Korneuburg Red Cross Headquarters

Building & Layout
The complex consists of a three-story administrative building comprising 3,470 m² GFA alongside dedicated operational structures. These include an ambulance and transport hall (522 m² GFA), a parking hall (500 m² GFA), a vehicle wash bay (150 m² GFA), and storage facilities (360 m² GFA). The heated gross floor area of the main administrative wing measures 2,866 m² GFA.

Thermal Mass Activation
Structurally, the solid concrete building leverages thermally activated building systems (TABS). Designed by FIN – Kuster Energielösungen GmbH, the system embeds piping networks directly within massive concrete ceilings and walls. Concrete acts as a thermal storage medium, absorbing heat or cold and releasing it evenly into spaces to cushion peak loads. Energy is supplied by a 101 m² solar thermal array, a photovoltaic system (30 to 32.4 kWp), a groundwater heat pump (16.4 kW electrical / 60 kW thermal capacity), and a 40 kW adsorption chiller for peak summer cooling.

Hydraulically, energy is distributed via a three-buffer storage configuration operating at distinct temperature levels to feed domestic hot water, ventilation, or TABS. A monitoring network with around 300 sensors logs system data every three minutes for ongoing fine-tuning. Over two operational years, the team optimized control strategies, temporarily deactivating TABS during shoulder seasons when passive solar gains proved sufficient. As a result, annual HVAC electricity expenses dropped from €6,000 for a half-year in 2020 to €3,569 for the full year 2024. That is equivalent to running costs of around €1 per square meter of usable area per year.

A key operational feature is the ground-floor "San-Arena" training facility: across three glass-fronted training rooms and a fourth room equipped with a vehicle wreck, emergency personnel practice rescue procedures under realistic, confined, and high-noise conditions.

Text: ZAB | Sources: Hoffmann-Janz ZT GmbH, FIN – Kuster Energielösungen GmbH, Korneuburg Red Cross, Austrian Cement Association (VÖZ)