A newly built municipal daycare centre in Eschenbach, Bavaria, has been equipped with a KNX building automation system. The installation features five of our touch panels: four Controlmicro panels in the group rooms and one Control 12 in the manager’s office. The building is visualised using the Gira QuadClient, running on a central Gira FacilityServer.
Clear building design and centralised control
The daycare centre was developed as a municipal construction project commissioned by the town of Eschenbach. Its thoughtfully designed architecture is complemented by a centrally managed building automation system, providing staff with an efficient way to control a wide range of building functions in their daily work.
The single-storey low-energy building features a timber-frame construction and a spacious outdoor play area. Inside, a long central corridor connects four group areas, each with an identical room layout. The consistent floor plan is complemented by functional spaces such as a kitchen, utility rooms, offices for the management team and specialist staff, including speech therapists. A dedicated changing area is also provided, where children can change before and after outdoor activities.
Each of the four group rooms is equipped with a Controlmicro touch panel, while the manager's office features a Control 12. The touch panels provide centralised control of:
- Lighting (including DALI integration)
- Heating and ventilation
- Presence detectors
- Door communication, including video transmission via a Gira door intercom system
Intuitive navigation through colours and design
Ease of use played a key role throughout the project. As all group rooms share the same size and layout, a clear colour-coding concept was introduced. Each group room – Frogs, Sparrows, Snails and Ladybirds – is assigned its own colour, with red, for example, representing the Ladybirds.
This colour scheme is consistently reflected throughout the installation:
- LED backlighting on the Controlmicro touch panels
- Buttons and control elements
- The user interface of the visualisation
This provides both staff and children with clear visual orientation, making it easy to identify the different group areas even during the busy daily routine at the daycare centre.
Safety and indoor climate under control at all times
In addition to enhancing comfort, the system plays a vital role in ensuring safety. In a busy daycare centre, staff cannot be everywhere at once. To provide an extra layer of protection, the building features an integrated "runaway alarm" system: all windows are fitted with KNX-integrated window contacts. If a window is opened without authorisation, an alarm is triggered automatically, helping to prevent children from leaving unnoticed through open windows or patio doors.
Energy efficiency was also a key consideration:
- Demand-controlled ventilation based on CO₂ and VOC measurements
- Holiday and public holiday modes to minimise unnecessary energy consumption during extended periods when the building is unoccupied
- Time-based optimisation, such as night-time ventilation
This ensures energy-efficient operation while maintaining a high level of indoor air quality – a key factor in airtight low-energy buildings.
Project implementation and timeline
Planning for the project began in late 2022 and early 2023. The building automation system was implemented by mid-2023, and the daycare centre officially opened in autumn of the same year. Following final adjustments and optimisation work on both the building and the KNX installation, the project was successfully completed in early 2024.
TS Smartsolution, based in Auerbach in the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria, was responsible for programming the KNX system and integrating our touch panels. The remaining electrical installation was carried out by MSR Bertelshofer GmbH. Since commissioning, the installation has been continuously maintained and optimised. Remote maintenance and ongoing support are provided via a Gira S1.
Challenges in day-to-day operation
As with many public-sector projects, this installation demonstrated that advanced building automation must also meet the practical requirements of its users.
Some of the challenges encountered during day-to-day operation included:
- Interpreting measured values such as indoor air quality data and charts
- Limited technical familiarity among everyday users
- The need for straightforward, intuitive operation
To support the staff, training sessions, presentations and short instructional videos were provided. However, the project also showed that there is often little time in the busy daycare routine to become familiar with technical features. This makes simple, clearly structured operating concepts all the more important.
From a technical perspective, several optimisations were also implemented:
- Regular automated overnight restarts of the touch panels via IP command to ensure the stability of the extensive installation
- Initially limited remote access to the touch panels, which was resolved in collaboration with our support
- Occasional limitations relating to the door communication system
Today, all parties involved are satisfied with the overall solution.
A reliable solution for everyday daycare operations
TS Smartsolution rates its collaboration with us very positively, particularly with regard to technical support, communication and the open exchange on technical matters and product decisions.
"The design, quality, open and honest communication, and compatibility with the Gira ecosystem were the key factors for us," says system integrator Johannes Lindner of TS Smartsolution.
The project demonstrates how modern KNX technology can be successfully deployed even in the demanding environment of a daycare centre. By combining energy-efficient architecture with well-designed building automation, a clear operating concept and tailored functionality, the result is a reliable solution that enhances everyday operations while remaining well prepared for future requirements.
