The high energy consumption of the existing building stock will give us headaches for decades to come. To prevent the new buildings of today from becoming the inherited burdens of tomorrow, the Protestant parish of Waltenhofen in Allgau built its new Parish Centre according to an integrated ecological and energy-conscious concept. The Church as an institution aimed to give a signal concerning responsible building according to the current state of the art.

Kirchplatz

Erdg«choss mit Aussenanlagen

Floor plan of the complete property

Ecological construction

As well as meeting the operating energy demand with solar energy, the energy associated with the construction itself and the materials cycles were also optimised. To compensate for the CO2 emission associated with the production of glass and concrete, solid wood was used as a construction material. Compound materials were avoided, the roof was covered with plants and the rainwater is used. The choice of regional building companies and re-use of the excavated earth and rocks in the landscaped grounds minimised the energy needed for transport.

Construction detail