Pfaffengrunder Plateau - Bahnstadt

With the conversion of the former freight depot into a new neighborhood on the passive house level, the Bahnstadt in Heidelberg has created a forward-thinking model for cross-generational living and working in the district. The Pfaffengrunder Plateau housing complex is a part of this huge project.

There are 77 rental apartments and 39 condominiums that all have a huge balcony or a rooftop terrace spread out over three to six levels and partially on a recessed penthouse level. To meet the high demands on the thermal insulation of the shell, the façades are equipped with an EIF system which is angled at the window reveals. This structural design trick reduces shading and, in turn, optimizes solar gains.

The connection of the supported and partially projecting balconies with the passive house-certified Schöck Isokorb® XT is just as cleverly thought out. As a load-bearing thermal insulation element, it transfers the uniaxial bending moments and shear forces of the balcony slabs into the reinforced concrete floor and solves the classic thermal bridge problem at this connection detail in an economical and efficient way. The intelligent construction elements are hidden in the shell structure and reliably prevent heat from escaping via the linear thermal bridge below the balcony door or the wall base.

Structurally safe. Optimally insulated.

It is undisputed that the energy standard of the passive houses could not have been achieved without the passive house certified Schöck Isokorb® XT because the influence of the thermal bridge on cantilevered reinforced concrete slabs on the energy balance and the risk of mold in the interior without the thermal break are too great.

Just as relevant as thermal insulation is the sound bridge-free installation of the stairs, especially in multi-storey residential buildings - in the Pfaffengrunder Plateau residential complex, more than 200 elements of Schöck Tronsole® type AZ ensure reliably separated impact sound between the in-situ concrete landing and the staircase wall.

Furthermore, almost 350 Schöck type SLD dowels transfer the transverse forces occurring in expansion joints without the need for the usual beams or brackets. That is a win for both structural safety and design flexibility.

The housing complex, in a passive design, was honored with the Passive House Design Award 2014 as a sub-project of Bahnstadt Heidelberg. This highlights the international radiance of the Bahnstadt lighthouse project.