Sustainable renovation
A Dutch gym from 1955 is now used as an office building. During the renovation, numerous technical measures were taken which have a lasting effect on our environment.
For seven years, an old gymnasium in Bodegraven, South Holland, was empty - in 2017, the walls, which are more than 60 years old, were revived: A consulting company had the idea to renovate the interior of the hall and use it as an office. Care was taken to preserve the structure to commemorate the original use of the building. Therefor the characteristic markings on the floor remained for the playing fields. Some sports equipment has been integrated into modern architecture.
Ecologically heating and cooling
In keeping with the company philosophy, the 400 m2 building has been sustainably and energy efficiently refurbished. The well-insulated office scores with a heat pump that provides the energy for wall and floor heating. Thanks to the Variotherm modular wall heating, the old gym can now be heated as well as cooled. Thanks to the radiation exchange, the special finished system - consisting of 18 mm gypsum fibreboard with integrated aluminum multi-layer composite pipes - ensures a comfortable, healthy indoor climate throughout the year. Ideal supplement: The water-led modular floor heating drywall system. Due to its thin construction height of 20 mm and the low weight of 25 kg per m2, it was perfect for heating renovation on the 1st floor of the office. It heats the rooms energy-efficiently and can also be used for "cooling" - in other words, for supporting cooling in summer. At high temperatures, however, it is better to cool over the wall, as people's direct contact with the cool floor surface will be uncomfortable.
Radiant heat is worthwhile
The installer Lok Techniek B.V. implemented the house-technical measures smoothly. After completion of the project, various thermal scans were carried out, which confirmed the energy efficiency of the building and made the radiant heat visible. For a better understanding: In the radiant heat, the infrared waves hit furnishings and unheated surfaces, which release the energy in the form of heat. We find this heat particularly pleasant because it works in a similar way to solar radiation.
Due to the large-area installation of the Variotherm modular wall heating, it is sufficient in winter to heat the water circulating in the pipes to a maximum of 40°C. In comparison, conventional radiators require a flow temperature of at least 60°C - they only give off the heat at certain points due to their small size. The newly renovated office in the Dutch town, on the other hand, benefits from the radiant heat, as it keeps the rooms evenly tempered and free of draft or dust. The healthy plus: a natural, healthy indoor climate with optimal humidity, which not only keeps the employees awed by the dreaded infections in the wet and cold season.
The ecological building services system is completed by solar panels installed on the roof. In addition, electric cars refuel at electrical charging stations new energies. Thanks to the comfortable atmosphere inside the building, the office staff will do the same every day.
Variotherm products:
93 m2 Modular wall heating/cooling
40 m2 Modular floor heating
Photos: Technea | Merosch