In areas with heavy traffic, it is especially important to ensure residents have a safe refuge from the noise of the roads. © bauhaus-filmwerkstatt GmbH

Sound insulation is an extremely important consideration in residential buildings. It affects not just personal comfort, but health, too. The construction of a new residential quarter in Munich’s Freiham district was subject to particularly high sound insulation requirements. Felix + Jonas Architekten solved the problem with additional balcony glazing and box windows featuring Solarlux’s SL 25 slide-and-turn system (successor system Proline T).

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Freiham, on the western outskirts of Munich, is currently the site of a new residential development. The 350-hectare area is being used by a number of developers, including Munich housing associations Gewofag and GWG, to build 8000 flats with space for 20,000 people. Munich-based architects’ bureau Felix + Jonas were contracted by GWG to construct three buildings on plot WA4 on Aubinger Allee, the new access road. Alongside a building for children, a local meet-up spot, a new GWG property management office and an underground car park, the development included 125 apartments of varying type and size, from one to five rooms.

The problem: Heave noise pollution due to busy traffic

With the high volume of traffic on the local roads and the nearby motorway, extensive sound insulation was called for. However, shielding that complied with German standard DIN 4109 for the relevant rooms would have interfered with aspects of the planned layout and urban planning for the area. In addition to this, the development plan includes sound-insulated ventilation units or equivalent measures in cases where the rated noise from traffic exceeded 49 db(A). Fortunately, the architects were able to comply with the development plan specifications in terms of sound insulation and sufficient night-time ventilation by implementing suitable structural measures.

The solution: Efficient sound insulation with balcony glazing

The bottom section of the glazing on the recessed balconies uses Solarlux SL Plus sealed balcony glazing, while the top section comprises the Solarlux SL 25 slide-and-turn system (successor system Proline T). A total of 64 balcony glazing units with 412 individual elements were installed across all three buildings. Thanks to these structural sound insulation measures, the recessed balconies now meet the required sound insulation level of Rw,F= 39 dB.

Modular box windows as a custom sound insulation solution

For the floor-to-ceiling single windows on the west side, the architects developed an insulated aluminium structure that was installed in front of the windows after they had been fitted. The outer layer of this structure can be sealed off using three Solarlux SL 25 slide-and-turn elements, which also run from floor to ceiling. The single windows, which are offset from one storey to the next, took the form of 133 box windows with 399 Solarlux elements. This design makes it easy to fully air out the flats while also creating a thermal buffer zone. The slide-and-turn elements can be opened – and cleaned, of course – from the inside, are resistant to wind and driving rain and, thanks to their heat soak treatment, are also immune to spontaneous glass breakage. In addition to this, the windows have also been fitted with rebate ventilation so that residents can enjoy air circulation without opening their windows and breaking the sound insulation.

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When it came to designing the details of the box windows, the architects called in Solarlux Architectural Consultant, Omar Ayoubi, to help them out. The aluminium structure was manufactured by Mühldorf-based metalworking company Hummelsberger. “Solarlux provided us with excellent assistance during the planning phase. We’ve worked with the company on many building projects before, and know them well. Being able to rely on their wealth of experience was hugely beneficial to us,” says Manfred Felix of Felix + Jonas Architekten.

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