Heat Pump Project for Austrian Townhouses

Lobach Townhouses are located in western Innsbruck, where the original semi-detached houses were demolished and rebuilt. The new homes are equipped with advanced heat pump systems, making the project a representative example of electric heat pump applications in modern urban buildings.

• Project Name: Lobach Townhouses;

• Location: Innsbruck, Austria;

• Products: Shichuang Electric Air Source Heat Pump HPA-O 13 Premium; Integrated Water Tank HSBB 200;

• Functions: Heating, Cooling, Domestic Hot Water

Each home features an outdoor-mounted Shichuang Electric HPA-O 13 Premium air source heat pump that provides heating, cooling, and hot water, and is integrated with a photovoltaic system.

Returning to Nature: Semi-Detached Homes Built Side by Side

After the aging buildings were demolished, the design team needed to address groundwater seepage on the site. They selected a concrete base slab foundation and optimized the natural terrain.

To preserve the essence of the original building style while ensuring comfort for four households, the architects constructed two pairs of semi-detached villas, arranged to resemble small townhouses. This layout also allows all families to enjoy a shared community garden.

Bright Common Spaces with Convenient Access to Storage and Utilities

Entering the home, visitors walk through a hallway past guest rooms, utility spaces, and bathrooms, arriving in a bright, open kitchen-dining area.

A cozy living space faces northwest at the center of the house and opens onto a terrace, with a functional dining room positioned beside the kitchen.

An open staircase leads to the second floor, which includes two bedrooms, a study, and a spacious bathroom. The terrace extends naturally into the outdoor environment. The staircase continues up to a large attic that each family can design and use according to their needs.

An Energy-Efficient Townhouse Designed for Outdoor Durability

The townhouses feature a solid wood structure with an asphalt-covered roof for drainage. Timber-framed walls are filled with clay for natural insulation. The brown stucco façade blends harmoniously with the wood elements of the outdoor terrace.

The air source heat pumps are engineered specifically for outdoor operation, delivering reliable and efficient performance even in sub-freezing temperatures. Through intelligent system control, they maintain precise indoor temperature—essential for preserving the comfort and structural stability required in solid wood buildings.

The system also includes intelligent defrosting, ensuring frost-free, high-efficiency operation throughout winter. This makes the heat pumps especially suitable for Alpine climates, reliably performing even during heavy snowfall.

Thanks to their compact, highly integrated design, the units require minimal installation space.

Quiet operation was another major advantage. For connected townhouses, noise control is critical to maintaining neighborly comfort. “The heat pump runs very quietly. Even at night, you hardly notice it—and there are no complaints from the neighbors,” noted one resident.