Freihof Sulz

Schützenstraße 14

6832

Sulz, Austria

Architect

Arch. DI Beate Nadler-Kopf
Eisplatzstraße 1-1a A 6845 Hohenems
nadler-kopf@aon.at

Owner

Bauherrin: Lydia Zettler-Madlener
Besitzer: Dietmar Schönberger

User

Gasthaus und Veranstaltungen im Freihof Sulz
Schützenstraße 14, A-6832 Sulz
info@freihofsulz.at
+43 5522 45808

Contact Details

Tobias Hatt
Energieinstitut Vorarlberg
tobias.hatt@energieinstitut.at

Other Information

Visits
Restaurant and events at Freihof Sulz, Schützenstraße 14, A-6832 Sulz

Related publications
https://nachhaltigwirtschaften.at/de/hdz/projekte/sanierung-oekologischer-freihof-sulz.php
©lic.oec. Martin Rhomberg, Theodor Fries GmbH
Renovation of ecological Freihof Sulz: Holistic redevelopment of the cultural heritage "Freihof Sulz", which is worthy of preservation, into a lively meeting place. A demonstration object for local culture and quality of life, old building techniques, as well as energy-saving and ecological renovation.
Energy performance
55,77 kWh/m2.y

Climate Zone feuchtes und warmes Kontinentalklima Dfb

Altitude 502 m a.s.l.

HDD 3681

CDD 63

Protection level Listed

Conservation Area:
No

Level of Protection:
Bescheid

Building age 1700-1800

Year of last renovation:
2006

Year of previous renovation:
1900

Building use Restaurant/Stores/Practices

Secondary use:
Wholesale & Retail

Building occupancy:
Permanently occupied

Number of occupants/users:
20

Building area Net floor area [m²]: 1018,0

Building typology:
Detached house

Number of floors:
3

Basement yes/no:
Yes

Number of heated floors:
3

Gross floor area [m²]:
1034,0

Thermal envelope area [m²]:
1549,0

Volume [m³]:
3,103

NFA calculation method:
NGF (de)

Construction type
Stone masonry wall

External finish:
Rendered

Internal finish:
Wood panelling

Roof type:
Pitched roof

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©lic.oec. Martin Rhomberg, Theodor Fries GmbH
©lic.oec. Martin Rhomberg, Theodor Fries GmbH
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RENOVATION PROCESS

Architecture

BUILDING DESCRIPTION

The project project "Restoration of the cultural heritage Freihof Sulz", which is worthy of preservation, is characterised by an integrative planning process which, in addition to the classical suitability for use, takes into account above all the aspects of social compatibility, spatial compatibility, urban development and sustainability in the sense of economical and careful handling of rare resources as well as the sensible use of ecological building materials. The building envelope was renovated in an energy-saving manner with consideration of the cultural heritage. To this purpose, ecological materials were used and the use and further development of promising old building techniques and the energy supply through renewable energies were intended. In order to achieve the best possible result, the renovation was accompanied in a special process as part of a Haus der Zukunft project. In order to optimize the design and detailed planning as well as the tendering process, the research results of the Haus der Zukunft demo project "energetic refurbishment in protected areas" were adopted from listed buildings as a practical planning instrument for optimizing and promoting energy-saving refurbishments. A survey was carried out for each room individually and an individual refurbishment concept was developed for each room. The materials used were ecologically optimised with "baubook". Two integrative planner workshops were held in the run-up to the project, at which the overall objectives and detailed measures were discussed. The further development of old building techniques and building materials, especially the transfer to contemporary, future-oriented adobe construction techniques, was intensified in the project. The renovation was awarded the Austrian Building Owner Prize in 2008 and the Vorarlberg Hypo Building Owner Prize in 2010.
Heritage Assessment Files

State of repair

Conditions of the envelope
The older part of the country inn, preserved in rare originality, dates from 1796, with vaulted cellars of various sizes and room heights in the basement. On the ground floor there are the guest rooms of different character, a bakery, the kitchen and storerooms, still preserved in their original state. The upper floors accommodated the guest rooms as well as the event hall. This solid part of the building was built of quarry stones and was extended in 1899 to include a further hall and a storage room. According to the time, the construction method with fired bricks was simpler and cheaper. In 1914 the oven, which is still in good working order today, was installed. The increasing need for space resulted in a further reconstruction in 1927. From the 1950s onwards, the house lost its importance as a centre of local supply and one room after the other fell into a deep sleep. The plaster facade crumbled and the roof was leaking. The building services became obsolete and the building could no longer be used "modern".

HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE

ELEMENTS WORTHY OF PRESERVATION
Extract from the official notice of the office of monuments: A special feature are the windows with largely cambered glass, shutters and sandstone walls. The cellar from 1796 consists of three barrel vaulted rooms on different levels and with numerous wine barrels. On the ground floor and upper floor, the rooms mostly have parquet floors. Through the central corridor you enter the so-called "Egyptian Room" on the left, whose walls up to a height of approx. 1.70 m have a field panelling and above it a painted Egyptian landscape with sphinx, Nile and temple ruins. It was painted by the famous painter Florus Scheel from Feldkirch in 1896. The guest room opposite has painted field panelling up to the ceiling and houses a light green stove with art nouveau tiles. At the rear of the building is the bakery, which impresses with a mighty oven about 3 m wide with white-blue tiles from 1914.
Heritage Value Assesment
Status under monument protection since 2005. Built in 1796 and adapted several times during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the building follows traditional construction methods in its external appearance and ground plan. Of the historic interiors, the "Egyptian Room" from 1896 with paintings by Florus Scheel is particularly noteworthy. Orientalism was fashionable in the late Gründerzeit, and is a rarity in this type and in the ambience of a hotel. The furnishings of the hall on the first floor, which probably belongs to the same period, are also remarkable. Of economic and cultural-historical significance is the fact that the building was not only a traditional restaurant, but was also run in combination with relevant commercial enterprises - bakery, grocery, flour shop, distillery - which is also a special feature in this breadth.

Aim of retrofit

Renovation
The building owner Lydia Zettler had the vision to transform her ruinous parental home back into a lively meeting place where people meet and are inspired while shopping, enjoying a meal, attending seminars and festivals. The planning process involved an intensive examination of the house down to the smallest detail. The revitalization has been completed in the restaurant (organic restaurant and organic shop), which is lovingly run by the owner herself. The Freihof now radiates an atmosphere of warmth and magic that attracts people from beyond the town limits. With the support of the municipality, the office of monuments, the state and the federal government, the Freihof has succeeded in enriching the restaurant landscape with a piece of quality full of everyday culture. Quotation from the owner on the renovation process: "So right from the start, the people involved had to be aware of the overall result. For some time, this was a rethink that was not easy for everyone. The attitude of the craftsmen was often: "That doesn't pay off" or "that may be true, but...". But after a few weeks a new way of thinking emerged. Up to thirty different companies involved in the construction were discussing and considering how to preserve as much as possible with ecological materials and achieve an even better overall result. In the meantime, many of the craftsmen use the newly acquired experience or pass on their new knowledge. For example, the heating in the Rosensaal, as ceiling heating embedded in clay, is perceived as pleasant, as are the wall heating systems. These were installed in parts that could no longer be renovated. The planning and execution of these construction phases was complex, because they were unusual and partly untested".
Stakeholders Involvement
Public sector
Wohnbauförderung Land Vorarlberg
Landhaus, 6901 Bregenz
Private Sector
Energieinstitut Vorarlberg, BM Harald Gmeiner
Stadtstr.33 6850 Dornbirn
Research Development
DI Dr. Andrea Sonderegger
Oberfeldgasse 14, 6922 Wolfurt
Architect
Arch. DI Beate Nadler-Kopf
Eisplatzstraße 1-1a A 6845 Hohenems
nadler-kopf@aon.at
Conservation Consultant
DI. Mag. Barbara Keiler
Amtsplatz 1 6900 Bregenz
vorarlberg@bda.gv.at
Energy Consultant
Gebhard Bertsch
Dorfstrasse 192 A-6713 Ludesch
Services Engineer
Gebhard Bertsch
Dorfstrasse 192 A-6713 Ludesch
Other
DI Dr. Karl Torghele
Lustenauerstraße 64 6850 Dornbirn
Other
Mag. Martin Rauch
Quadernstrasse 7, 6824 Schlins, Österreich
Tools used
Was the renovation process done following a specific methodology? HdZ (Haus der Zukunft)-Demovorhaben, product declaration database "ÖBOX" and the criteria of Vorarlberger housing subsidies for the building pass
Energy calculation Energieausweis nach OIB RL-6
Hygrothermal assessment Bauphysikalisches Gutachten zu den Bauteilaufbauten
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) Produktdeklarationsdatenbank „ÖBOX“ und die Kriterien der Vorarlberger Wohnbauförderung für den Gebäudeausweis

