The town hall is located at the centre of Scharnhauser Park, a former US military base next to Stuttgart airport. As an outstanding architectural project, it was constructed from 2000-2002 as a multifunctional public building comprising municipal administration, civic services, a public library, an art gallery, classrooms for music lessons and an evening school, a registry office, office space, sports facilities and a multipurpose hall.
Heat is delivered from the biomass co-generation plant via a 13 km district heating network. There is a small boiler for domestic hot water in the building and four big ventilation systems. Air-conditioning has not been installed because the double-facade includes sun-protection measures and the large thermal masses of the concrete structure in the inner core normally buffer high temperatures on extremely hot summer days. The building automation and control system provides time schedules and single room regulation as well as parameters for ventilation and the different heating circuits.
Enormous progress in electric energy consumption could be realised through relatively small means such as monitoring equipment and small electrical improvement devices such as switchable plugs and timers. Caretakers and people who work in and frequent the buildings have been educated and made aware of the new methods. An energy management system was set up to monitor savings and gain further insight into energy consumption patterns. Furthermore, detailed technical building inspections to analyse the electrical needs of the users in the building were carried out.