PROJECT DETAILS
Holistically Climate-Friendly
New RINGANA Campus Features WICONA Façade Made from Recycled Aluminium
Modern, transparent architecture and a holistic approach to sustainability characterise the new headquarters of Austrian fresh cosmetics and life science company RINGANA in St. Johann in der Haide. Alongside a forward-looking energy concept, the WICONA façade solution made from end-of-life aluminium makes a significant contribution to the building’s exemplary energy performance.
Innovative New Build in Harmony with Nature
As a leading producer of vegan and natural fresh cosmetics, RINGANA has been offering a wide range of skincare, haircare and facial products since 1996. The key to its success: all products are freshly manufactured several times a month in Austria, using only natural ingredients. Due to continued growth, the company decided to consolidate its three existing locations into a single central site. The new campus was built “on a greenfield site” in St. Johann in der Haide, with direct access to the A2 motorway. With environmental protection, resource conservation and CO2 reduction long embedded in the company’s philosophy, sustainable and climate-conscious construction, as well as harmonious integration into the surrounding nature, were central requirements for the project.
Architectural firm ATP architekten ingenieure (Vienna) designed the new RINGANA Campus as a cohesive ensemble of three interconnected buildings on a 12-hectare site, accommodating around 500 employees. In addition to the administration block and logistics hall, the centrepiece of the development is the state-of-the-art fresh production facility, with a daily capacity of up to 30,000 kilograms of cosmetics. This area also houses quality management, research and development departments. A four-metre-high glass front and a “floating” visitor walkway offer detailed insights into the cosmetics production – a showcase in transparency. The high-quality outdoor areas, featuring a meadow orchard and a natural swimming pond, further enhance the campus’s liveability.
Pioneering Energy Supply
The new headquarters was designed integrally by the architects using BIM (Building Information Modelling). This allowed energy efficiency and potential savings to be identified and calculated early in the design phase for the entire building lifecycle. A key component of the energy supply is the photovoltaic system, with a capacity of 1,200 kWp. Thomas Wirth, overall project manager at ATP, explains: “The entire energy demand is met with green electricity – up to a third of which comes from the photovoltaic installation. Additionally, heat pumps draw renewable energy from the ground, allowing the campus to be heated in winter and cooled in summer.” Cutting-edge chilled ceiling panels that can emit both heating and cooling energy ensure a pleasant indoor climate all year round. The energy concept is completed with a 16,000-square-metre green roof, which helps reduce cooling demand while also retaining rainwater.
Highly Insulating Façade Construction
The façade solution chosen for the headquarters also reflects a strong commitment to sustainability and aesthetics. The frame structure in white aluminium, combined with vertical louvres running the full height of the building, creates a clean and structured façade, symbolising transparency and the fresh philosophy of the RINGANA brand. Together with the WICTEC 50 HI stick system from WICONA, this results in a striking visual appearance. The system also fully meets energy efficiency requirements: WICTEC 50 HI was the first aluminium-glass façade certified as passive house-compatible by the ift Rosenheim. It achieves a thermal insulation value of Uf = 0.65 W/(m²K), thanks to the use of a simple-to-install insulation profile. Combined with external venetian blinds and the shading effect of the louvre structure, this provides excellent protection against summer heat.
Recycled End-of-Life Aluminium for a Reduced Environmental Footprint
The WICTEC 50 HI profiles – along with all other window, door, and façade elements – were produced by WICONA using Hydro CIRCAL end-of-life aluminium. This unique aluminium alloy is particularly eco-friendly, as project consultant Thomas Allmer explains: “Producing Hydro CIRCAL requires 95% less energy than primary aluminium, and CO2 emissions are reduced by 75%. Our façade solution thus plays a key role in significantly reducing the environmental footprint and perfectly complements the forward-looking overall concept of the new building.”
Thanks to the close and collaborative partnership between all project stakeholders – from the client to architects, WICONA experts, and metal construction firms – the new RINGANA Campus now boasts a building envelope that is not only visually striking, but also a true benchmark in sustainable construction.
