Preservation of cultural heritage
The renovation of the buildings preserved their historical architectural elements while introducing modern conveniences. Original details were carefully restored. As a result, the buildings retained their character and charm while meeting contemporary standards of comfort and safety.
A place for everyone
The project was designed with the integration of the local community in mind, offering public spaces and services accessible to all residents. Importantly, the buildings and external area are adapted to the needs of people with disabilities, allowing every resident to fully enjoy the offered amenities. Recreational spaces, such as the park, playground, and walking paths, encourage active outdoor activities. One of the key elements is a community garden in the form of a mini-greenhouse, which reflects the character of the place and supports community integration. Additionally, the buildings include spaces for social meetings, workshops, and cultural events, fostering interpersonal bonds. A crucial stage in creating the project concept involved consultations with the local community, ensuring their needs and expectations were considered in the final project.
Biodiversity
The project included the protection and enhancement of local fauna and flora, contributing to the improvement of biodiversity in the park. Diverse plants were used, attracting local insects, birds, and small mammals, creating a diverse and healthy ecosystem. An Ecologist's Report was created for the conducted work.
Recommended natural habitats
The project involved reorganizing green areas in the park to maximize biodiversity enrichment. Native species of trees and shrubs were introduced.
- Butterfly habitat: One of the key elements of the project was creating a butterfly habitat. To ensure suitable conditions, plants attracting butterflies at various development stages, from eggs to mature insects, were introduced. Butterfly houses were also installed, providing shelter from weather conditions and a place for hibernation.
- Bird habitat: Bird protection activities included increasing the number of nest boxes for cavity-nesting birds and installing water feeders. The introduction of multi-species lawns, trees, and shrubs with fruits eaten by birds aimed to provide a constant food base.
- Native species: The renovation project mainly used native plant species, which are better adapted to local climatic and soil conditions and support local fauna. These plants provide a natural habitat for many species of insects, birds, and mammals.
- Recommendations during constructio: During the renovation, special attention was paid to minimizing disturbances to local ecosystems. Construction work was planned in such a way as to protect existing habitats and species. Temporary protective barriers were introduced, and areas were monitored by environmental protection specialists.
Energy efficiency
The use of modern energy-saving technologies, such as heat recovery systems and electrification of systems to move away from fossil fuels, reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Heat recovery systems from ventilation and air conditioning allow for the reuse of thermal energy (at least for preheating domestic hot water), further reducing operating costs.
The project also implemented energy management systems and an advanced BMS (Building Management System), allowing for real-time tracking and analysis of energy consumption, enabling appropriate corrective actions to be taken.
In the Ulrich Gardens project, a particular challenge was maintaining suitable internal conditions in the building while preserving its architectural form. The entire building structure is glazed, which posed a challenge in terms of managing thermal comfort inside the building, which serves as a Food Hall.
Post-construction thermographic tests conducted for all three buildings showed that no remedial actions were needed, and the buildings have good thermal insulation, which is particularly difficult for historic buildings.
Water management
The project used water-saving fixtures and a leak detection system, enabling quick identification of losses from the BMS level, both inside the building and in external areas. This allows the technical team to intervene immediately and significantly reduce potential potable water losses.
Additionally, rainwater collection and reuse systems were introduced. These systems allow for collecting rainwater, which is then used to irrigate plants. This reduces the load on the water supply network and conserves valuable potable water.
Waste minimization
During the renovation, special attention was paid to minimizing construction waste and optimizing recycling processes. All construction waste was segregated on-site, and materials that could be reused were recycled.
