Rolf Disch Solar Architecture
Encyclopedia
Rolf Disch Solar Architecture, creators of the Heliotrope
as well as several other visionary green building projects, is based in the solar city Freiburg
, Germany
. Led by solar pioneer Rolf Disch
, who has been building with the sun for more than 40 years, this architecture office's prolific portfolio also includes such successful projects as the Solar Settlement
and the Sun Ship
. As winners of the 2002 European Solar Prize
and the 2003 Global Energy Award these projects demonstrate the power of solar architecture; harness the sun both passively and actively. Lying at the base of the Black Forest
, in the sunniest city in Germany, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture offers a premium design that exceeds the highest ecological standards while creating profitable opportunities for their investors.
’s solar architecture pioneer Rolf Disch
, this architecture firm has built with the sun as its foundation since 1969. Rolf Disch Solar Architecture has implemented the most up-to-date technology to design sustainable buildings from churches and schools, to homes and commercial developments. With the creation of the PlusEnergy
concept, their design has focused more and more specifically on positive energy balanced buildings, which generate more power than the consume through extremely efficient energy use and photovoltaic panel use. In 1994 they created the Heliotrope
, the first building worldwide to create more energy than it uses. With the application of this PlusEnergy concept, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture further developed the concept into homes that use acute energy efficieny and have roofs made entirely of photovoltaic panels. 59 of these PlusEnergy homes were built as the Solar Settlement
between 2002 and 2004, later to be followed by the Sun Ship
. The Sun Ship
, finished in 2006, is a retail, commercial/office and residential building with 60000 sq ft (5,574.2 m²). that also produces more energy than it consumes. Also the first building of its kind worldwide, the Sun Ship was truly the most extensive example of sustainable and renewable energy building by Rolf Disch Solar Architecture.
is a coined concept developed by Rolf Disch that indicates a structure’s extreme energy efficiency so that it holds a positive energy balance, actually producing more energy than it uses. With the completion of his private residence, the Heliotrope
, in 1994, Disch had created the first PlusEnergy house in the world. The sheer logic of a home that creates more energy than it consumes made perfect sense to Disch. His next goal in its development was thus the mass application of the concept to residential, commercial and retail space. As the concept further developed and gained financial backing as well, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture built several more projects with PlusEnergy certifications. PlusEnergy is a simple concept that has been materialized in a technical design. “PlusEnergy is a fundamental environmental imperative,” Disch claims. Disch believes that passive building isn’t enough because passive homes still emit CO2 into the atmosphere – we can solar activate our homes!
is a one-of-a-kind design. The Heliotrope in Freiburg was the first building in the world to create more energy than it uses, of which is entirely renewable, emissions free and CO2 neutral. The structure physically rotates to track the sun, which allows it to harness the maximum natural sunlight and warmth possible from the sun. Several different energy generation modules are used in the building including a 603 sq ft (56 m²) dual-axis solar photovoltaic tracking panel
, a geothermal heat exchanger, a combined heat and power unit (CHP)
and solar-thermal
balcony railing to provide heat and warm water. These innovations in combination with the superior insulation of the residence allow the Heliotrope to produce anywhere between four to six times its energy usage depending on the time of year. The Heliotrope is also fitted with a grey-water cleansing system
and built-in natural waste composting.
After the success of Freiburg’s Heliotrope, Hansgrohe
contracted Rolf Disch Solar Architecture to design and built another Heliotrope to be used as a visitor’s center and showroom in Offenburg
, Germany
. A third Heliotrope was then contracted and built in Hilpoltstein
, Bavaria
to be used as a technical dental laboratory. Disch’s unique design accommodates different utilization from private residences to laboratories, all the while maintaining the structure’s positive energy balance.
In addition to the original Heliotrope design, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture has drawn plans for larger versions of the project to be built as rotating hotels, which give every guest a beautiful view, as well as administrative buildings and even an exhibition pavilion for the EXPO 2010
in Shanghai
.
, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture wanted to apply their PlusEnergy
concept to mass residential production. The new design for the PlusEnergy house gave way to the development of the Solar Settlement, a 50 PlusEnergy home housing community. This residential complex won such awards as 2002 House of the Year, 2002 residential PV solar integration award, 2006 Germany’s most beautiful housing community. It is the first housing community in the world in which all the homes produce a positive energy balance and which is emissions-free and CO2 neutral. Built between 2000 and 2005 in the Vauban
quarter of Freiburg
, the Solar Settlement has proved Disch’s vision of a “fundamental environmental imperative” as these homes have exhibited more than 8 years of full occupancy and each produced more than 4,000 Euros ($5,600) each year. The design of each home offers maximum energy efficiency and turns energy bills into energy income.
Rolf Disch Solar Architecture considers the image such a community exhibits is equally as important as the eco-savings it brings. The tenants at the Solar Settlement do not claim to have made any compromises in their living situations but rather that they have both environmentally and economically improved. Made from Black Forest
timber, the wood interior and natural lighting provide for happily lit spaces and a natural flow from room to room.
As the first positive energy office building worldwide, the Sun Ship exhibits not only extreme efficiency but also a warm environment to work in. The office spaces are flanked on both the North and South ends entirely with windows, which maximizes natural sunlight, employee views and minimizes the energy wasted by artificial light. In addition to the office and retail space, two conference rooms, one large and one small, provide space for lectures, meetings and as a showroom.
Rolf Disch Solar Architecture always aims to create a community with combined uses for an ecological urban planning concept like traffic management – with wide, attractive walkways, bike routes and connections to public transportation. At the Solar Settlement for example, tenants and owners incorporate bike- and carsharing and the neighborhood has an extensive car-free zone with many public transportation connections. Rolf Disch Solar Architecture also has incorporated community solutions for energy. For example, a biomass cogeneration unit is extremely expedient, which meets the (reduced) additional heating demands for his Plusenergy homes.
2007-08 Japanese PEN-Magazine Creativity Award
2006 Germany's most beautiful housing community
2005 Wuppertal Energy and Environment Prize
2003 Global Energy Award
2002 European Solar Prize
2001 Photovoltaic Architecture Prize Baden-Württemberg
Heliotrope
Heliotrope may refer to:Natural science* Heliotropium, a genus of flowering plants* A plant that exhibits heliotropism, diurnal motion in response to the sun's movement* Heliotrope Media and entertainment...
as well as several other visionary green building projects, is based in the solar city Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Led by solar pioneer Rolf Disch
Rolf Disch
Rolf Disch is a German architect, solar energy pioneer and environmental activist who has contributed greatly to the advancement and efficiency of solar architecture internationally...
, who has been building with the sun for more than 40 years, this architecture office's prolific portfolio also includes such successful projects as the Solar Settlement
Solar Settlement
The Solar Settlement is a 59 PlusEnergy home housing community in Freiburg, Germany. Solar architect Rolf Disch wanted to apply his PlusEnergy concept, created originally with his Heliotrope home, to mass residential production...
and the Sun Ship
Sun Ship (building)
The Sun Ship is a large integrated office/retail building designed by architect Rolf Disch and located in Freiburg directly next to the Solar Settlement by the same designer. It uses 60,000 sq. ft. for retail, commercial and residential space....
. As winners of the 2002 European Solar Prize
European Solar Prize
The European Solar Prizes are awarded annually by the European Association for Renewable Energy EUROSOLAR located in Bonn, Germany. The Prizes are awarded since 1994 to individuals or organizations for the outstanding contribution to the utilization and applications of renewable energy in all its...
and the 2003 Global Energy Award these projects demonstrate the power of solar architecture; harness the sun both passively and actively. Lying at the base of the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
, in the sunniest city in Germany, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture offers a premium design that exceeds the highest ecological standards while creating profitable opportunities for their investors.
Background
Led by GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
’s solar architecture pioneer Rolf Disch
Rolf Disch
Rolf Disch is a German architect, solar energy pioneer and environmental activist who has contributed greatly to the advancement and efficiency of solar architecture internationally...
