Making new from old
The completely renovated family home.
Small, dark and cramped
This house in Reinach in the canton of Aargau was a contemporary witness of the previous generation, as well as being small, dark and cramped. The owner completely renovated his parents’ home, built in 1979, over a ten-month period. The result is a modern, Minergie-standard family home that meets today’s needs and features spacious, bright living spaces.
Insulating the old building envelope
To lower energy consumption, the old building envelope was reinsulated using plastered exterior thermal insulation (20 cm stone wool). Similarly, the ground floor was reinsulated to create a thermal separation from the cold basement. The new windows are all triple-glazed Minergie windows.
New building services for sustainable energy consumption
The building services (plumbing, heating and electrical) were entirely replaced. The comfort is the same as before, energy use has decreased, and so have the operating costs. The building is heated using an external air/water source heat pump from CTA, which operates using the natural refrigerant propane. A comfort ventilation system, an important component of Minergie, is now also in use. This provides for the controlled ventilation of the living space and recovers heat from the exhaust air—this saves several times the energy for ventilation and heating. A roof-integrated photovoltaic system on the south-facing side of the building produces its own power.
Natural refrigerant
This external heat pump is quickly installed and commissioned. The heat pump works using the environmentally friendly refrigerant propane—a naturally occurring gas. Important for the neighbours: this heat pumps also runs quietly.