A new home for blattfisch

What does the new home for a shoal of leaf fish have to do with Variotherm? More than you might think. About an environmentally friendly new building with a modular design and a wide range of requirements for the optimal indoor climate.

Leaf fish are freshwater fish. The German translation “blattfisch” is also the name of a company from Upper Austria that is engaged in aquatic ecology. And since the shoal of blattfisch - as the company’s workforce calls itself - has grown considerably in recent years, it needed a new office building. It was built in the north of Wels and was designed with employee-friendly and, above all, ecological aspects in mind.

Working in harmony with the environment is something that comes naturally to blattfisch. The Upper Austrian company’s service portfolio ranges from hydro-ecological studies and fishing to nature conservation and species protection. With heating and cooling solutions from Variotherm, blattfisch has found a partner who also values sustainability.

The perfect modules - convenient and time-saving

The new office building was built using the modular construction method. The individual modules were delivered to the construction site prefabricated and then assembled on-site. The ModuleWall is delivered with the pipes already integrated and prepared in such a way that they only have to be connected to the manifold once on the construction site.

For its new building, blattfisch opted for the Variotherm ModularWall heating/cooling system for drywall construction, installing it on a total of 224 m² of wall surfaces. Since the modules are delivered as a complete package, they are not only convenient and easy for drywallers and installers to set in place but they also save time. With Gahleitner, an Upper Austrian company was also commissioned with the installation of the Variotherm products.

The final result is not only something to behold but also to feel, as blattfisch’s managing director Clemens Gumpinger reports: “The Variotherm wall heating and cooling system is really impressive! Of course you have to adjust the system properly. The people at Gahleitner did a wonderful job of supporting us here!”

The right climate - outside and inside

On the advice of the installer, Clemens Gumpinger also purchased a shading system to “tackle the problems where they occur”. Cooling is given further support during hot spells like those we experienced this summer. It was important for blattfisch to build prudently and carefully. The interplay between air-source heat pump and photovoltaics on the roof makes heating and cooling almost self-sufficient in terms of energy; greenery grows on both the façade and the flat roof, and rainwater is collected in a cistern to irrigate the greenery, which also contributes to cooling the building.

So blattfisch is also concerned with the climate, and not only outside but also inside. The right indoor climate, from the reception area to the back office, from large meeting rooms to offices and from the boat garage to the laboratory, is of central importance to Clemens Gumpinger. A constant temperature without any strong air currents turns every room into a feel-good space. With the Variotherm products, blattfisch can thus cater to the very different demands placed on the rooms - right down to the last detail, such as in the mudroom where an additional 6 m² of VarioComp modular floor heating system was installed.

Last but not least, it is important for Clemens Gumpinger that his “shoal of blattfisch” feels comfortable in the brightly designed building with enough space for a social atmosphere and a pleasant room climate so that it can continue to thrive.