, this architecture firm has built with the sun as its foundation since 1969. Rolf Disch Solar Architecture has implemented the most up-to-date technology to design sustainable buildings from churches and schools, to homes and commercial developments. With the creation of the PlusEnergy
PlusEnergy
PlusEnergy is a coined concept developed by Rolf Disch that indicates a structure’s extreme energy efficiency so that it holds a positive energy balance, actually producing more energy than it uses. With the completion of his private residence, the Heliotrope, in 1994, Disch had created the first...
concept, their design has focused more and more specifically on positive energy balanced buildings, which generate more power than the consume through extremely efficient energy use and photovoltaic panel use. In 1994 they created the Heliotrope
Heliotrope
Heliotrope may refer to:Natural science* Heliotropium, a genus of flowering plants* A plant that exhibits heliotropism, diurnal motion in response to the sun's movement* Heliotrope Media and entertainment...
, the first building worldwide to create more energy than it uses. With the application of this PlusEnergy concept, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture further developed the concept into homes that use acute energy efficieny and have roofs made entirely of photovoltaic panels. 59 of these PlusEnergy homes were built as the Solar Settlement
Solar Settlement
The Solar Settlement is a 59 PlusEnergy home housing community in Freiburg, Germany. Solar architect Rolf Disch wanted to apply his PlusEnergy concept, created originally with his Heliotrope home, to mass residential production...
between 2002 and 2004, later to be followed by the Sun Ship
Sun Ship (building)
The Sun Ship is a large integrated office/retail building designed by architect Rolf Disch and located in Freiburg directly next to the Solar Settlement by the same designer. It uses 60,000 sq. ft. for retail, commercial and residential space....
. The Sun Ship
Sun Ship (building)
The Sun Ship is a large integrated office/retail building designed by architect Rolf Disch and located in Freiburg directly next to the Solar Settlement by the same designer. It uses 60,000 sq. ft. for retail, commercial and residential space....
, finished in 2006, is a retail, commercial/office and residential building with 60000 sq ft (5,574.2 m²). that also produces more energy than it consumes. Also the first building of its kind worldwide, the Sun Ship was truly the most extensive example of sustainable and renewable energy building by Rolf Disch Solar Architecture.
PlusEnergy
PlusEnergyPlusEnergy
PlusEnergy is a coined concept developed by Rolf Disch that indicates a structure’s extreme energy efficiency so that it holds a positive energy balance, actually producing more energy than it uses. With the completion of his private residence, the Heliotrope, in 1994, Disch had created the first...
is a coined concept developed by Rolf Disch that indicates a structure’s extreme energy efficiency so that it holds a positive energy balance, actually producing more energy than it uses. With the completion of his private residence, the Heliotrope
Heliotrope
Heliotrope may refer to:Natural science* Heliotropium, a genus of flowering plants* A plant that exhibits heliotropism, diurnal motion in response to the sun's movement* Heliotrope Media and entertainment...
, in 1994, Disch had created the first PlusEnergy house in the world. The sheer logic of a home that creates more energy than it consumes made perfect sense to Disch. His next goal in its development was thus the mass application of the concept to residential, commercial and retail space. As the concept further developed and gained financial backing as well, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture built several more projects with PlusEnergy certifications. PlusEnergy is a simple concept that has been materialized in a technical design. “PlusEnergy is a fundamental environmental imperative,” Disch claims. Disch believes that passive building isn’t enough because passive homes still emit CO2 into the atmosphere – we can solar activate our homes!
Heliotrope
Built originally in 1994 as the private residence and special project of Rolf Disch, the HeliotropeHeliotrope
Heliotrope may refer to:Natural science* Heliotropium, a genus of flowering plants* A plant that exhibits heliotropism, diurnal motion in response to the sun's movement* Heliotrope Media and entertainment...
is a one-of-a-kind design. The Heliotrope in Freiburg was the first building in the world to create more energy than it uses, of which is entirely renewable, emissions free and CO2 neutral. The structure physically rotates to track the sun, which allows it to harness the maximum natural sunlight and warmth possible from the sun. Several different energy generation modules are used in the building including a 603 sq ft (56 m²) dual-axis solar photovoltaic tracking panel
Solar tracker
A solar tracker is a generic term used to describe devices that orient various payloads toward the sun. Payloads can be photovoltaic panels, reflectors, lenses or other optical devices....
