Bauhaus concrete villa with core insulation - experiences

Sorry, the second device from the left is apparently not a barbell device. I only noticed it when I zoomed in on the photo.

Butterfly works with the cable station ;) but not everything is there yet. For example, the rowing machine is still missing.

Some families, I believe, live off the cost of gym equipment for a whole year :oops:

And what do you want to express with that? At least this way there is value-added tax for the general public.

Rick, I would like to ask a few more questions that actually belong earlier in the discussion... but unfortunately, I discovered the thread too late :-(

You wrote somewhere, "Our wall construction from inside to outside is concrete, insulation, air, and facade. Due to several reasons, we could not build as originally planned with concrete walls with core insulation." When I look at your photos of the shell construction, you do have concrete walls with insulation in between—that is core insulation, isn’t it, or am I misunderstanding? Only the Alubond panels were added on the outside. And what was the reason why concrete with core insulation was not possible?

Regarding the elevator: we are considering providing for an elevator. Friends of ours have only built the shaft to have the later option for an elevator. However, I imagine the effort for retrofitting is considerable... and difficult when I get to the point that I can no longer walk. What is your take on this—how complex is the installation? I assume you have a hydraulic elevator?

One more question about security and the elevator: For entrance doors and windows we already have a high security standard today, which we naturally want to maintain at least the same in a new building. Is there an elevator/the doors with a corresponding standard (I haven’t found anything on the internet), do you have an additional door in front of it, or do you consider the garage door sufficient security?

One last question: do you happen to know the average thermal transmittance value in W/m²K for your house (excluding the swimming pool) from the heating load calculation? That could give us a reference... we are also planning a lot of glass, but unfortunately there is no gas, so we have to be careful with energy.

You are mistaken about the wall construction. The concrete hollow walls are filled with concrete on site. So there is no core insulation. However, there are also hollow walls with core insulation. That did not work out for structural and other reasons. The main reason was our floor-to-ceiling, ceiling-high windows. Weight of one pane nearly 2 tons… With “normal” windows, we would have chosen this method. Now we have the ventilated, mineral-insulated facade hung in front. So with “normal” windows you can skip that. Every elevator has special shaft dimensions. Retrofitting is very complex. I don’t know anyone who has ever activated the intended shaft. Either do it right away or not at all. Please consider that the bureaucracy for an elevator will “annoy” you. You have to meet all criteria (at least for commissioning). That means emergency call, access, mirror, TÜV, emergency plans, elevator attendant… If you want to maintain this, it costs a lot of money. If you don’t, you are liable if something happens to a stranger (e.g. cleaning lady). Most people I know disconnect the emergency call, etc. since no one comes into the building anyway. And they can’t shut down the elevator because they can’t get inside. Just let it wait... We don’t have an elevator from the “home” category. But generally, with low usage, hydraulic elevators are not used. These permanently position themselves on the defined floor. That means pumps are running, etc., also more complex maintenance. Here elevators with electric motors and belts are used. Of course, there are also safety doors for elevators, but I don’t quite understand the question. Our elevator is inside the security area of the house. From the garage into the house there is a very secure door. All areas are also secured by motion, presence detectors and cameras. The area is the most vulnerable because a garage door offers almost no security. I can’t tell you the exact value. But it’s about KfW55 standard. Real values are not reliably available yet. What you heat with does not matter. We could also heat our house with wood / electricity.