ᐅ Implementation of the concepts developed by K. Fischer and Prof. C. Meier

Hello everyone,
since I am new to this forum, I would first like to briefly introduce myself.
My name is Christian, and I live in the small town of Donauwörth. Together with my wife, we are starting our new building project on a 700m² (7,535 sq ft) plot of land.

We have been researching building materials, heat calculations, and moisture issues related to heavily insulated façades for some time now.

We have particularly studied the critics of insulation, Konrad Fischer and Prof. C. Meier, in depth.

The conclusion is that the entire construction industry is heavily driven by sales and engages in unnecessary material overuse.

Therefore, we want to plan our house under the following conditions:

- Gable roof
- Solid brick construction (without infill)
- No additional external insulation
- Exterior lime plaster
- Interior clay or lime plaster
- Intermediate ceiling with a clay/hemp mixture
- Windows with a high solar heat gain coefficient (g-value over 65%), with additional shading in summer. Aim for double glazing
- No ventilation system
- Heating system: radiant heating

There are many developers on the market who offer much more than this. Unfortunately, it turns out that these developers do not share the same "conviction" as I do and cannot be convinced to rethink their approach.

I would like to discuss the following with you:

1. What is the best way to proceed if I have set specific conditions but no developer is willing to implement them?

2. Are there architects in the Swabia or Upper Bavaria regions who could support us in realizing our building project?

3. What do you think of our framework conditions?

We look forward to a lively discussion!

1. Find an architect and hire contractors individually.
2. I don’t know ;-).
3. A 425mm T8 beam is nothing particularly revolutionary (but also not cheap). I’m not sure if you’re allowed to install windows that are not properly sealed – I would guess probably not. Radiant heating? According to Wikipedia, it doesn’t look very attractive – and I’m not sure what the advantage is supposed to be. It’s certainly expensive since it runs on electricity, right?

In the end, I think you’ll have an unconventional house that isn’t significantly cheaper, with high additional costs and relatively low resale value.

But I’m not an expert either.

Donauwörther schrieb:

We have particularly focused on critics of insulation, Konrad Fischer and Prof. C. Meier.

I can’t take the first one seriously regarding conspiracy theories about "fuel cells" (after a recent inquiry from a user, I revisited his arguments) or the "oh no, they’re coming" kind of claims. The latter mainly deals with retrofitting insulation in existing buildings.

Donauwörther schrieb:

The conclusion is that the entire construction industry is strongly driven by turnover and engages in unnecessary material battles.

Well, who would have thought... do you work for free? The industry responds—like, for example, VW—to market demands. In construction, “insulation” is a financially attractive topic, and most potential home buyers are not really open to factual arguments. In the latter case, it almost makes me sick reading that getting caught manipulating values at VW is treated like a near murder case (at least judging by the penalties demanded).

Donauwörther schrieb:

Therefore, we want to plan our house under the following conditions:

- Intermediate ceiling made of clay/hemp mixture

And how do you intend to meet the structural requirements?

Donauwörther schrieb:

Desired glazing: double-pane

That fits a renovated new build, but not a single-family house built according to the current energy saving regulations (energy code).

Donauwörther schrieb:

- No ventilation system

You plan to perform shock ventilation at least 5 times a day during the first two years?

Donauwörther schrieb:

- Heating system: radiant heating

As long as you don’t install infrared heaters but do plan photovoltaic panels with storage, that is quite an interesting option.

Donauwörther schrieb:

They are also not open to rethinking their position.

Is that really not understandable to you?

Donauwörther schrieb:

1. What is the best approach if I set certain conditions but no developer implements them?

If you don’t insist that the “intermediate ceiling made of clay/hemp mixture” is a must-have, you can hire almost any general contractor; the heat generator you can contract separately. Since you initially addressed this provider group, you probably want to benefit from their purchasing conditions?

If you can’t find an appropriate provider, you can always hire a trusted architect—provided your budget allows it 😉

Best regards, Bauexperte