Flexible working in a wooden office

In the Swiss municipality of Baar, we are constructing the innovative NEXUS office building. The sustainable timber hybrid conserves resources through renewable, reusable materials and a consistent cradle-to-cradle concept with minimal use of reinforced concrete. Recycled concrete is used wherever possible and we prefer to use wood from the region for the timber construction. A sophisticated low-tech system takes care of heating, cooling and ventilation and, together with efficient insulation, reduces consumption during operation and therefore costs over the entire life cycle.

The well thought-out space concept creates an attractive, modern working environment, promotes dialogue and networking and offers maximum flexibility. This allows the building to adapt to its tenants and future developments. The four differently dimensioned wings of the cross-shaped building are freely accessible via four axes. The clear structure with a central access core and circumferential walkway with attractive views allows for easy routing. Plenty of daylight and light-coloured wood as well as large areas of glazing with views out and through create a pleasant working environment. The park around the building and the roof terrace with views as far as the lake invite people to linger.

Kuku 23 – Living in the art & culture quarter

A new residential district was created along Gastgebgasse in Liesing, in the immediate vicinity of the Sargfabrik cultural centre and the Atzgersdorf educational campus. Four blocks of flats and the studio building offer space for 430 subsidised flats, workshops, studios and a dance and music school.

We developed the concept for the Kuku 23 residential quarter with the aim of providing low-threshold cultural activities, especially for children and young people. After all, Vienna's southernmost district needs more art and culture.

The buildings are divided into individual "houses", visually separated by naturally lit joints. This allows for varied roofscapes, better lighting conditions and a more human scale. The studio house mediates between the coffin factory and the school campus and, with its two-storey passageway, leads over to the open-plan residential development. The special feature of the studio building is the open supporting structure, which is broken down into individual column slabs and enables a variety of room programmes.

Bright.Robust.Innovative.Open

The innovative "Neues Landgut" district will be built near Vienna's main railway station in Favoriten by 2026/27. The 9-hectare site will be home to 1,500 flats and an educational campus, surrounded by attractive green spaces and recreational areas.

Under the title B.R.I.O., we developed together with PLOV Architekten, a socially, ecologically and economically sustainable project with 176 subsidised flats for our building site. The differentiated, socially balanced housing mix comprises 88 smart flats, family flats and floor plans suitable for shared flats. One focus is on the special needs of single parents.

B.R.I.O. is a robust timber hybrid element construction. The optimised support grid enables a high degree of prefabrication and economical use of materials thanks to the low ceiling thickness. This construction method and the use of timber and recycled concrete save around 20 per cent CO² compared to a conventional reinforced concrete building.

New splendour, also behind the scenes

Built in 1889 in the neo-Renaissance style as a bourgeois counterpart to the Burgtheater, the theatre offers 850 seats and the famous Red Salon. The aim of the urgently needed renovation and remodelling work was to offer the audience contemporary comfort, establish modern safety standards and improve efficiency. We therefore extended the stage area, reorganised the audience area and ensured accessibility and safety.  

The façade lighting also makes the new old splendour of the building visible from the outside. To improve the thermal quality, the richly structured plaster façade of the theatre was cleaned and renovated in agreement with the Federal Monuments Office. The entire listed building and its original character were retained.

Striking alternative to the "Uniform Alpine style"

The Gourmet Hotel "Rote Wand" goes back to an inn next to the church, which has developed into an impressive hotel complex with six houses. We have been overseeing the regular modernisation and expansion phases since 2007. The long-term development concept is based on high-quality architecture and local craftsmanship.

Connected by a common base and the Red Corridor, the six buildings form a resort that is surprising in many respects. The Dependance and the Appartement house are also connected underground to the main building. The Dependance replaces a demolished guesthouse, and we also took this opportunity to make a correction. The cross-gabled buildings from the 1970s facing the valley above the church were replaced by longitudinal gabled buildings facing the slope on the eaves side. The gourmet restaurant "Altes Schualhus“ was added in 2015 as the last building block for the time being.

Zug, once a small hamlet with a church, schoolhouse and a few farmhouses, lies somewhat off the beaten track. In contrast to most other high Alpine tourist destinations, the village has managed to retain its rural atmosphere. This is mainly because, even during the decades of development from a farming village to a holiday resort, the buildings of the old set the standard for the new. Thanks to its dominance in the village, the "Rote Wand" hotel complex makes a significant contribution to the typical townscape and formulates a striking alternative to the widespread "Uniform Alpine style".

Respectful conversion of a listed building

The Zacherlhaus, designed by Otto Wagner's student Josef Plečnik, is one of the most important Viennese architectural monuments of the early 20th century. The conversion of the listed building into a bank branch required extensive interventions on six floors – from technical rooms in the basement to the customer hall on the ground floor and offices on four floors. In addition, the roof terrace on the rotunda was made accessible for the first time and can now be used for events.

In 2023, the customer hall needed to be extended. We converted the adjoining corner premises, which had previously housed a shop, in the same design. This gives Hypo Vorarlberg a somewhat broader presence on the street and more urgently needed space.

