Daylight in nearly zero-energy buildings and passive houses

Near-zero-energy buildings, low-energy buildings and passive houses - what exactly is this and where are the differences? The boundaries run into each other, so there are no general definitions of these for the government. But one thing is certain: from 2021, all new buildings in the EU will meet the standard of a near-zero energy building. These are simply buildings that obtain a significant proportion of their energy and materials from renewable sources. Passive houses also reduce their energy needs to a minimum through optimal thermal insulation, the best possible glazing and intelligent ventilation techniques. Part of the concept: daylight in nearly-zero-energy buildings and passive houses. The following projects show how easy sustainable building with glass roofs can be in educational buildings such as day care centres, kindergartens and schools.

To meet and exceed the requirements of the Energy Saving Ordinance, the planners of the Willibald Gluck High School in Neumarkt opted for two passive-house certified glass roof constructions. With concrete core activation for cooling and heating of the classrooms, the nearly zero-energy building already meets the standards for 2030. LAMILUX Glass Roofs PR60 Passivhaus are now installed above the two break halls, which bring plenty of daylight into the building thanks to their enormous size of 260 square meters each. The integrated ventilation elements also allow plenty of fresh air into the building, so that the heat is also regulated by this and a pleasant indoor climate is created. In case of fire, the flaps can be fully opened within a few seconds, allowing heat and smoke to escape to the outdoors. This means that the building does not only meet the passive house standard, but also the necessary specifications for preventive fire protection.

In a video interview, architect Johannes Berschneider explains his goals and ideas for the construction of the Willibald Gluck High School in Neumarkt.

The Dante High School in Munich also brings nature into the building – at least it seems so. A 275 square meter LAMILUX Glass Roof PR60 extends over the entire atrium and floods the room with plenty of daylight. The cosmopolitan concept of the school is emphasized by the bright and open construction. While renovation, the architects replaced the old glass roof with the new LAMILUX mullion and transom system. The new system was particularly impressive because of its optimized sealing and drainage system, which means that considerably less heat is lost.   

In addition, no artificial lighting is required during the day, so the energy requirement is reduced enormously. Like in the open air, the students and teachers regularly hold events in the atrium. "The students accept the room very well and enjoy spending time in it. All in all, a great benefit for the school community and the school climate," principal Dr. Andreas Jäger reports enthusiastically.

Right at first glance, the nature-oriented design of the International School in Bonn catches the eye. The roof of the 340 square meter atrium is a project of LAMILUX subsidiary Mirotec, a steel, metal and glass specialist. The Glass Roof brings the outside indoors and gives students and teachers the feeling of sitting under the open sky. When planning the glass roof above the canteen courtyard, a large tree that had to make way for the building inspired the architects. Therefore, they decided to have the glass roof construction supported by steel trees. Four steel supports with four outgoing branches each now form the eye-catcher of the courtyard. The glass surface above illuminates the atrium naturally and offers students and teachers a little break from everyday school life. Protected from wind and weather, they can observe their environment, soak up the daylight, and get a breath of fresh air thanks to the built-in ventilation flaps. The glass roof construction is driving rain-proof, thermally insulated and soundproofed. Additional SHEV flaps and the F30 fire protection coating protect both young and old in case of fire. All in all, this is a successful solution for man and nature.

The daycare centre of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) in Hof, Upper Franconia, brings nature into the building through floor-to-ceiling windows and a large glass roof. Thanks to the natural lighting, kindergarten director Tanja Steinhäuser can do without artificial light almost completely, which creates a much more pleasant learning atmosphere. "It has been proven that this has an extremely positive effect on the feeling of happiness," explains Stefan Kögler, district manager of the BRK Hof. But it is not only the mood of the children and employees that benefits from the use of daylight elements. With the LAMILUX Glass Roof PR60 enough daylight enters the building to illuminate the room sustainably. This significantly reduces energy consumption.

The architects of the daycare centre in Wiggensbach planned the building with the goal of creating a design that is close to nature and meanwhile ensure a sustainable construction with skylights. Even from the outside it can be seen that the wooden construction of the daycare centre integrates optimally into its environment. To achieve this, the planners used regional wood from spruce, larch and silver fir, which extends uninterruptedly from the façade to the interior, thus creating a natural atmosphere. Here too, two LAMILUX Glass Roofs PR60 illuminate the play area sustainably. The heat insulation glass does not only bring daylight into the building but also ensures that no heat is lost in winter and that the room does not heat up any further in summer. This ensures a pleasant indoor climate all year round without energy being lost through heating or lighting of the room.