, a geothermal heat exchanger, a combined heat and power unit (CHP)
Cogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
and solar-thermal
Solar thermal energy
Solar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy . Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United States Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low-temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat...
balcony railing to provide heat and warm water. These innovations in combination with the superior insulation of the residence allow the Heliotrope to produce anywhere between four to six times its energy usage depending on the time of year. The Heliotrope is also fitted with a grey-water cleansing system
Greywater
Greywater is wastewater generated from domestic activities such as laundry, dishwashing, and bathing, which can be recycled on-site for uses such as landscape irrigation and constructed wetlands...
and built-in natural waste composting.
After the success of Freiburg’s Heliotrope, Hansgrohe
Hansgrohe
'Hansgrohe is a German sanitary fittings manufacturer. It was founded by Hans Grohe in 1901, in Schiltach, Germany. Hansgrohe is currently the world's largest shower head and hand-held shower attachment supplier followed by competitors such as GROHE and ROHL...
contracted Rolf Disch Solar Architecture to design and built another Heliotrope to be used as a visitor’s center and showroom in Offenburg
Offenburg
Offenburg is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With about 60,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city and the capital of the Ortenaukreis.Offenburg also houses University of Applied Sciences Offenburg...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. A third Heliotrope was then contracted and built in Hilpoltstein
Hilpoltstein
Hilpoltstein is a town in the district of Roth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 10 km southeast of Roth bei Nürnberg and 30 km south of Nuremberg.-History:* Origins of the castle and the town date back to the 10th century....
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
to be used as a technical dental laboratory. Disch’s unique design accommodates different utilization from private residences to laboratories, all the while maintaining the structure’s positive energy balance.
In addition to the original Heliotrope design, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture has drawn plans for larger versions of the project to be built as rotating hotels, which give every guest a beautiful view, as well as administrative buildings and even an exhibition pavilion for the EXPO 2010
Expo 2010
Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai, China, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. It was a major World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the first since 1992...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
.
Solar Settlement
With the success of the HeliotropeHeliotrope
Heliotrope may refer to:Natural science* Heliotropium, a genus of flowering plants* A plant that exhibits heliotropism, diurnal motion in response to the sun's movement* Heliotrope Media and entertainment...
, Rolf Disch Solar Architecture wanted to apply their PlusEnergy
PlusEnergy
PlusEnergy is a coined concept developed by Rolf Disch that indicates a structure’s extreme energy efficiency so that it holds a positive energy balance, actually producing more energy than it uses. With the completion of his private residence, the Heliotrope, in 1994, Disch had created the first...
concept to mass residential production. The new design for the PlusEnergy house gave way to the development of the Solar Settlement, a 50 PlusEnergy home housing community. This residential complex won such awards as 2002 House of the Year, 2002 residential PV solar integration award, 2006 Germany’s most beautiful housing community. It is the first housing community in the world in which all the homes produce a positive energy balance and which is emissions-free and CO2 neutral. Built between 2000 and 2005 in the Vauban
Vauban, Freiburg
Vauban is a new neighborhood of 5,000 inhabitants and 600 jobs 4 km to the south of the town center in Freiburg, Germany. It was built as "a sustainable model district" on the site of a former French military base, and is named after Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the 17th century French...
quarter of Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, the Solar Settlement has proved Disch’s vision of a “fundamental environmental imperative” as these homes have exhibited more than 8 years of full occupancy and each produced more than 4,000 Euros ($5,600) each year. The design of each home offers maximum energy efficiency and turns energy bills into energy income.
Rolf Disch Solar Architecture considers the image such a community exhibits is equally as important as the eco-savings it brings. The tenants at the Solar Settlement do not claim to have made any compromises in their living situations but rather that they have both environmentally and economically improved. Made from Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
timber, the wood interior and natural lighting provide for happily lit spaces and a natural flow from room to room.
