Basler & Hofmann is designing an office building in Esslingen which generates its own energy for heating and cooling. The heating system is highly innovative:  it stores heat from the sun, which is produced in the summer, underground in the soil.

A heat reservoir in the soil

Anyone working with solar energy is always faced with the same question: how can heat from the sun which is produced in the summer be stored for the winter? With the design of the office building in Esslingen, Basler & Hofmann is breaking new ground. Solar energy in the summer is harvested using 200 sqm of solar panels and then channelled via 15 metre deep probes into the soil. There is therefore a large heat reservoir under the building which can be used for heating during the winter.

The Minergie-P-Eco Standard for sustainable buildings

The sun is used not just for heating the building but also for generating electricity. It does this using 95 sqm of solar panels. The building also has an environmentally friendly interior allowing it to comply with the highest standards for sustainability in Switzerland: the Minergie-P-Eco standard.

Client:

Rehalp Verwaltungs AG

Architects: Stücheli Architekten, Zurich

Visualisations: Stücheli Architekten