Merko’s professionalism and years of experience will ensure the construction quality of the development.
The energy performance indicator, determined based on energy calculations, for the residential buildings at Paekalda 19, 21, 23/1 and Paekalda 23/2 corresponds to energy efficiency class A. Solar panels are installed on the roofs of the buildings.
The load-bearing structures of the buildings rest on a shallow reinforced concrete foundation. The frame of the building is prefabricated, while exterior walls are made from triple-layer reinforced concrete panels. Suspended ceilings are made from reinforced concrete hollow panels. Mineral wool and a concrete screed are installed on top of the panels to prevent footfall noise. The buildings have a flat roof covered with roll roofing. Next to the buildings at Paekalda 19 and Paekalda 21, a two-story parking garage has been erected in a monolithic concrete structure, open to the sides.
The internal walls between all apartments and between the apartments and stairwells will be made from 200-mm thick reinforced concrete panels. Bathroom walls and communication shafts will be made from lightweight blocks. The interior walls of the apartments will be plasterboard on a metal framework with mineral wool insulation. Walls designed for the fitting of kitchen furniture will be reinforced with an OSB board or plywood beneath the plasterboard. Both buildings will have a stairwell with a lift.
The balconies will be constructed on prefabricated reinforced concrete slabs. The balcony railings will be made from glass in aluminium-profile frames, while the floor surface will be smooth concrete. Painted aluminium profiling will serve as the balconies’ ribbing. The railings will be constructed in such a way that it will be possible to have every balcony fully glassed in.
The buildings will have single-frame plastic windows. They will be partially opening and triple-glazed. The exterior doors of the buildings will be metal-framed glass doors. The front doors of the apartments will feature oak veneer, while the door handles will come with a similar veneer. The internal doors will be of standard height and either come with a smooth timber-veneer finish or painted wood panelling, depending on the interior finishing package selected. The doors in the apartments on the 8th floors of the buildings will measure 2.3 metres.
The ceilings in the apartments on the 2nd through 7th floors will measure 2.8 metres, except in the entryways and bathrooms, where they will measure 2.4 metres. Higher ceilings will feature in the apartments on the 8th floors of the buildings, standing at 3.0 metres.
The apartment buildings’ heat supply is based on district heating, and the buildings have their own heating unit. The apartments benefit from convenient and energy-efficient floor heating; manifold cabinets for the heating pipes are installed in a hallway recess cabinet or in the storage room. Heating costs calculation is m2-based, separate heat meters are not installed in the apartments.
Paekalda 23/1 and Paekalda 23/2 apartments feature an autonomous heat-recovery air intake/exhaust ventilation system to which the kitchen exhaust hood is also connected. As the kitchen hood functions as part of an apartment’s overall ventilation system, the exhaust hood installed must not be motorized. The hood is activated through the ventilation system. The ventilation system activates the hood when the switch on the wall is turned on.
The apartments in the buildings at Paekalda 19 and Paekalda 21 also have an autonomous ventilation system with heat recovery; however, the exhaust of the kitchen hoods is connected to a separate shaft.
Readiness for the installation of air conditioning units will be provided in the living rooms in the apartments on the 7th and 8th floors as well as in one bedroom of all apartments three or more rooms in size. Readiness means that the pipes and cabling running from the planned location(s) of the air conditioning unit(s) in the apartments to the planned exterior sections on the roof will be provided.
The buildings will be connected to Tallinn’s water supply and sewerage system. Domestic hot water will be produced on site in the buildings’ own heating nodes. Water meters will be read remotely. Readings will be taken automatically and forwarded to the building manager’s database.
The electricity meters for the apartments will be located in the distribution boards in the stairwells. Each apartment’s own switchboard will have fuses and a weak-current section. Electricity meters will be read remotely. The apartments will be fitted with power points and light switches, as well as lights in sanitary rooms and the entryway. An optical cable for Internet and television will be installed up to the switchboard in each apartment. Cables meeting the requirements of the CAT 6 standard (i.e. enabling super-fast data communications) will be used in the apartments. A modular telephone and/or Internet socket will be installed in every room. An intercom system will be installed in the apartments’ entryways.
The buildings will also have their own children’s playground and relaxation areas with benches. The playground will feature rubber safety matting, while the sandbox will be enclosed with timber. Cyclists will have the use of dedicated storage areas for bikes. The courtyards, which were designed by landscape architect Piret Kümmel, will be colourful and diverse, blending in seamlessly with the other structures and features of the spaces between buildings. The courtyard areas will feature a variety of trees and flowering plants, including apple, rowan, cherry, bird-cherry, mock orange, ninebark, cinquefoil and leather flower.
Entrances to the buildings at Paekalda 23 are level with the ground surface. Stairwells that open onto the ground level allow for access to the elevator from the same level as the front door. Vertical planning solutions ensure step-free access from the buildings to the parking area, recreation areas in the courtyard, and the sidewalk on Paekalda Street.
Entrances to the buildings at Paekalda 19 and Paekalda 21 sit slightly above street level. Vertical planning solutions ensure step-free access from the buildings to the first floor parking area, children’s playground, and the sidewalk on Paekalda Street. The underground parking lot is conveniently accessed by an elevator.
