How can historic buildings, modern building services engineering, and species conservation be successfully combined? The energy-efficient and heritage-compliant restoration of Königswartha Castle demonstrates how research findings from ILK Dresden are directly transferred into complex construction projects, creating innovative solutions for real-world applications.

Commissioned by the Saxon State Office for Construction and Real Estate Management (Sächsisches Immobilien- und Baumanagement, SIB), ILK Dresden is responsible for the design of the building's plumbing, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC), building automation systems, and geothermal energy system. The objective is to implement a forward-looking, energy-efficient building services concept that meets the stringent requirements of heritage conservation while enabling the use of renewable energy sources.

One of the project's greatest challenges is the protection of one of Saxony's largest maternity roosts of the serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus).

As no established standards exist for the acoustic requirements of these animals, ILK Dresden developed a scientifically based measurement concept. Acoustic measurements carried out before and after the refurbishment document the existing conditions and verify that the new ventilation systems do not exceed the original sound pressure levels.

In addition, airflow and acoustic investigations were conducted in the castle's former ballroom for an innovative displacement ventilation system integrated into acoustically transparent wall panels. Pressure loss measurements and laser-based flow visualisation provided the scientific basis for the design and optimisation of the ventilation concept.

This project highlights ILK Dresden's commitment to combining research, measurement technology, and engineering design, ensuring that scientific findings are translated directly into the sustainable refurbishment of historic buildings.