Finally we made it! We have come a long way from finding the right property to designing the project and building it, but now we have been rewarded—as we think—with a very attractive building that meets current building biology criteria. We would like to thank all those involved in this project—e.g. architects, designers, installers, tradespeople, […]
The IBN building
In this posts we document the planning and construction of the IBN building, completion in 2015. The building is a plus energy house made from renewable and mineral building materials with a healthy indoor climate and the best possible reduction of electrosmog.
Ventilation systems with heat recovery
In some building biology circles, the necessity of a ventilation system is a subject of heated debate. Sometimes supporters and opponents butt heads with each other, without either side giving an inch. Because of this situation, we decided to have installed three different ventilation systems with heat recovery in three different user areas (I showroom / […]
Temperature control vs. heating
How to heat a building biology-based flagship project? A subject that has plenty of options and even more opinions. After careful consideration, we decided on the following concept (design by Frank Hartmann, Building System Technician, Building Biology Consulting Office IBN): Heat generation: Primary pellet furnace, net power output of 10 kW (8 kW water, 2 […]
External thermal insulation composite system
External thermal insulation composite systems are mostly made of insulation materials and related adhesives and plasters, which are rejected in building biology, for example, due to nonpermeable materials, toxic ingredients, problematic fire performance, contaminated soil and groundwater as a result of leaching algicides and fungicides, as well as other problems during the life cycle of […]
Measuring airtightness
Our flagship project is a so-called Plusenergiehaus or energy-plus building, which means that more energy is generated (ca. 7500 kWh/year) than consumed (ca. 4700 kWh/year). To reach this goal, the building envelope must be particularly airtight so that heat does not leak to the outside. The blower-door test is carried out twice (for an explanation, […]
Blown-in wood chip insulation
Dedicated cavities between the rafters, in the exterior and interior wood frame wall assemblies of the upper floor as well as in the external thermal insulation composite system on the ground floor are insulated with blown-in wood chip insulation (U-value of 0.040 W/m2K, bulk density ca. 45 kg/m3). This type of insulation—like the installed wood […]
