In and around Baden, hot water bubbles up from a total of 18 springs – or to be precise: the most mineral-rich water in Switzerland. For thermal bath enthusiasts, this results in a unique wellness experience, while facility management faces exciting challenges, which ISS has been tackling since the opening of the new thermal spa.
In November 2021, the newly redesigned FORTYSEVEN wellness spa in the Bäderquartier district of Baden officially opened its doors. Designed by star architect Mario Botta, the building makes use of natural materials, and in some places, fascinating relics from the past - namely, individual elements of the original thermal baths from Roman times and the Middle Ages - can be seen. The blend of preserved and ultra-modern spa culture is impressive.
The name FORTYSEVEN, meanwhile, is no coincidence: 47 degrees is the maximum temperature of the water that flows from the 18 springs in and around Baden and supplies the local thermal baths. 432 cubic meters of spring water arrive here every day, part of which is used to fill the pools and another part to heat the ventilation systems and the underfloor heating. The technology behind - or rather, beneath - the imposing and inviting building complex is impressive. And to ensure it runs smoothly, a team from ISS - consisting of six building technicians and one apprentice - works in shifts daily between 6:00 a.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Sven-Uwe Klapper, Technical Facility Management Manager, ensures that all measurement and control functions in the building management system are working properly.
A Maze of Technology
Sven-Uwe Klapper, who is responsible for the facility’s technical facility management on behalf of ISS, and his team are in charge of the upkeep and maintenance of all the pool’s technical systems. “On really good days, we have up to 2,000 guests here, so we have to make sure the facilities are running at peak performance,” explains Klapper. And there are now many of these good days. After a somewhat rocky start - due to the COVID-19 pandemic - the wellness spa is now enjoying great popularity and high visitor numbers.
As relaxing as a visit to the spa is for guests, a peek into the catacombs of the vast bathing and sauna area is just as fascinating. This is where the spring water is collected, treated, filtered, mixed with hydrochloric acid and chlorine, and either heated or cooled depending on its destination. The resulting “byproducts” - cold or waste heat - are in turn used for the heating and ventilation system. You’ll find yourself navigating between massive heat pumps, settling tanks, measuring stations, and various pieces of equipment needed for attractions like fountains and the current channel pool. It’s loud and warm down here - and for first-timers, it’s quite a labyrinth.
During this measurement, the technical specialist determines water parameters such as chlorine, pH, and acidity. Samples are taken for bacterial testing and sent to the lab.
People and machines work hand in hand
A building management system monitors the spa around the clock and sounds an alarm if something is wrong or a malfunction occurs. But that’s not enough: “We make daily rounds through the technical facilities to check for ourselves that everything is running smoothly,” says the technical specialist. The same applies to monitoring the pool water: Although an automatic measurement and control system constantly analyzes the values in the background, the lifeguards check the water quality twice a day using a portable testing kit right at the pool. “Theoretically, the equipment could fail and the building management system might not respond. That’s why we also take manual samples,” explains Klapper. In addition, there are other regular water tests - for example, to check acidity and bacterial levels.
But it’s not just the technology that’s extremely complex; the cleanliness requirements in a building like FORTYSEVEN are also exceptionally high. The hygiene standards correspond to those in the healthcare sector - and the tasks of the 40-member ISS cleaning team working here on-site are correspondingly demanding and varied. For this reason, all team members undergo a two-week training program at the start.
Pasquale Troiano, a technical and facilities maintenance worker, cleans the pools with the help of robots.
ISS Placemaker on site around the clock
“Sven-Uwe handles part of this training, because our cleaning team also needs to be able to operate certain systems,” explains Veran Lulic, the Facility Services Manager in charge at ISS. In addition to cleaning and building services, ISS also provides all other facility management services required at FORTYSEVEN. These include: logistics, indoor and outdoor landscaping, grounds maintenance, building maintenance, and security services, as well as specialized cleaning.
To meet FORTYSEVEN’s high hygiene and technical standards, ISS is on-site around the clock, 365 days a year. During the day, technicians and three cleaning staff members are on site, and in the evening - when the wellness oasis closes to guests - seven additional members of the cleaning team arrive to ensure that the spa is restored to its former glory by the next morning.
High hygiene standards: Edina Rizvic and six cleaning staff members ensure cleanliness in all areas overnight.