Ecosphere | Façade renovation Margaretenau

Successful ecosphere premiere

The research project - conducted in cooperation with the University of Regensburg and regularly audited by the responsible federal office - delivered a clear result: The maxit ecosphere system is excellently suited for use on existing buildings and offers a real alternative to conventional insulation systems.

Renovation meets research project

The Margaretenau building cooperative, founded in Regensburg in 1918, has well over 500 apartments in its portfolio. The vast majority of the properties are located in the Margaretenau district of the same name and were built in the early 1930s for war returnees. Since then, nothing has been changed in these buildings, except for a few repairs. The result was a refurbishment backlog.

Help was promised by a research program funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy with the aim of creating model solutions for energy-optimized living in historic urban neighborhoods. The properties of Margaretenau - due to their good, yet not energy-efficient construction - were perfectly suited for this project. The research object was a U-shaped apartment building that underwent a core renovation.

New (alternative) concepts

In advance, all the usual heat- or energy-generating, -distributing and -saving concepts were examined and investigated for possible improvements. This also included the possible use of solar-active paints and modules as well as the use of alternative insulation materials. Helpful in the latter were the findings of a research project conducted in advance by maxit on the subject of plasters with insulating hollow glass microspheres. The precursor product of a "sprayable insulation" with hollow glass microspheres was convincing - also because of the resource-saving use of raw materials in production and the recyclability of the insulation material. Today, the product is available on the market as maxit eco 72 and maxit eco 71.

After having perfected logistical challenges such as transport in a silo, but also machine conveyability and workability, the maxit "sprayable insulation" was used on the object. With a thickness of 10 cm, the required energy concept was met. In contrast to other systems, the maxit eco bonds seamlessly and without voids to the masonry and also meets the requirement for a highly permeable and non-combustible structure.

Builder:
Building cooperative Margaretenau eG
(baugenossenschaft@margaretenau.de)

Processor:
Haumer & Ranftl GmbH und Co. KG, Langquaid

Time period:
2019 – 2020

Surface area:
approx. 1.400 m²

Products:

  • maxit eco 72 | 20 t (~ 144.000 l)
  • maxit eco 73
  • maxit eco 70
  • maxit ip color plus R
  • maxit Silikatfarbe A 7020

Project location