From the barracks to the creative quarter

On the site of the former Luitpold barracks, the Creative Quarter Munich is being established, a colourful, mixed-use district characterised by social and ecological sustainability. Living and working will be combined with art, culture and knowledge, with a focus on the community. The neighbourhood is divided into four different areas, which are interconnected but can be developed independently of each other.

We have designed two buildings with around 350 flats for the "Creative Platform North" site. Along the newly emerging main axis, the central Romy-Schneider-Platz, which connects the Munich University of Applied Sciences in the south-east and the urban cultural area in the north-west, we proposed to programme the ground floors with public uses. Under the inviting, large arches and arcades in the base area, cafés and small shops are to enliven the neighbourhood in future.

Habitat with typological and social diversity

Our concept for Kleineschholz integrates a wide variety of living and building types, with a focus on affordable housing. The typological range of the building structure and the mix of rental apartments, condominiums and building groups ensures the desirable social diversity. Families and singles, children, young and old, locals and newcomers live here. Craftsmen, self-employed professionals and service providers work here. Together, they form a stable, self-regulating social structure made up of different responsibilities, life cycles and local connections.

The western edge of the Stühlinger district in Freiburg is mainly characterised by large administrative buildings, which are well frequented during the day but leave the streets empty in the evenings and at weekends. The urban redevelopment will create dense residential neighbourhoods that will allow for diverse, lively use, enliven the district and ensure safety.

"Light, freshness, generosity"

To this day, the slogan of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games still applies to the TUM School of Medicine and Health in Munich's listed Olympic Park. The two-storey timber building, 185 metres long and 153 metres wide, forms the new, striking address for the Faculties of Medicine and Sport and Health Sciences.

The 19 metre cantilevered canopy is a special timber construction made of prefabricated box girder elements that was assembled without the need for complex auxiliary scaffolding. It was important to us to fulfil the diverse requirements of the users in the best possible way. All functions - 14 sports halls, 12 lecture theatres, 15 diagnostics rooms, 5 workshops, 300 offices, cafeteria and library - are combined under one roof in the bright, lightweight timber construction.

The two streets – "Rue intérieure" in the building and "Rue extérieure" for the outdoor facilities –are the defining element, they serve as ameeting place, an access zone and a place of communication.

An identity-forming ensemble of old and new

The school in the "Maurer Schlössl", founded in 1964, is Austria's oldest Waldorf school. The lower school and after-school care centre were housed in a small old building opposite, which could no longer meet the requirements of a modern school: poor building fabric, too few and too small classrooms, no gymnasium.

The new building blends harmoniously with the existing historical building - we have avoided any sharp breaks between old and new. The auditorium, the dining hall with garden orientation, the sunlit, sunken gymnasium, the after-school care centre, the kindergarten and the roof terrace form the main elements of the clearly structured room programme.

The majority of the remodelling and extension work was concentrated on the southern side facing away from the street. On the street side, the character of the old building was retained and visually enhanced. The small extensions at the rear were demolished and replaced with spacious, naturally lit foyers and access areas. The new building with gymnasium and classrooms adjoins the rear garden in an L-shape. Its large, dark roof extends onto the existing building and is therefore also visible from the street.

Like a city on a small scale

The renowned Festspielhaus on Lake Constance has been modernised, reorganised, greatly expanded and developed into a multi-purpose cultural, social and economic centre of international standing. The project impressively demonstrates how an unsightly conglomerate of buildings from the late seventies can be transformed into clearly structured and graceful architecture.

Thanks to extensive and precise pre-planning and prefabrication, we were able to realise the complex construction work, carried out in several stages, without interrupting operations. In the first stage, which lasted until 1997, the workshop stage, lakeside foyer and lakeside studio as well as an administrative wing were built.

In 2005, the festival theatre was renovated and extended. Guests are now greeted by a light-flooded glass façade and an inviting forecourt instead of grey concrete. The main foyer, Great Hall, foyers and lakeside gallery were redesigned and the building's technology was modernised. From 2022 to 2024, we refurbished the outdoor grandstand and Seebühne (Lakeside stage), updated the technology of the workshop stage and built a new multi-purpose building.

Public living room for curious people

The library of the city of Dornbirn is a place of exchange, encounters and intergenerational learning. As a kind of public living room, it is intended to promote reading and language skills, the exploration of digital search methods and new forms of communication. Curious people with similar goals meet here and can immerse themselves in the material or engage in dialogue with one another.

Set in a park, the oval pavilion with a façade of 8,000 stylised ceramic books is an independent form and stands in stark contrast to the rectangular buildings in the surrounding area. The starting point for the design idea was a beaten path that ran diagonally across the meadow. We placed the library building on this path so that it runs lengthways through the two-storey atrium.

Focus on social sustainability

On the "In der Wiesen Süd" site in Liesing, we worked with ARTEC to build an attractive residential complex with 310 flats, five studios and a residential community for young people. The main challenge was to develop a cohesive neighbourhood that promotes joint activities between the neighbours across building sites and thus enlivens the area.

We designed the northern area with three buildings that form a central, quiet square for the residents. The bends in the two solitary buildings open up the area to the south and promote permeability.

A circumferential band of loggias and the full-surface glazing bring light and openness into the flats and offer expansive views of the park and the city. A particular highlight is the light-flooded atrium, which is remarkably spacious for a subsidised residential building. A variety of visual connections ensure attractive and communicative access to the individual floors.

