World's first Passivhaus office tower certified
In a world first, the RHW.2 office tower in Vienna has achieved the Passivhaus standard.
High levels of energy efficiency are all the more important when it comes to high-rise buildings. For the first time ever, an office tower in Vienna has achieved the Passivhaus standard. The certificate was presented by Susanne Theumer of the Passivhaus Institut on 16 July, on the 20th floor of the building with a prime view of the old city.
The glazed facade of the building on the bank of the Donaukanal (Danube Canal) rises almost 80 metres high. The building, characterised by superior indoor air quality andminimal energy consumption, is home to 900 employees of the Austrian Raiffeisen-Holding Group. "This building proves once again that the Passivhaus Standard and good architecture are perfectly compatible", says Professor Dr.Wolfgang Feist, director of the Passivhaus Institut.
The building is strictly in line with the Raiffeisen climate protection objectives, explained Wolfgang Pundy as he received the certificate. "This certification proves that the path we havechosen to take for our new office building is the right one," continued the project manager of the "RHW.2" tower. The building’s energy concept is compelling: energy is provided by a photovoltaicsystem as well as a combined heat, cooling and power plant. Even the waste heat fromthe data centre is re-used; cooling partly takes place via the Donaukanal.
The decisive factor for achieving the Passivhaus standard was the radically increased efficiency of the facade, the building component connections, the mechanical systems – and even the coffee machine. In combination with optimised shading equipment, the heating andcooling demand was reduced by 80% compared with conventional high-rise buildings.
The Vienna Region is setting the pace, not only with its beacon projects but also withthe number of completed buildings. The "Eurogate" district, an area entirely consisting of Passivhaus buildings, stands as a shining example. Upon completion of the firstconstruction phase, 7,000 occupants in 800 apartments will be able to benefit from the advantages of this energy efficient construction method.
Photo: MVAHA
