Umbau ~ Refurbishment
​Many reconstructions are often stay in the context of a change of use, for which a building permit is usually required by law. Why is this so? The background is as follows: in the case of a change of use, the course and the requirements for escape routes, fire protection, building statics and thermal insulation usually change. For example, a retail store or café that is frequented by a large number of people usually requires wider escape routes than would be the case for an office use.
In addition to the aforementioned points such as escape routes and fire protection, other permit-relevant issues such as building statics and thermal insulation play an important role in renovations. Will a change be made to load-bearing components in the course of the planned renovation? Then a structural engineer should definitely be consulted to evaluate these interventions in terms of building stability. When it comes to thermal insulation, by the way, the protection of existing buildings plays an important role. Because as soon as the quantity of the construction units which can be reorganized does not exceed a certain size, thus usually around the mark of 10%, the obligation is void for the costly replacement of the old construction units as for example: Windows, roof insulation, etc.
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Government funding
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Construction measures aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the building envelope and modernizing the heating system are actively promoted by the state. In the long term, this is intended to increase the incentive for building renovations and make its contribution to meeting political climate targets. However, the exact conditions of the subsidies are subject to constant political and economic change and therefore have to be reviewed again and again. What applies today may look completely different in 2 or even 3 years.
Conclusion: "The reconstruction turns out to be no less complicated than the new construction itself. For this reason, in order to control costs, maintain construction quality, and meet deadlines, the involvement of appropriate experts in every construction project is recommended right from the start."
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Cost-saving construction begins with careful and detailed architectural planning. Because only the one who knows what is coming up to him can adjust and react accordingly in the implementation of the constructional measures. This is expressed properly in a multitude of planning decisions, which in their entirety lead to a project tailored to the budget. Since each building project with its special features requires individual planning solutions, only a few principles can be discussed here, which can serve as a decision-making aid in the realization of building projects.
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