RETROFIT SOLUTIONS

External Walls

Natural stone wall with internal islation and internal plastering

Natural stone wall with internal islation and internal plastering

The exterior walls, which did not have any plaster or paintings worthy of preservation on the inside, were insulated on the inside and a new plaster was applied. Except for two rooms, it was possible to install interior insulation in the plastered rooms everywhere. The rooms with interior wood panelling worth preserving were not insulated. The interior insulation was made with sustainable material wood fibre. To avoid possible later damage to the wooden beams in the natural stone masonry, the insulation thickness of the interior insulation had to be reduced on 6 cm. The insulation was pulled up over the ceiling. Where the ceiling was still ok, the edge area was cut open so that the insulation could be installed. The window reveals were insulated from the inside as shown in the picture on the left. The interior plaster was executed with lime.

The external appearance of the building was preserved, thus preserving the elements worthy of preservation. No interior insulation was applied to the interior panelling and paintings worthy of preservation, like the painting in the "Rosensaal"

U-value (pre-intervention) [W/m2K]: 1,26 W/m²K U-value (post-intervention) [W/m2K]: 0,45 W/m²K
More Details
Original wall build-up
Render - Lime Cement plaster:
30 mm
Stone - Natural stone:
620 mm
Render - lime plaster:
10 mm
Retrofitted wall build-up
Render - Lime Cement plaster:
30mm
Stone - Natural stone:
620 mm
Insulation - Wood fibre insulation:
60 mm
Render - lime render:
10 mm


Windows

cambered box-type windows in the groundfloor

New thermal insulation glazing and frames in kitchen and 2 upper floors

cambered box-type windows in the groundfloor

On the ground floor, where possible, the well preserved cambered windows have been retained. These are box-type windows with curved panes on the outside, which both open inner wards. Inside there is normal single glazing.

Due to the protection of historical monuments and well preserved cambered windows, the decision was made to retain the box-type windows. Repaired and replaced using old wood material parts that were rotten, fell off or were infested with pests. New wood was used for large damaged areas. Holes were filled in, irregularities were sandpapered or puttyled. Old varnish was sanded off, the oil rubbed off with spirit. The windows were glazed out, the old putty was removed. With a special tool, only loose spots were sanded and then patched because otherwise, the paint would not have adhered. Afterwards, they puttied with linseed oil putty. The renewed glass was coated with a low-E coating. Partly the glass was re-glazed. In the listed rooms on the ground floor, the old cambered glass was used. The fittings were rubbed off and after a function check they were lubricated and set up. Windows were partly machined at the bottom with a planing machine to ensure tightness. Glazing was done without silicone, instead, oil glue putty was applied with a spatula. Weather shanks were removed and new ones made of larch wood were fitted. For sealing, sheep's wool was stuffed from the outside and grouted with acrylic. Inside, the carpenter sanded, puttyled and patched the frames and checked and reattached the fittings. In some cases, holes had to be drilled on the sides and the frames screwed to the masonry. Shutters are designed to match the sunlight. Depending on the floor, direction and use, the shutters are partly closed at the bottom and are equipped with fixed slats or adjustable slats for display. Shutters were partly in very bad condition. They were also repaired as described above.

