmbH

Contact Address

Architekt Mag. Dirk Jäger
BIG Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft m.b.H.
Hintere Zollamtsstraße 1
1031 Wien
Tel.: + 43 05 0244 4829
E-Mail: Dirk.JAeGER@big.at
Web: www.big.at