Exemplary and forward-looking neighbourhood

The Metzgergrün quarter is set to change significantly and develop into a contemporary neighbourhood without losing its original character. A modern residential neighbourhood with around 550 new flats and generous green spaces will replace the 27 ageing terraced buildings from the 1950s. Quiet inner courtyards, a lively public centre, high-quality and differentiated open spaces and a new network of paths create an exemplary and forward-looking neighbourhood.

Our design organises the flats into six blocks that form manageable neighbourhoods. Each block combines three- to four-storey terraced buildings and point houses around a green inner courtyard. Along the road and railway line, an L-shaped, elongated block shields the development. The first measure was to relocate the northern Runzgewässer, which now meanders through the middle of the neighborhood. The widened banks invite people to linger and play. This means that residents can experience the high quality of living and open spaces in their new homes as soon as they move into the first completed buildings.

Wooden school, sports hall and library

The new school and the multi-purpose hall were built in two phases ten years apart. The spatial concept of the L-shaped building comprises three main functions: School, sports hall and library. Completed in 2003, the school was built in timber construction in a record time of 18 months and was the first school building in Austria to fulfil the strict passive house guidelines.

Ten years later, the new multi-purpose hall replaces the gymnasium, which was in dire need of renovation. Precise planning, a compact organisation of the programme and a high degree of prefabrication allowed for a short construction time and optimised costs without making compromises on design and quality.

With this pilot project, we have proven that resource- efficient construction is very well possible in harmony with high architectural standards. The school building has received several architecture and energy-saving awards, including the State Prize for Architecture and Sustainability.

Compact quadrangle with large patio

Demolish or renovate? This question often arises when it comes to the further development of school buildings from the 1970s. The Lycée Evariste Galois in the Paris metropolitan region no longer meets current requirements and is bursting at the seams due to strong demographic development.

With a holistic approach to the environment in mind, we decided to restructure and extend the building. Based on the qualities of the existing building, the individual parts will be reorganised and combined to form a communicative whole.

The new, green schoolyard forms the heart of the ensemble and connects the various functions. It is shaded by a curved canopy on slender supports, through whose large, circular openings daylight floods in and trees grow. We have extended the U-shaped school building into a compact quadrangle with a large patio. 

Hotel tower and residences made of 75 per cent wood

The mixed-use eco-neighbourhood La Cartoucherie with a total of 3,100 flats, 6,000 m² of commercial space and public facilities such as schools, sports and leisure facilities is being built on a former industrial site on the left bank of the Garonne. We built the "Wood'Art" complex there with an eleven-storey hotel tower and two residential complexes – an award-winning project as part of the national Adiv'bois competition in France. The buildings are 75 per cent timber construction – a topic that is also very important in France. Wood is used wherever it makes the most sense.

The hotel and the residential buildings were constructed from two-dimensional, prefabricated timber modules. This construction has a very positive effect on energy performance and the indoor climate, while also reducing waste and speeding up construction times – an essential prerequisite for building in densely populated cities.

10 institutions under one roof

Located in one of Innsbruck's most prominent squares, the House of Music serves as a centre for open cultural exchange across all age groups and genres. The unifying theme is music. The complex spatial programme accommodates several music institutions, concert halls, numerous ancillary rooms, administration, catering, a national music library and outdoor terraces with views of Innsbruck and the Alps. The new building provides the city with a sustainable centre for music, theatre and all kinds of cultural events and also positions Innsbruck internationally as a "city of music".

The austere cube is vividly structured by atriums and incised loggias, terraces and recesses and blends in sensitively and yet excitingly with its historical surroundings. The surrounding historic buildings and three protected trees with the Leopold Fountain on the forecourt are reflected in the glass surfaces.

A high-rise on a traffic island

DC Tower 3 on the Donauplatte (Danube plate) in the north of Vienna completes the ensemble with the two office towers DC 1 and DC 2, designed by Dominique Perrault, and offers 832 flats for temporary living. On several levels, the 100 metre high building is connected to the existing Donaucity quarter and the transport network by public squares and paths and forms the end of the previously incomplete Carl-Auböck-Promenade.

The protrusions of the three-dimensionally shaped and aluminium-clad façade elements find their counterpart inside in cosy alcoves that frame the view of the Danube and the city from the rooms. Aluminium slats structure the façade in the base storeys, while the tower is clad in aluminium panels from the ground floor upwards.

The narrow plot – little more than a traffic island, surrounded by Wagramerstrasse, the motorway slip road and the underground line – presented us with major challenges during the planning phase. However, the attractive location on the Danube with a view of St. Stephen's Cathedral and the prominent neighbourhood with UNO City, the Perrault Towers and Harry Seidler's skyscraper were worth taking the risk.

Farmhouse outside, museum inside

On the hillside to the west of the village centre, there are two small museums in a historic, carefully maintained farm house from the 16th century. The old residential part serves as a local history museum. The new Angelika Kauffmann Museum fills the former agricultural wing and is accessed via the barn and threshing floor. A wide sliding partition can be pushed aside and the museum is open. When it is closed, the modern wood and glass construction is no longer visible.

