HOUSE SCHAUER

The Schauer house, is located in Southern Germany, in a picturesque village about one hour’s drive south of Munich.  It was designed and built by Baufritz, the ecological pioneers of timber frame building.  Its glass and larch wood façade gives the house a stylish and contemporary feel.  It is a highly energy efficient house, which incorporates 185m² of living space, designed for a couple who appreciate large open plan living areas.  Downstairs there is an open plan kitchen, living room and dining room and office and WC.  The upstairs comprises a large master bedroom with a generous dressing room and en-suite bathroom with views to the mountains from the balcony along the glass gable end.  There are two further bedrooms, a bathroom and storage.

Thermal Efficiency

This is a low energy house that has been cleverly designed to incorporate a ground source heat pump for heating and hot water, low temperature under floor heating combined with wall heating.  In the summer months the roof overhang keeps the interior cool; in the winter months the effect is reversed with the low sun penetrating to maximise heat from the sun’s rays.  The house also benefits from rainwater harvesting and drinking water treatment systems.  It has a decentralised ventilation system with heat exchange, pollen filters and a wood burning stove.

The external walls are 40cm thick (as is standard in all Baufritz homes) and packed with Baufritz’s patented wood shaving insulation which is proven to be highly thermally efficient.  The wood shavings are made from cut offs from the manufacturing process to elminate timber waste making them exceptionally environmentally friendly; they are protected from fire, fungus and pests using a natural treatment made from soda and whey. The use of the Baufritz wall construction also dramatically reduces energy consumption.  This can be shown in three ways:

1. Energy loss through thermal transfer is only 0.16 W/m²K compared to 0.45 W/m²K in a conventional brick wall.
2. Energy consumption level per annum is only 40 kWh/m² in a Baufritz house compared to 250 kWh/m² in a typical UK house
3. Heating Oil consumption per annum is only 4 litres/m² in a Baufritz house compared to 25 litres/m² in a typical UK house

These thick walls are 'breathable' which ensures that condensation is removed from the atmosphere faster than it is generated, making the living environment inside the house comfortable and fresh.  Air tightness is a crucial factor in any home energy consumption. Baufritz design each home with windows and doors already in place, the fit is perfect, resulting in excellent air tightness. 

Healthy Building

In terms of health; the house also incorporates, “XUND-E”, a unique protective shielding concept, which dramatically reduces the amount of electromagnetic radiation penetrating the home which does not interfere with electronics such as cordless phones and baby monitors. The XUND-E plate, which has been patented by Baufritz, comprises thin layers of carbon with a layer of natural gypsum board, which is then applied to the walls and roofs and then earthed. This layer cuts out up to 99% of all high-frequency radiation and low frequency static emissions cause by alternating currents flowing through high tension cables.  Various studies throughout Europe and the world prove a definitive relation between the increase of cancer and neurological diseases and high frequency radiation and the protection from this harmful influence can also enhance sleep quality for those living in the house.  This innovative product is fitted as standard to all Baufritz homes.  This innovative product is fitted as standard to all Baufritz homes.

The Burkhart’s house is built entirely from bio-constructive, efficient and natural materials as is standard for all Baufritz homes. Baufritz uses non-chemically treated building materials, natural products and building methods to ensure a better quality of day to day living.  Baufritz makes regular checks for radioactivity, formaldehyde, chemical wood preservation methods (use of PCP, Lindane) on all its building products and materials to ensure they are not present. The company exclusively uses pollutant-tested, high-quality and environmentally-friendly construction and insulation materials and components.

All these ‘healthy’ elements of Baufritz houses have been jointly developed with doctors and building biologists to enhance the occupants wellbeing. 

Sustainability

Only the best quality organically forested Larch and Spruce wood go into making a Baufritz home, logged from sustainable forests to provide resource for future generations.  Baufritz undertakes extensive tree planting schemes to mark its active approach to environmental protection.  Each home built by Baufritz comes with a unique promise; because the materials used to build it are 100% biodegradable, the home can be completely returned to nature in several generations if required.

Baufritz believes that contemporary ecology should be economically beneficial too, which is why it uses only the best quality materials to maximum efficiency. All materials used are tested for longevity, functional effectiveness and impact on the environment.

An average Baufritz house is carbon positive to the extent that each house locks away at least 50 tonnes more CO2 than is emitted during its construction and manufacture (including transportation emissions and those from the running of the house for the first 5-10 years).  The CO2 calculation is measured using a recognised independent German system developed by Professor Koenig which takes into account carbon emissions from the very start of the process to include the manufacture, construction, transportation of the house. Baufritz was the first German construction company to take the independent ‘EU Eco Audit’ in 1996, which it has passed four times to date (this audit measures and monitors all emissions resulting from the manufacturing and construction process).