Existing window U-value Glass [W/m2K]: 2,2 New window U-value Glass[W/m2K]: 1,8 Existing window U-value Frame [W/m2K]: 2,0 New window U-value Frame [W/m2K]: 2,0
More Details
Existing window type Box-type window
Existing glazing type two single glazings as box-type windows
Existing shading type Outer shutter
Approximate installation year 1900
New window type Box-type window
New glazing type two single glazings as box-type windows with low-e
New shading type Outer shutter
New window solar factor g [-] 0,7
New thermal insulation glazing and frames in kitchen and 2 upper floors

The existing box-type windows on the first and second floors and in the kitchen were replaced by thermal insulation glazing. The existing historical windows in good condition were installed on the ground floor. The second picture on the right shows the old window.

In order to make the windows look similar, the outer glazing was also designed with a camber, just like the original. The thermal insulation glazing was installed in new wooden frames, which were inspired by the old ones, but are no longer box-type windows.

Existing window U-value Glass [W/m2K]: 2,2 New window U-value Glass[W/m2K]: 1,1 Existing window U-value Frame [W/m2K]: 2,0 New window U-value Frame [W/m2K]: 1,4
More Details
Existing window type Box-type window
Existing glazing type two single glazings as box-type windows
Existing shading type Outer shutter
Approximate installation year 1900
New window type Double window
New glazing type Double
New shading type Outer shutter
New window solar factor g [-] 0,65

Other interventions

OTHER

MEASURES TO INCREASE AIRTIGHTNESS

OTHER

Ceiling to unheated attic space was insulated and now has a U-value of 0.14 W/(m²K). Insulation material is 18 cm hemp fibre.

The intervention took place from above, in the unused attic space. Thus the existing building was only slightly changed.

MEASURES TO INCREASE AIRTIGHTNESS

Windproof connections of the masonry to the window frames were implemented. The joint between sandstone and window frame was sealed with acrylic, sheep's wool and lime plaster. The historic box-type window was repaired by carpentry work, thus increasing the airtightness.

HVAC

HEATING

VENTILATION

DOMESTIC HOT WATER

HEATING

The old heating system with tiled stoves was supplemented with a pellet heating system and solar heating in the adjacent building. A pellet heating system with 110 kW heating capacity from Fröhling was installed in the adjacent building. The situation in the main house was not realized for the following reasons: Use of the rooms for other purposes, partly rooms were too low, main reason: no chimney available, outside chimney on the facade did not fit to the object.

Ceiling heating in the Rosensaal and partly wall heating and also radiators. The main reason for the ceiling heating is that walls and floors are in good condition and only the ceiling needed to be renewed. Bread is baked every day. The radiant heat of the oven contributes significantly to heating the ground floor, the staircase and the Rosensaal foyer above the oven. The waste heat from the exhaust air of the baking oven is fed into the heat recovery of the ventilation system and used for heating purposes.

More Details
New primary heating system New secondary heating system
New system type Condensing Stove
Fuel Biomass Biomass
Distribuition system Radiating ceiling direkt, Kachelofen, Backofen
Nominal power 110 kW 5 kW
VENTILATION

Ventilation system for the kitchen, the restaurant and the dining room: 3850m³ nominal air output with heating register 19 kW, with heat recovery by cross-flow heat exchanger for dining room and restaurant.

The ventilation system is installed in the basement. The exhaust air is discharged via an exhaust chimney in the adjacent building so that there are no visible elements on the outside of the main building.

More Details
Original roof build-up New ventilation system
Type ventilation system Centralized
Type flow regime Cascade
Heat recovery Yes
Humitidy recovery No
Nominal power 19 kW
Electric power 1,7 kW
Control system Die Bedienung der Lüftungsanlage erfolgt über einen zentralen Steuer- und Regelschrank. Sämtliche Anlagenfunktionen werden über eine DDC–Regelung überwacht und gesteuert. Für die Bedienung steht ein Fernbedientableau in der Küche zur Verfügung.
DOMESTIC HOT WATER

Domestic hot water is also produced by pellet heating and solar thermal energy. It is delivered via decentral heat exchanger stations.