The exhibition hall was inserted into the barn as a flat-roofed "building within a building". Space-forming elements define the exhibition hall, but also evoke the former farm building – a sophisticated architectural dialogue.

With their meticulous work, the craftsmen – rooted in local tradition yet are familiar with the latest technology – put the finishing touches to the project. All the parts fit together and blend into the long building history of the house.

Between transparency and unity

The new sports hall on Alter Postweg (the old postal route) in Vaihingen an der Enz was built as a compact, functional and very economical hall construction using timber elements. Only the parts in contact with the ground are made of reinforced concrete. The building is divided into a three-court sports hall with spectator area, a three-storey functional area and a multi-purpose wing with foyer.

All functional areas are united under one roof. We utilised the sloping terrain and built a large part of the hall into the slope. This meant that the functions could be spread over several levels, while the hall remained suitably low on the street level.

The flat façade made of perforated and black-brown anodised aluminium meander sheet runs across the entire building and protects the areas behind it from view and sunlight. The interplay with the large window areas creates an exciting contrast between transparency and openness, which also supports the functionality of the building.

Uncompromising cluster school

The Unterdorf primary school in the municipality of Höchst in Vorarlberg is a radical and uncompromising realisation of the modern "cluster school". Cluster school means teaching in small groups, flexibly usable rooms and varied open spaces, preferably with an outdoor connection. We have housed four identical clusters for 200 pupils in a simple, elongated, ground-floor wooden building on the east side.

At the centre of each cluster is the common room, topped by a high truncated pyramid with daylight streaming through the skylight. Gardens and outdoor classes with direct access from each cluster blur the boundaries between inside and outside and integrate nature into the learning environment. Special classes and the administrative offices are located opposite on the west side, connected to the lowered gymnasium by a spacious assembly hall. Parts of the outdoor areas are available to the local population as a freely accessible play and leisure area.

With 940 points, the school in Unterdorf received one of the highest scores ever for a new building in the Municipal Building Pass of the state of Vorarlberg. 

Wood, exposed concrete, fresh red and lots of glass

The all-day school north of the 3,000-strong community of Broons in Brittany is one of the most important educational institutions in the region. 570 children aged between 11 and 14 from 29 municipalities attend the school. The three-storey school wing stretches across the entire width of the site and is bordered to the west by the single-storey canteen, whose flat green roof merges gently into the lawned landscape.

Together with the outer wall, the school wing and canteen enclose the schoolyard. The entrance, protected from the weather, is located on the narrow street side. The two-storey timber construction of the classroom wing rests on a concrete base, which houses the event rooms, library and administration. A promenade running parallel to the street forms a pleasant and safe footpath from the town centre to the school outside.

A congenial addition

The new, multifunctional Hall F for 2,000 visitors is a congenial addition to Roland Rainer's imposing Wiener Stadthalle. Built in a key urban location, the hall sends a clear signal to the outside world with its cantilevered body. Below the cantilever is the modern foyer, which provides access to the various halls (banqueting hall, rehearsal stage, large hall). The outer shell consists of aluminium panels that extend into the interior of the building.

The crystalline, polygonal building fills the empty space between Hütteldorfer Strasse and the Stadthalle, whose struts are reflected in the glass north façade of the new building. This precise positioning optimises the previously rather unsatisfactory urban situation and defines the adjacent square and street space.

We won the international competition held in 2002 with a project that was convincing in terms of form, function and urban planning.

Growing office ring with great appeal

The legero united campus in the south of Graz consists of two round buildings of different sizes. The larger office ring can be extended by a further floor at any time. This fulfils the client's wish for a company headquarters that "grows with the company" and can be expanded in stages, without creating a temporary structure, a torso. The smaller cylinder houses the shoe outlet.

Generous glazing, the façade made of bronze-coloured, anodised aluminium that shimmers in the sunlight and the lushly planted inner courtyard blur the boundaries between inside and outside. The result is a campus as a place with its own identity and great charisma, a dynamic yet harmonious composition, at all times and in all phases of construction.

Clay, wood, bamboo, basalt

Building a school in Mayotte means dealing with many issues on several levels in a completely different way than here in Europe - in an educational, but also in a socio-economic and ecological sense. This is why we decided to combine the expertise of Austrian and French architects and our local partners in Mayotte for the new construction of the Lycée Tani Malandi.

The large-scale project with space for over 2,000 pupils includes classrooms, sports facilities, a school restaurant with kitchen and a boarding school. The fluid combination of these functions creates an inspiring space for working, eating, sleeping and relaxing. Local materials such as bamboo, wood, clay and basalt integrate the school into the culture and nature of the island.

The individual functions of the school are divided into several buildings of different sizes, which are arranged almost parallel to each other and staggered in height on the flat hill.

Working in organised spaces,
thinking in a free environment

The global electronics company Omicron had a high standard: the expansion of the company headquarters in Klaus needed to offer employees workspaces that would inspire creativity, promote communication and dialogue and create a feel-good atmosphere. We developed a coherent overall concept that complements the existing building to create the Omicron Campus.

Six very different courtyards now zone and illuminate the new three-storey square. On the ground floor, foyers, meeting, storage and laboratory rooms adjoin the green atriums. The offices on the two upper floors can be adapted flexibly to the team sizes thanks to easily removable partition walls and benefit from the view outside.