Sun Ship
Rolf Disch Solar Architecture then morphed the PlusEnergy design concept into a large integrated office/retail building. The Sun Ship, located directly next to the Solar Settlement in Freiburg, uses its 60000 sq ft (5,574.2 m²). for retail, commercial and residential space. The Sun Ship houses a supermarket, convenience store and bakery-café on the first floor, offices and work spaces on the 2-4 floors and 9 penthouses on its roof. As a whole, this building produces more energy than it consumes per year and utilizes the most up-to-date building technology. Some aspects that make this building particularly unique are its vacuum insulated walls, ventilation with 95% heat recovery, triple paned windows and its energy façade.As the first positive energy office building worldwide, the Sun Ship exhibits not only extreme efficiency but also a warm environment to work in. The office spaces are flanked on both the North and South ends entirely with windows, which maximizes natural sunlight, employee views and minimizes the energy wasted by artificial light. In addition to the office and retail space, two conference rooms, one large and one small, provide space for lectures, meetings and as a showroom.
Community Planning
Community planning goes hand in hand with sustainable development and thus Rolf Disch Solar Architecture dedicates much if their design and planning to the symbiosis of their projects surroundings. A solar community generates identification and an enormous public image. Disch says he attracts great tenants, innovative undertakings and creative work places through his design.Rolf Disch Solar Architecture always aims to create a community with combined uses for an ecological urban planning concept like traffic management – with wide, attractive walkways, bike routes and connections to public transportation. At the Solar Settlement for example, tenants and owners incorporate bike- and carsharing and the neighborhood has an extensive car-free zone with many public transportation connections. Rolf Disch Solar Architecture also has incorporated community solutions for energy. For example, a biomass cogeneration unit is extremely expedient, which meets the (reduced) additional heating demands for his Plusenergy homes.
Awards
2008 German Sustainability Award2007-08 Japanese PEN-Magazine Creativity Award
2006 Germany's most beautiful housing community
2005 Wuppertal Energy and Environment Prize
2003 Global Energy Award
2002 European Solar Prize
2001 Photovoltaic Architecture Prize Baden-Württemberg
Selected works
- HeliotropeHeliotropeHeliotrope may refer to:Natural science* Heliotropium, a genus of flowering plants* A plant that exhibits heliotropism, diurnal motion in response to the sun's movement* Heliotrope Media and entertainment...
, Vauban QuarterVauban, FreiburgVauban is a new neighborhood of 5,000 inhabitants and 600 jobs 4 km to the south of the town center in Freiburg, Germany. It was built as "a sustainable model district" on the site of a former French military base, and is named after Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the 17th century French...
FreiburgFreiburgFreiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, 1994 - HeliotropeHeliotropeHeliotrope may refer to:Natural science* Heliotropium, a genus of flowering plants* A plant that exhibits heliotropism, diurnal motion in response to the sun's movement* Heliotrope Media and entertainment...
, OffenburgOffenburgOffenburg is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With about 60,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city and the capital of the Ortenaukreis.Offenburg also houses University of Applied Sciences Offenburg...
, 1994 - HeliotropeHeliotropeHeliotrope may refer to:Natural science* Heliotropium, a genus of flowering plants* A plant that exhibits heliotropism, diurnal motion in response to the sun's movement* Heliotrope Media and entertainment...
, HilpoltsteinHilpoltsteinHilpoltstein is a town in the district of Roth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 10 km southeast of Roth bei Nürnberg and 30 km south of Nuremberg.-History:* Origins of the castle and the town date back to the 10th century....
, 1995 - Solar SettlementSolar SettlementThe Solar Settlement is a 59 PlusEnergy home housing community in Freiburg, Germany. Solar architect Rolf Disch wanted to apply his PlusEnergy concept, created originally with his Heliotrope home, to mass residential production...
, Vauban QuarterVauban, FreiburgVauban is a new neighborhood of 5,000 inhabitants and 600 jobs 4 km to the south of the town center in Freiburg, Germany. It was built as "a sustainable model district" on the site of a former French military base, and is named after Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the 17th century French...
FreiburgFreiburgFreiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, 2002 - Sun ShipSun Ship (building)The Sun Ship is a large integrated office/retail building designed by architect Rolf Disch and located in Freiburg directly next to the Solar Settlement by the same designer. It uses 60,000 sq. ft. for retail, commercial and residential space....
, Vauban QuarterVauban, FreiburgVauban is a new neighborhood of 5,000 inhabitants and 600 jobs 4 km to the south of the town center in Freiburg, Germany. It was built as "a sustainable model district" on the site of a former French military base, and is named after Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the 17th century French...
FreiburgFreiburgFreiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, 2004