The five-storey building complex at Berner Straße 119 in the district of Nieder-Eschbach was constructed in 1997. It had become outdated and required renovations to its energy system as well as an upgrade in user comfort. On the initiative of the new main tenant, the owner decided to renovate three floors to start with. The building technology was modernised on the ground floor, first floor and fourth floor and more flexible room divisions were implemented – creating a working environment fit for the future. Alongside renovating the interior, the plan was to improve the energy efficiency of the roof and upgrade the existing external sun shading system. Matthias Angermeier of Objektausstattungen Walter G. Angermeier GmbH, the company in Dieburg commissioned to draw up and implement the plans, explains what was required: “The aim of the new sun shading system was to improve user comfort and summer thermal protection while also offering cost-effective installation during regular operations. The client did not want us to intervene in the existing facade structure and did not require a central sun shading control system.”

More convenient, radio-controlled sun shading – installed during regular operations
With this in mind, the external venetian blinds (which were almost 30 years old and crank-operated) were replaced with new Warema basic external venetian blinds with flat slats and cable guidance – now with motorisation and intelligent WMS controls. The advantage of this is that the sun shading is controlled entirely via radio, meaning that no elaborate wiring was required on the facade or inside the office spaces. The radio receivers (WMS plug receivers) are connected to the relevant motors and use the WMS mesh network to communicate with the WMS wall-mounted transmitters, which are installed in the rooms unobtrusively. There is also the option to extend the control system in the future to include mobile WMS hand-held transmitters or controls for individual scenarios. This creates additional flexibility, for example if room divisions are altered or if tenants change. Matthias Angermeier explains: “All that was required to install the system was a power supply to the motors and to the weather-protected WMS plug receivers. This was added to the facade using existing installation channels. There was no need to drill into or interfere with the structure.” The system was connected to the power supply by a specialist electrical company, while the WMS radio system was commissioned and “taught” by Warema’s technical service in coordination with Matthias Angermeier.

Greater user comfort and summer thermal protection
The WMS radio system allows intelligent control mode functions to be implemented. The integrated sun control mode independently positions the external venetian blinds depending on the position of the sun and intensity of the light. This supports summer thermal protection and reduces the amount of heat that gets into the building. The external sun shading is also protected on all sides of the facade by WMS plus weather stations. The sensors installed record weather data such as wind speed and solar radiation and regularly transmit this information to the radio receivers via the mesh network. If critical wind speeds are reached, the external venetian blinds are raised automatically, ensuring safety and protecting the system. “The WMS radio system offers enormous advantages, particularly when renovating an existing building like the Phoenix-Haus: no need to intervene in freshly renovated interiors, flexibility for future changes of use and a tangible increase in user comfort”, explains Matthias Angermeier. “The intelligent control mode manages the sun shading independently, supporting the building’s energy management without requiring users to intervene manually.”

Intelligent technology for smart renovations
The successful upgrade to the sun shading at the Phoenix-Haus shows that modern, automated solutions can be installed in existing buildings with limited structural intervention. An intelligent solution like the WMS radio system combines needs-based control, great operational comfort and flexibility when retrofitting buildings. There are already plans to extend this to the building’s other floors, plans made possible by the modular system structure.

Construction details

• Property: Phoenix-Haus
• Location: Berner Straße 119, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
• Purpose: Office building
• Built: 1997
• Modernisation: 2025
• Sun Shading executed by: Objektausstattungen Walter G. Angermeier GmbH, Dieburg, Germany
• Products:
  
  • WAREMA E 80 AF basic external venetian blinds with flat slats and cable guidance
  • WAREMA WMS radio system with WMS wall-mounted transmitters and WMS plus weather stations on all facade sides

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