Business Center Niederösterreich is an office complex located just south of the St. Pölten government quarter. The complex was built to utilize passive energy and was opened in February 2008. The complex houses institutions in the province of Lower Austria that provide information and services to entrepreneurs. The building was built by the Austrian architectural team Gschwandtner & Millbacher, which won a pan-European architectural competition for this project.

Architecture

The four buildings, all constructed to utilize passive energy, are connected by glass corridors and form the southern boundary of the St. Pölten government quarter. Energy consumption is less than 15kWh/m2/year. The four buildings represent the four districts of Lower Austria and, in their wealth of diverse materials, forms and functions, they suitably reflect the multiplicity of Lower Austria's economy. The complex is the largest office complex built to use passive energy in Austria.

Passive House Construction

The term has arisen from the "passive" use of existing heat from sunlight through windows, as well as heat emission from appliances and their users. This heat is normally sufficient to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the building throughout the year, reducing energy costs for heating and cooling to a minimum. During the construction of the Business Center Niederoesterreich, only low-emission construction materials were used, and ecological building chemicals were utilized wherever possible. The Green Building Cluster of Lower Austria and ecoplus were closely involved in the planning of the project.

Utilization

The new office complex is a offers support and advice for issues faced by entrepreneurs, including founding a company, finding a suitable location, financial assistance opportunities, and networking. Professional support is made possible on site by ecoplus, The Business Agency of Lower Austria; RIZ - Regional Innovation & Start-Up Center; Niederösterreich-Werbung, The Lower Austrian Tourist Office; Tecnet Capital, a technology financing company; The Lower Austrian Institutions for Financing and Loan Guaranties; and several government-affiliated offices and companies. The Business Center Niederoesterreich has capacity for up to 220 employees. The Information & Service center is located on the ground floor of the complex in House A.

External links

• Business Center Niederösterreich