In Ljubljana, Slovenia, the architects brainstormed. Their task was simple: insulate and renovate the facade of a five-storey building. Sounds simple. But, in fact, thousands of grooves decorate the building's exterior so perfectly that it is listed as a historical monument. The façade of the University's Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television therefore could not be altered in any way. The architects opted for Multipor panels. Today, the building is an eye-catcher.

The special characteristic of the vapor-permeable Multipor mineral boards is that they can transport moisture and let to dry. They also have a high thermal insulation value, are fire-resistant and easy to install. This makes them ideal for insulation inside buildings, in air ducts, ceilings, basements and garages, as well as for pitched and flat roofs. On green roofs, they also show their advantage in terms of their pressure resistance. 

But Multipor also has a decisive advantage after its lifetime: 100 percent of the pure residues can be recycled and used as a raw material for new building materials. But this takes time, because the product has a long service life. In addition, the natural and mineral raw materials are extracted regionally. This ensures short transport routes.

Insulating historic buildings

A stable is damp, an old building needs renovation, a football stadium needs insulation - wherever the going gets tough, mineral panels come into play.

In Antwerp, for example. In 1558, a rich widow founded an orphanage for boys. Today, students attend lectures in the restored building. In order to preserve the historic façades, the interior walls were reinsulated with Multipor. At the same time, old damp damage was repaired and new mould was prevented. This is particularly important in buildings where the statics are based on centuries-old wooden beams. This is why the architect in charge, Jan Meersman, chose the mineral panels. "This project was my first experience of Multipor. It worked so well that I advised the contractor to use the material to insulate other walls on the campus."

Polish architects and craftsmen faced a no less challenging task in Rybnik, a major city in Silesia. Not only were two historic turn-of-the-century brick buildings being stylishly renovated. At the same time, the two two-storey buildings were connected by a new build house.  The result is a five-storey, horseshoe-shaped complex of residential buildings. The fact that the old and new buildings have Multipor insulation is of particular benefit to the families. They were able to keep their energy costs at a much lower level than in other buildings.

The ArcelorMittal Park in Sosnowiec, east of the district capital Katowice, is not historic, but futuristic. A football stadium with 11,600 seats that is converted into an ice hockey arena in winter. Multipor panels insulate the ceilings under the reinforced concrete stands. The fans are delighted.

Absorbing and keeping out moisture

Renovating old buildings is a real challenge, not only because of the need for future energy efficiency. Once started, some builders can hardly believe what they're seeing. As soon as the plaster is stripped off, it turns out that the walls are damp, from the floor slab to the exterior walls and even the roof beams. Architect Maria Nitsch from Volkmarsen in Germany wanted to convert her barn into a modern office. She relied on Multipor ExSal Therm desalination panels to renovate 65 square metres of salt-contaminated and damp wall surfaces. The material also stores dissolved salts from the masonry in the countless pores of the panels. This eliminates the need for the time-consuming and costly process of drying out the masonry. Instead, the architect was able to do the renovation and insulation of the brick walls in one step. Maria Nitsch is doubly pleased with her choice: "As an architect, I'm convinced that the insulation properties and the way the panels work will create a pleasant indoor climate in the rooms.“

Healthy residents

This is due to Multipor's mineral base materials of sand, lime, cement, water and a pore generator. The panels are also free of fibres and pollutants, which is important for allergy sufferers. Multipor also protects the health of the residents in other ways: in the event of a fire, neither smoke nor toxic fumes are released. No burning material drips down.
So even professional fire services train with Multipor mineral insulation boards. For a fire test, they clad the ceiling, three walls and the floor of a standard shipping container with the boards. Together with the accompanying mineral lightweight mortar, this corresponds to the interior insulation of a building. The firemen then set fire to the container. In the test, the insulation withstands fire temperatures of up to 900°C for several minutes. Even after being shock-cooled by extinguishing water, not a single board falls off the wall. This means that firefighters could have rescued potential residents without any additional risk.

Protecting nature

Environmental protection begins with the extraction of raw materials. This also happens with Multipor. For instance, after sand has been mined, the pits are restored to their natural state. Hartmut Walther, who is responsible for sand deposits at Xella Technologie- und Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, says the results have been very satisfactory. "After a few years, recultivated pits are almost always richer in species than before," he says. "The hundreds of metres long, multi-rowed and varied hedges we plant often develop into breeding grounds and retreat areas for many animals and plants."

This is how circular economy works.