The Count of "Villa Erika"

Professionals in the construction industry understand the value of premium quality. When it came to installing the heating and cooling systems in his villa, Stefan Graf was offered Variotherm products.

The town of Gmünd lies on the outermost edge of the picturesque Waldviertel district. There is plenty to discover, not only in the densely forested environs, but also in Gmünd itself - including the town’s magnificent historic buildings. Among them is the venerable “Villa Erika”, a beautiful building which has now been renovated by the developer, BM Dipl.-Ing. Stefan Graf. The client himself is definitely no stranger to the industry. Stefan Graf is none other than CEO of the construction company Leyrer + Graf. It is therefore pretty much self-evident that the entrepreneur and civil engineer set great store by premium quality for his renovation project.

“Villa Erika” is a turn-of-the-century gem that holds a special appeal for Graf.“When I bought the property, I was aware that this was a diamond in the rough and that I wanted to preserve as many of the original features as I could,” says Graf. Before the renovation, the technical state of the villa was equivalent to the 1970s/80s.

Stefan Graf was therefore determined that the building shell should remain largely in its original state, while the interior called for modern furnishings and fittings. According to Stefan Graf, “refurbishments always come with a few challenges and surprises. Where old building structures are involved, as in my case, much work is necessary to modernise the house to the latest state of the art.” Apart from smart and circumspect project implementation, refurbishing a historic villa primarily means no off-the-shelf solutions.

This is precisely where Variotherm’s extensive experience and planning expertise comes into play.

Given the high number of pitched roofs that were part of the refurbishment project, the implementation required some clever planning. Heating and cooling is now provided via these surfaces by means of modular panels with pre-integrated pipes. In conjunction with Raiffeisen Lagerhaus Gmünd (technology: Christian Haneder / senior installer: Stefan Faltin) and the client, Variotherm has taken on the overall realisation of the new heating and cooling system.

An impressive total area of 88 m² has been activated, ensuring year-round comfort and perfect well-being thanks to the VarioManifold 5.0 with 17 circuits. Having moved into Villa Erika in spring of this year, Stefan Graf's initial impressions have been very positive: “The bedrooms are in the attic and I prefer it cool, so this was definitely a very good investment.”

The client therefore benefited not only from the proven Variotherm quality of the cleverly designed product solutions, but also from the fact that every surface of the historic building is used to maximum advantage. Unlike conventional radiators, which take up valuable wall space and look rather unattractive, the modular wall is built into the drywall construction, making it invisible.

On the one hand, this gives the owner and his family absolute freedom in terms of furnishing and interior design, on the other hand, it means that the free sloping roofs and ceiling areas gain a useful extra function. Thanks to the fast response time, the rooms in Villa Erika can now be cooled without any forced air. The same system supplies cosy heat in winter. Incidentally, both heating and cooling are based on a low-temperature system, which considerably reduces energy costs – an absolute boon, especially for historical buildings!