Fairy Solar Protection at Ditzingen's Theodor Heuglin Secondary School

New colours for school

The new Theodor Heuglin Secondary School building features two interconnected, slightly offset atriums oriented North-South. The compulsory circular escape balcony area forms a passage between the building's interior and exterior, gives it a certain lightness and links it to different high quality external spaces. Serge Ferrari's Soltis Perform 92 solar protection blinds play a vital role in the facade concept through their contribution to an inside-outside transition through their high transparency and their creation of an airy, light, cool environment through their materials and colours. 

Modern colours

The solar protection systems were selected by the Stuttgart architectural practice Glück + Partner and were harmonised with the building's specific concept in relation to materials and building usage. Most of the façade is made up of columns and cross-beams associated with full height glazed areas so it was important for the design team to ensure that the building did not appear too massive, when the blinds were lowered; this would have been the case with louvered blinds. Textile blinds were therefore retained to give the solar protection system an appearance of lightness. The architects had a choice of 48 colours in the Soltis Perform 92 range. Bambou, Anis and Galet colour shades (two green and one light grey) were selected to reflect the surrounding nature and external spaces. "The external spaces are marked by the presence of old lime trees and naturally wild meadows". The blinds feature multiple tones of lime tree foliage, which are effective reminders of the surrounding external spaces. The solar protection system softens the facade, brings touches of colour and gives an airy, light, pleasant aspect. Inside, the system promotes another effect: The rooms are bathed in slightly green light, giving a simultaneously cool and warm ambiance", explains Søren Rafn, Glück + Partner's final decision-maker.

Happy medium between transparency, intimacy and heat curtailment.

In addition to the many style-related options, the extensive palette of solutions offered by Seerge Ferrari's solar protection material also convinced the project design team. "The building is located on high ground between open spaces to the west and east so it would have been a shame to not take advantage of the gradual transition between its interior and exterior. Soltis Perform 92 with its microperforation system and large light transmission capacity - a vital factor in our opinion - is entirely suitable because it guarantees both optimal transparency and visual inside-to-outside contact. Blinds are an excellent solution to preventing glare and conserving classroom intimacy from the exterior. In a nutshell, this solar protection material provided the perfect balance between transparency, intimacy and reduced heat influx", says Søren Rafn in relation to the decision made. The Serge Ferrari's range of solar protection systems, Soltis Perform 92 is outstanding because of its major reduction in heat influx. Thermal radiation is thus reduced by up to 92% through reflection, transmission and absorption.

ZIP system and optimum fabric tension

The ZIP system, which ensures more uniform shading without slits of light and guarantees higher stability in the wind, was preferred to a cable and load supporting bar system. For this project, the guide rails had to be narrower than the façade columns. Optimum fabric tension without creasing was ensured by combining the ZIP sliding system and the dimensional stability provided by Serge Ferrari's Précontraint fabrication process.