Wooden music rehearsal house

The new Army Music Corps building in the Wilhelmsburg barracks is a clearly structured, two-storey timber construction that blends harmoniously into the extensive green spaces and sports facilities. The glazed foyer divides the building visually and functionally into two parts: To the north is the large, two-storey rehearsal room, around which the over-height register rehearsal rooms are grouped; the southern part houses the small rehearsal room with adjoining offices, storage and sanitary facilities as well as individual rehearsal rooms on the upper floor.

The covered entrance area on the south side is set back in a funnel shape, accentuated by a glass façade. The sustainable timber construction sits on a solid base storey. The vertically structured façade is clad in natural, local timber. In the window area, a translucent louvre structure provides glare-free, natural lighting.

From the hammer mill to a nature show experience

A former hammer mill from the 19th century was turned into a natural history museum and urban garden after it was closed down. We have added new buildings and extensions to the remaining historical parts with great sensitivity, taking up the industrial character of the existing building and interpreting it in a contemporary form. The project on the Rüsch-Werke site successfully represents the combination of modern architecture with historical buildings and the transition of an industrial site to public use as a museum and urban garden.

To ensure that the premises meet the requirements of a modern museum operation, we have constructed several new buildings and extensions to the existing buildings: Technology and storage rooms and offices at the turnery, a demonstration hall between the turnery and foundries, offices and exhibition areas at the new foundry. The industrial character of the existing buildings is reflected, among other things, in the Corten steel of the external facades.

Citizen-friendly sustainability

Administrative offices scattered all over Wiesbaden no longer meet today's requirements in terms of proximity to citizens, sustainability and technology. We are therefore building a new, central administrative building for the Hessian state capital near the main railway station, which sends a forward-looking signal in terms of climate protection, sustainability and carbon footprint.

The long, five-storey block along the neighbourhood boulevard is elevated on the ground floor, creating a spacious passageway with views of the surrounding area. A café and small shops enliven the street space. A spacious staircase with a barrier-free ramp leads through the passage into the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard as an enchanted garden forms the centrepiece of the new building. Accessible from all sides, you are immersed in a wild landscape of flowers and grasses. Steps and benches around the central water basin invite you to relax or socialise. Together with the green roof and façade, the courtyard also fulfils an important bioclimatic function in the urban environment.

A shield with a signalling effect

The elongated, 100-metre-long structure of the supermarket forms a large shape that clearly stands out from the neighbouring buildings. Unmissable, a building-length sign made of perforated trapezoidal copper sheeting, large parts of which can be lowered mechanically, signals "open" or "closed" to the customer. Behind the finely perforated screen, which also shades the largely glazed south front, the space is shared by the sales hall and a covered car park at ground level.

Our most important architectural means included economical construction, a clear floor plan, carefully defined proportions and the special effect of the perforated shield. This building is therefore also an example of how less is often more.

Sesotec in Schönberg, Lower Bavaria, supports the industry with intelligent solutions for foreign object detection, material sorting and analysis in order to organise their production sustainably and efficiently. The demand for this service is increasing and with it the space requirements. Sesotec therefore commissioned us to plan new production and storage halls with offices.

We set the almost square new building with a side length of around 120 metres into the slope in such a way that it blends unobtrusively into the landscape.The basement to the north and west is thus exposed.The social rooms with cafeteria and the building services are housed here. The two-storey office block is located above this to the west.Access is at ground level from the north.

The office wing is adjoined by three bays for logistics, prefabrication and final assembly.Their height is based on the slope and the requirements of the internal production processes and ranges from nine to twelve metres. The loading yard in the south has two low ramps so that lorries can dock onto the loading platforms.

Campus on a children's scale

The up-and-coming Alsatian municipality of Lingolsheim, just six kilometres from Strasbourg, is a popular residential area for young families. A new kindergarten, a sports hall and the expansion of the elementary school create the best conditions for the care and development of children.

The multifunctional building for extracurricular care forms the heart of the campus – a place for meetings, education and leisure with a permeable ground floor, a green inner courtyard and a wide-open staircase that invites you to linger. Covered galleries connect the rooms and offer a variety of views and insights. The multifunctional building brings all areas together to form a campus. The low buildings are grouped around generous open spaces and blend in well with the loosely built-up neighbourhood.

Living in the garden

In the south of the old village of Aspern, not far from the Lobau nature reserve, we have built an area as an allotment garden estate. According to a system of regulated irregularity, 88 units are arranged on two fields of eleven rows of four houses each. The south-west-facing houses consist of prefabricated timber elements. Different building positions and the differentiated façade design create a very heterogeneous, multi-layered overall appearance.

An alleyway, almost as wide as a row, divides the estate into a western and an eastern half. It serves as a communal and meeting zone as well as a play area and public passageway. Parallel paths run across it, providing access to the individual houses, with small, square-like extensions providing spatial variety.

Pile dwelling on the lakeshore

The lakeside property on Lake Tegernsee is regularly flooded. We therefore built the holiday home as a pile dwelling, placing it in the age-old tradition of rural construction on the water. Lightness, low height development and the emphasis on the horizontal are reminiscent of the typology of boat and fishermen's houses.

