Franz are Robert Diem and Erwin Stattner.

What is "sustainable" or "future proof"? Sustainability through technology?

In order to construct NMS/BORG Deutsch-Wagram and at the same time lower the energy use of the building, the following measures were taken: Ground water heat pump, photovoltaic-modules on the roof, a ventilation system the size of a school bus, triple glazing, high insulation, compact structure etc. Even during construction they optimized the carbon (CO2) - balance by working with a special type of concrete. That way, the energy consumption and operating expenses were visibly reduced, although the students themselves notice only little of these measures.

The aspect that might be the most sustainable of all is the mayor´s decision to build a school within the community. This enables students to come to school by bike instead of commuting to Vienna day by day. Beyond that, Deutsch-Wagram now has a secondary school with the possibility to obtain a high school diploma. This may lead to an increase of students to receive a higher school qualification - at least to some extent.Higher educational levels can be seen as a social objective, they reduce unemployment rates and are therefore highly sustainable. The second important aspect is the choice of the building site during the preparatory phase of the project: By choosing a site in the city center and close to other educational institutions (kindergarten, primary school, music school, afternoon childcare), an educational cluster of short distances has been created. The third contribution to sustainability is given by the combination of two different school types (new secondary school and Oberstufenrealgymnasium). By double using classrooms for both types (handicraft lessons, physics, library etc.) the building size itself could be reduced. In doing so, the energy use during the realization, but also during maintenance was lowered. Due to the intensive use of the gym by regional sports clubs, the building has a high occupancy rate.

Whilst there are many approaches towards sustainable design, the biggest effect is attained by holistic considerations, not by a heat pump´s Coefficient Of Performance.