Building Authority Approval

The apartment is in Bad Dürrheim, I can't find anything there....

Won't be much different...

More because the facade is being changed.

Yes and no. If I interpret it correctly, the standard distance of 6m (5m) between buildings is being undercut somewhere, yet a window is to be installed in a wall. From a fire protection perspective, this is only possible if the glass has the same properties as the wall, so probably F90.

Glass blocks would no longer be permitted nowadays (situation in NRW), but presumably have existing rights.

: depending on the size of the window, I would be more concerned about the cost of the window than the building permit. Such windows are significantly more expensive than the standard version.

Best regards
Dirk Grafe

Hello,

is the wall containing the glass blocks possibly built directly on the property boundary?

If so, in case of doubt, not only fire protection but also privacy protection may need to be considered.

In a property among acquaintances, there is also a "window" made of glass blocks in a wall standing on the property boundary – according to the acquaintance, this may not be replaced by a "normal" window, as in BW, windows in "boundary walls" are reportedly not permitted according to the local building authority.

Regards,

Dirk

Privacy screens have a very similar range as fire protection. In NRW, a free space easement of 5m is required for boundary walls with windows, meaning the neighbor's building must be 5m from the boundary. For new buildings, it does not matter whether you can actually see through the glass - glass blocks are treated like a normal window. Due to setback issues, however, 2 x 3m are usually required if these are living spaces.

The 5m distance only applies if the window is in a garage - exceptions prove the rule.

From a fire protection standpoint, 6m (standard) is no problem, 5m is sufficient, but if it is less than 5m, fire protection must review it individually and, if necessary, write and justify a statement/exception. In my opinion, privacy screens are the lower hurdle there.

Best regards
Dirk Grafe