Local silver fir was mainly used for the timber construction. The natural ground surface was largely retained. Only for the installation of piles and for the underground plant room selective interventions in the subsoil were necessary.

Long wooden cuboid on a curved glass arch

The college in Lamballe is designed for 800 pupils and consists of two building sections: A long, rectilinear cuboid made of wood rests on a curved concrete base that blends harmoniously into the silhouette of the rolling hills. The wide arc of the fully glazed base shields the schoolyard from the busy Lamballe bypass, defines the open spaces and opens up towards the town centre.

It comprises the entrance hall, the covered schoolyard, rooms for free work, a multi-purpose room and the school restaurant, with administration, sanitary facilities and cloakrooms in between. The two-storey wooden block contains the 19 main, special and specialised classes. Plenty of wood and ample daylight are the most important ingredients of the school, where inclusion is a high priority.

Three under one roof

b2 electronics in Klaus, which is part of the Omicron Group, gets a new company headquarters in Rankweil. We already expanded the Omicron headquarters in Klaus into a campus in 2015. Now we are uniting the three b2 locations in Klaus and Koblach under one roof.

The planned building offers space for production and storage areas as well as office space for around 140 employees on two basement floors and four upper floors. The special feature of the b2 Development Centre is that it is designed to grow with the company. If required, the first floor can be extended, adding 40 workstations to the offices on the second floor.

Ambulatory care behind the wooden curtain

The medical centre in the heart of Appenzell houses two GP practices as well as treatment rooms for chiropractic, physiotherapy, gynaecology and psychotherapy. The three-storey, almost square building is visible from afar on the local road. The reinforced concrete structure is only revealed on the ground floor; the upper floors are clad with larch wood slats. They are not just a formal element; they hang like a curtain in front of the façade and protect against prying eyes and the sun.

The top floor with four flats is set back several times to make room for the terraces. The cantilevered upper floors on the street side form a sheltered entrance along the glass façade of the internal pharmacy. The building complies with the “Minergie” standard, the Swiss building standard for comfort, efficiency and climate protection.

Courtyard, roof gardens and ground floor with a view

Site 7 of the new Village in Vienna's third district, built jointly by us and Artec, is located opposite the passageway to the Landstraßer Gürtel. The project owes its name "Village Mitte" to its prominent location in the middle of the neighbourhood street, which is emphasised by a high point. The residential complex forms an open U-shape towards the park.

The extra-high ground floor is open in the centre and extends the central residential courtyard to the neighbourhood street. This allows views of the park and a kind of covered forecourt. The 131 subsidised flats offer a diverse and affordable range of housing for families, couples and singles.

The compact and energy-efficient buildings show an optimised ratio of usable space to the building envelope. Small spans of the supporting structure, uniform standardised storeys and economical wall and ceiling dimensions save costs. The bracing via the staircases and cores ensures an economically sensible symbiosis of access zone and supporting structure. With serial construction and prefabrication, we are able to further close the cost gap in residential construction.

The nature of new working

The site on the outskirts of a business park, surrounded by orchards, inspired us to design a hybrid building that dissolves the boundaries between classic office and residential typologies.

Cantilevered ceiling panels and recessed façades extend the offices outwards – spaces that can be appropriated by the users, whether for a short retreat into the greenery or for spontaneous brainstorming sessions in a group. The office acts as a "prepared environment" that supports and enables. At the same time, the surrounding balconies serve as constructive sun and weather protection.

The main entrance is from Raiffeisenallee. In the spacious foyer, flanked by two inner courtyards, the reception and coworking area merge seamlessly into one another; next to it is a small meeting room. The cafeteria with terrace opens up towards the south and the garden.

A house for energy and environmental education

The "Rubina" multifunctional building on the site of the former Nibelungen barracks in Regensburg is a new centre for the care and education of young people. The complex is divided into two square buildings. Surrounded by spacious outdoor areas, they stand freely on a shared platform and allow views of the surrounding greenery.

The first building houses the energy education centre, offices for the energy agency and scientific rooms for MINT for Kids. The second houses a kindergarten. Rubina is an acronym for Regensburg, Umwelt, Bildung, Innovation und Nachhaltigkeit (Regensburg, Environment, Education, Innovation and Sustainability) and its facilities absolutely live up to this name.

Living on the car park

The Dock-1 building site on the Rhine Canal (Petit Rhin) marks the start of the redevelopment of the "Citadelle" harbour district. The mixed-use project with 83 flats on a multi-storey car park interweaves various functions and creates a communicative place around mobility-related spaces.

Visible from afar, from the Parc de la Citadelle to the Vauban Bridge, the building blends into the urban context and characterises its identity as an "eco-district". Situated between the two harbour basins, Dock-1 is an atmospheric place with a strong identity and a direct connection to the city and water – ideal conditions for a high quality of living and a new form of urbanity.

The powerful large form makes a strong gesture to both sides. A five-storey multi-storey car park is stretched between two cross-shaped, elegantly balanced residential towers, above which are further flats with shared, spacious terraces on both long sides. The centre of the project is a high hall on the ground floor, designed as a pedestrian gallery, which can be used for a variety of purposes.

