Sutterlüty, Hohenems

Only the cellar, the ceiling over the ground floor, and essential stairwells are made of concrete.  The whole building envelope, i.e. walls and the roof, have been constructed using highly insulated prefabricated timber elements. Timber is the dominant exterior material lending the building its distinctive facade. This concept is continued in the interior. The central hall and the whole roof construction are in timber with a natural finish, bringing a unique atmosphere to the interior.

The planning and concept for the building service installations reflected the requirements for a highly efficient heat supply and cooling system. A low temperature heating system had been requested which could be used both for heating and cooling purposes and make 100% use of the waste heat from the cooling units for heating.

The building is heated and cooled through the floors. Should the waste heat from the cooling system be insufficient for heating the building during the coldest times of the year, a highly efficient heat pump can produce additional heat. The energy for heating is taken from geothermal probes. The geothermal probes are also used for the cooling the building during the summer months. At peak periods for cooling and dehumidification, it is possible to switch the heat pump unit over into a cooling mode, to dehumidify incoming air and keep the building at the desired temperature. The hydraulic system was optimised in such a way to allow the same system to be used for the heating and cooling, reducing the production costs and also adding further reductions to maintenance costs for daily operation.