Kindergarten and apartments - Chur, Switzerland

Specially constructed wooden ceilings were used as the primary storage elements. The closely arranged beams are aligned with the dimensions of the sand-lime bricks placed on them and increase the storage capacity four times compared to a smooth wooden ceiling. The ceiling of the Kindergarten had to be substituted to increase sound absorption, so the architectural proposal was to use special elements that also absorb heat. The Kindergarten profit clearly more than the Apartments of this technical solution.

The choice of materials is in line with the pre-existences.

Decentralized ventilation monoblocks were installed in the kindergartens and decentralized comfort ventilation systems with heat recovery come in the new apartments. This enable operation with a high heat recovery factor that is adapted to the occupancy of the individual rooms. In summer, the devices of the kindergarten can also be used for night cooling. The ventilation decentral devices are installed in the bathrooms. Apartments: the ducts and vents are integrated in the roof. Kindergarten: the vents are in the walls of the bathrooms while the ducts are masked with a lowered ceiling.

The impact on the building has been reduced to a minimum with the choice of using decentralized appliances that do not require invasive conduct.

Decentralized ventilation monoblocks were installed in the kindergartens, which serve as night cooling in summer.

The interventions for the cooling did not bring any particularly invasive interventions with the exception of the solar collectors on the roof (cfr. roof section)

35m² of thermal collectors for hot water heating and heating support were installed on the roof of the conversion. The lack of energy is covered by the pellets system.

The interventions for the DHW did not bring any particularly invasive interventions with the exception of the solar collectors on the roof (cfr. roof section)

35m² of thermal collectors for hot water and heating support were installed on the roof of the conversion. The final yield of reach approximately 21'000kWh per year. The yield covers the demand of about 19'000 kWh of the reconstruction by far, even a high surplus is balanced, but in the winter months the coverage is not sufficient. The surplus is transferred to the attached 3-family house at Calandastrasse 48. In return, the CO2-neutral pellet heating system, which will be installed in 2014, will provide the missing heat for the conversion during the winter months. The aim is to achieve an annual balance between exports and imports. BIPV and ST plants covers 95% of energy demand (NZEB). The project was awarded with the Swiss Solar Prize Diploma 2016 - Category B, Buildings: renovations.

The solar thermal system complies with many of the geometric and spatial and construction compatibility criteria required by current regulations for the integration of solar systems in historic buildings (grouping, coplanarity with the roof slope, respect for the eaves lines and roof edge, joint precision, etc.). The aesthetic, material and colour compatibility with the existing roof is not optimal, but the final result is good and well integrated with other new elements incorporated in the renovation of the building such as the dormers.

Solar thermal system is integrated in the top of the roof in the south-west slope, in the internal courtyard of the building, with a uniform appearance similar to the photovoltaic system integrated in the building.

The 8.6 kW strong and 54 m² large BIPV system, which is optically well integrated but not over the entire surface, generates 9,000 kWh/y of solar power. BIPV and ST plants covers 95% of energy demand (NZEB). The project was awarded with the Swiss Solar Prize Diploma 2016 - Category B, Buildings: renovations

Solar photovoltaic system is integrated in the top of the roof in the south-west slope, in the internal courtyard of the building, with a uniform appearance similar to the solar thermal system integrated in the building. The system complies with many of the geometric and spatial and construction compatibility criteria required by current regulations for the integration of solar systems in historic buildings (grouping, coplanarity with the roof slope respect for the eaves lines and roof edge, joint precision, etc.). The aesthetic, material and colour compatibility with the existing roof is not optimal, but the final result is good and well integrated with other new elements incorporated in the renovation of the building such as the dormers.

With the energetic renovation and an innovative heat network concept with the adjoining apartment building (MFH) with three families, the city of Chur is paving the way for the energy transition. There is a combined PV and thermal system on the roof. It covers its own energy requirements with 28,300 kWh / a to 95%. The solar excess heat of around 9,100 kWh / a, which cannot be used in the transition period and in summer, is delivered to the neighbouring MFH. In the winter half-year, the pellet heating of the neighbouring MFH supplies the kindergartens and penthouses with 8,800 kWh of heat.

In the basement of the neighbour house there was a gas central heating which was replaced in 2014 by a pellet heating. This supplied the house and the annex, including the apartments on the upper floor.

The interventions for the heat production did not bring any particularly invasive interventions. The neighbour house is protected and this renovation didn't touch it.

The heating did replace an existing old one