Pellet heating and solar thermal energy in the adjacent building.

More Details
New DHW system
Type with heating system
Hot_water_tank Yes
With heat recovery No

RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

SolarThermal

Biomass

SolarThermal

On the adjacent building, 56m² of Doma Flach solar collectors were integrated into the existing roof. The energy is stored in 4400l buffer storage with integrated stainless steel tanks. The solar collectors are mainly used for domestic water heating in summer and partial solar space heating. Due to the low-temperature heating system, energy from the solar system is used in the heating system during the transition period. The additional heating is provided by the pellet stove as required.

The plant is not visible from the access road and is located on the adjacent building.

More Details
SolarThermal System
Type Flat collector
Collector area 56,0 m²
Elevation angle 20,0
Azimuth 45,0
Overall yearly production 15500,0 kWh
DHW contribuition 8500,0 kWh
Cooling contribuition 0,0 kWh
Biomass

Pellet heating with 110 kW output

Located in the adjacent building

A pellet storage room with 10 m² floor space is available.

More Details
Biomass System
Type Pellet
Storage size Raum mit 10 m² Grundfläche
Origin of biomass Unbekannt
Overall yearly production 110,0 kWh

Energy Efficiency

Energy Performance
Energy performance certificate: Vorarlberg building pass from the year 2007
Voluntary certificates: No
Energy Use
Documents:
endbericht_0731_anhang_1_1_gebaeudeausweis_nach_sanierung_Seite_14.jpg
©Firma Ökoberatung G.Bertsch

Consumption_estimation_Before: 167 kWh/m2.y
Consumption_estimation_After: 55,77 kWh/m2.y

Primary Energy
Consumption_estimation_Calculation_method: NA
Consumption_estimation_Including_DHW: No
Measured Parameters
Construction
Type_of_monitoring: Punctual
Description: Thermography
Documents:
Thermografie.jpg
©Firma Ökoberatung G.Bertsch


Internal Climate

Indoor Air Quality

A resident during the interview: "Walking through the Freihof, you can still feel the life of our ancestors. The history of the house comes alive. The revitalisation of the house through an inn-restaurant, organic food shop, health shop, seminar rooms and various therapists are the absolutely right concept for this traditional place. I feel very comfortable in my shop. When deciding on the location, the ecological orientation of the house, the great range of rooms, the opportunities to meet the Freihof guests, as well as the possibilities for cooperation with colleagues from the health and consulting sector were decisive for me".

Post Occupancy Evaluation

POE-Report Available:
endbericht_0731_freihof_sulz_1.pdf
©Andrea Vogel Sonderegger

Costs

Financial Aspects

In general, it can be concluded that additional costs have arisen due to structural adjustments, technical upgrades and official requirements. The ecological choice of materials was of secondary importance in monetary terms. The optimisation is the basis of the detailed planning and the ecological tender. In addition to material and construction optimisations, findings from the HdZ demo project "Restoration in protected areas" were used for the preparation of ecological tenders, which also made it possible to use ecological and possibly more expensive building materials in line with the "best bidder principle". Additional costs for ecological material selection, energy-saving Construction and building services resulted in 373,876 €.

Running Costs
Annual heating cost
4000 € Pellet für Heizung und Warmwasser (2019, netto) (total)
(includes DHW) Yes

Annual electricity cost
800 € Stromkosten, nach Nachrüsten einer PV-Anlage 200 € (total)

Lifecycle cost
No

Environment

Life Cycle Analysis
Methodology_used: Building pass of the Vorarlberger Wohnbauförderung with the declaration according to the Öbox product database as a planning instrument. With the ÖBOX the PEI 625 MJ/m²KOF (primary energy content non-renewable), the GWP 5.2 kgCO2/m²KOF (Global Warming Potential) and the AP 1.3 kgSO2/m²KOF (acidification) can be calculated.
Documents:
endbericht_0731_anhang_1_1_gebaeudeausweis_nach_sanierung_Seite_05.jpg
©Firma Ökoberatung G.Bertsch