Goldbeck Technical Solutions GmbH, part of the construction and service company Goldbeck, which operates throughout Europe, is taking over the energy-efficient renovation of 17 apartment buildings with 87 residential units and an area of 5,500 square meters in the Niehl district of Cologne. The client is the Frankfurt-based investment and asset manager aam2core. The project shows how existing residential buildings can be modernised economically and while residential operations continue.
Numerous residential properties in Germany have significant energy efficiency deficits and require energy-efficient refurbishment. At the same time, the renovation rate for residential buildings in Germany has been falling for years and is currently less than one percent. Part of the solution is to renovate while inhabited so that relocation and loss of rent can be avoided.
Goldbeck is responsible for the modernization of the building envelope, which is funded by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) and KfW. This includes, among other things, the renewal of the façades including thermal insulation, the replacement of all windows and the insulation of the roofs and basement ceilings. In the course of the revitalisation, Goldbeck is raising the energy efficiency of the buildings built in the 1960s to the KfW 55 EE standard.
To this end, Goldbeck Technical Solutions reviewed the existing implementation planning and developed it further in a targeted manner together with architects, energy consultants and the craftsmen carrying out the work. By optimising the control details and insulation concept, the team simplified the execution, reduced the use of materials and installation effort and lowered costs without jeopardising the desired energy standard. Among other things, Goldbeck replaced the originally planned inter-rafter insulation with above-rafter insulation, improved the airtightness of the buildings and reduced the insulation thickness of the outer facades from 28 to 16 centimetres. This reduced the use of materials and improved the profitability of the project.
"For us as asset managers, it is crucial to implement energy-efficient renovations economically and at the same time to take into account the interests of our tenants. Together with all parties involved, Goldbeck has further developed the plans in a targeted manner and found solutions that meet both the energy requirements and the economic framework conditions of the project. In this way, we create long-term added value for the property and its residents," says Stefan de Greiff, board member at aam2core.
"The project illustrates our way of working: Plans are not simply adopted, but questioned together with all project participants and further developed into practical, economical and sustainable solutions. In this way, renovations in the inhabited stock can be implemented efficiently and the burden on the residents can be reduced to a minimum," explains Richard Garden, Düsseldorf branch manager of Goldbeck Technical Solutions GmbH.
The residential ensemble with an area of around 5,500 square meters extends over Halfengasse, Hermesgasse and Merkenicher Straße. The buildings belong to the Ford site in the north of Cologne. They were originally built as living space for employees of the automotive site and still characterize the quarter today. With the energy-efficient modernization, this living space remains usable in the long term and gains future viability.
"The housing stock is a key lever for achieving the climate targets in the building sector. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly important for portfolio holders and investors to reconcile climate protection, economic efficiency and user interests. This is exactly where we come in: We combine energy quality with economic feasibility and thus create sustainable solutions for existing properties," says Patrick Möller, Managing Director of Goldbeck Technical Solutions GmbH.
The energy-efficient renovation includes, among other things, new windows, optimized thermal insulation and measures on the roof and façade; Image source: GOLDBECK