Striking shape set precisely into the terrain

The new sports hall in Longvic in the south of Dijon offers optimal training and competition conditions for the teams of the regional handball and martial arts leagues as well as for popular sports and schools. Our design makes a striking statement with its silhouette, yet despite an extensive spatial programme, it blends into the small-scale structured surroundings with detached houses, a market garden, fields and meadows.

This was achieved as the height of the building was kept moderate by burying the playing field and spectator stands and the length is modulated and broken up by skilfully placed kinks. This faceting is continued in the green roofscape, which thus becomes an attractive fifth façade.

Where sport and culture meet

In Plankstadt, we are constructing a cultural centre with stage facilities and ancillary rooms as well as the replacement of a 3-court sports hall, which are all connected by a shared foyer. Together with the existing Bundesliga bowling hall and restaurant and the planned club centre, this will create the "Plankstadt Culture & Sports Centre".

The functions of the cultural and sports centre are spatially separated from the existing bowling hall and the future "Haus der Vereine“ (house of associations). Between the buildings, attractive public and semi-public open spaces and a new festival square will be created. The main entrance is on the west side.

The halls are positioned offset to each other. The triple sports hall with its extensive glazing forms the prelude to the north. It is followed by the entrance area with foyer. The adjoining culture hall can also be used as a double sports hall.

Well-cared living for the elderly

Caritas-Altenhilfe (Caritas care for the elderly) has built a new nursing home in the former Cistercian monastery of Zoffingen in Constance. It serves as a replacement for the St. Marienhaus, which could not be adapted to the regulations of the new home building ordinance. Together with werkgruppe drei and Caritas, we developed the new construction and the refurbishment of the existing building in line with the preservation order. The newly designed ensemble represents an important city building block and characterises the view of the old town.

Haus Zoffingen offers 90 inpatient care places in cosy single rooms, 15 short-term care places, 17 day care places, a chapel, a garden for residents and a public cafeteria with a green outdoor area and water oasis under an imposing copper beech tree that is over 700 years old.

Urban living in a rural setting

The coveted plots on the Pfänder slope in Bregenz offer lake views across the city while maintaining a "rural" atmosphere. The topography of the site, which rises from north to south, together with the view, determine the design concept of this house.

The lowest of the three levels is accessed from where Pfänderstrasse passes on the north side. Above this is the garden level with children's room, guest room and office. At the very top, the living level floats above the meadow slope, framed on all sides by cantilevered terraces – outdoor living space extensions, protected by the roof slab.

House DI gives the answer on how urban living can be combined with rural surrounding and privacy with representation:

Timber construction on a factory roof

The listed former Grünwald metal goods factory from 1907 is one of the oldest reinforced concrete buildings in Vienna. The spacious industrial building houses our Vienna office on the ground floor. On the former flat roof, we have erected a two-storey timber construction with flats. The reinforced concrete structure was barely capable of bearing any additional loads. Vertical load transfer was only possible via the air shaft and the firewalls.

The low weight of timber and the ability to prefabricate and quickly assemble wall and ceiling elements provided the best conditions for the roof structure. The complex construction of overlays, discs and panels thus stands out from the majority of Viennese roof structures, which are made of steel with timber infills.

A contemporary interpretation of local architecture

With the "Seegut am Tegernsee", a new neighbourhood is being created directly on the lakeside promenade. It is divided into three areas: the hotel in the north, the residential development in the south and a public area with an inn and cultural barn in the centre. The ensemble is embedded in an extensive and varied green space concept. The architecture and arrangement of the 25 individual building blocks pick up on the local architectural style, transform it in a contemporary way and integrate the Seegut harmoniously into the surrounding landscape.

Most of the buildings are designed as sustainable timber constructions. The heating and cooling requirements are covered by thermal lake water utilisation. The project is being planned and realised by three teams of architects - Maier Neuberger, Innauer Matt and Dietrich Untertrifaller. Enea Landscape Architecture is responsible for the design of the connecting bracket of the outdoor facilities.

Housing for the elderly in a lively neighbourhood

In the popular Wolfganghof residential neighbourhood in St. Gallen, we are building five new apartment blocks with 132 rental flats. In order to be affordable for couples and singles, young and old, the majority of the flats have 2.5 and 3.5 rooms. This means that the units are significantly smaller than those in the existing development, which mainly have 4.5 to 6 rooms. Older residents can thus move into smaller units within the neighbourhood, and the large flats will become available for families. The larger, point-shaped building at the bus turning area offers space for commercial areas, communal rooms and coworking.

The existing Wolfganghof residential complex was built in several stages from 1982 onwards. The new buildings continue the characteristic structure of the elongated and angled brick houses. This allows the five three- to four-storey houses to blend harmoniously into their surroundings, and the estate continues to be perceived as an ensemble. The new buildings are of course barrier-free, in contrast to the existing buildings, most of which do not have a lift.

Affordable quality of life and attractive jobs

On the southern edge of the Innviertel market town of Eggelsberg, a mixed-use neighbourhood with offices, shops, restaurants, a daycare centre and flats is being built. Located 37 kilometres from Salzburg, the motto is "affordable, high-quality living and attractive jobs close to the city".

The architecture creates the framework for holistic utilisation. In addition to offices and commercial space, the pub and room rental offer a communicative meeting and meeting point. At the centre is the neighbourhood square with chestnut trees, seating and a guest garden.

Around 3,000 m² are earmarked for childcare. During the first construction phase, two and three-storey buildings in timber construction will be built for up to 80 children.  

Versatile holiday home for families

The REKA holiday village is located on a gently sloping site in the foothills of the Alps in eastern Switzerland. The 50 flats for families with children in the three L-shaped wings are built to the Minergie-Eco standard using local timber. They are docked in a comb-like fashion to four interconnected communal buildings with reception, event rooms, indoor pool, kindergarten and petting zoo.

Like a buffer, they shield the residential buildings and inner courtyards from the noise and dust of the cantonal road. A subway provides safe access to the play areas and the swimming area on the Urnäsch river.

Glass gabled house on the hill

The tranquil village of Margrethausen, a district of Albstadt, is nestled in the gently rolling hills of the Swabian Alb. The hillside plot on the edge of the village next to the mighty monastery offers an unobstructed view to the south over meadows and forests. This special location prompted us to glaze the entire south side of the pitched roof house right up to the gable.

A key aim of the design was to use future-orientated, sustainable materials and to integrate the building harmoniously into its surroundings. With the exception of the sections in contact with the ground, the house was built as a timber construction. The sloping storey is made of exposed concrete. Both sides of the living area are framed by covered terraces. A simple metal staircase leads to the garden.

The house in the vineyards

The house's unique location on a steep slope on the outskirts of Vienna is characterised by a fantastic panoramic view over vineyards and Vienna's local mountains all the way to the Danube. That's why from the outset we worked with the client family to bring this scenerie into the house and make it a tangible experience.

A 36-metre-long bar, glazed on all sides, with an external graphite grey steel supporting structure, floats 12 metres freely cantilevered on the solid base. On the street side, the garage with storage and technical rooms is pushed into the slope.

The result is a modern, cubic building with high architectural standards that utilises the difficult hillside location. With clear, almost austere lines, the house confidently presents itself within the surrounding landscape.

Refreshment of a traditional house

The Tannahof in Au was originally a traditional farmhouse that was converted into a small hotel in the 1970s. Increased guest demands required a structural refreshment in 2016.

We replaced the side extension from the 1970s with a single-storey pavilion which now houses the reception and bar as well as the restaurant. The pavilion now features a reception and bar as well as a ski cellar in the basement. At the rear of the historic front building, a modern room wing was added in place of the stable.  All in all, a contemporary programme which makes the existing “Bregenzer Wälderhaus" indispensable.

In keeping with a "new tradition", the new buildings were constructed in timber and built by local companies. The applicable building regulations stipulated 25 per cent higher rooms, floor and roof structures, linked to the old building without barriers. The new staircase with lift leads to an external entrance at ground level.

Sustainable timber construction by the river

The elongated, warehouse-like, single-storey timber construction of the Upper Danube Valley Service Centre and the Shipping Supervision Office blends unagitatedly and naturally into the existing ensemble on the banks of the Danube. Nevertheless, it is able to redefine the location and give it an unmistakable identity.

Floating on the high-water platform, its subtle elegance radiates far into the river space and appropriately enhances the interplay of longitudinally orientated timber volumes and transversely positioned, solid rural buildings.

The interplay of more or less paved areas results in a natural, simple open space design that tells a story full of variety. Diversity of use and maximum freedom of movement for people and nature are a key feature of this riverside landscape characterised by movement and change. The new administration building thus sets contemporary standards with an exemplary ecological footprint.

Residential concept of stacked bungalows

For this small residential complex in a quiet neighbourhood of loosely built single-family homes, we arranged two elongated cubes slightly offset from each other. This provides both the necessary privacy and unobstructed, expansive views. The architecture skilfully plays with the contrast of raw concrete and fine wood structure. The façade is extensively glazed and the balconies provide structural weather protection and thermal insulation in summer.

The emphasis on the horizontal, the contrast between closed and open areas and the targeted use of daylight create an unobtrusively elegant effect. To the north, an inviting, semi-public courtyard opens up the complex, while the play area is located to the north-east, separate from the private areas. The living concept is reminiscent of stacked bungalows that can be "walked round" on three sides.

21 flats instead of a detached house

Where there used to be a detached house, we have built 21 flats on the 2,400 m² plot. The three cube-shaped structures of the residential complex on the outskirts of Feldkirch blend harmoniously into the loosely built-up neighbourhood. The individual quality of living and the relationship to the landscape were key aspects of the planning.

We achieved the optimum ratio of built-up area to living space primarily through the shared central access platform for all three houses. This also allowed us to preserve the old trees and a large part of the existing garden. This was also a condition of the previous owner for the sale of the property.

Living in the park

The ‘Floriette’ residential complex is located in the middle of a 12,000 square metre private park in Hietzing. We revitalised and added storeys to the Wilhelminian-style former nursing school and built three new urban villas. The buildings are loosely arranged to create large open spaces and the old trees have been protected.

The original contours of the elongated old building were retained and supplemented by an additional, slightly recessed residential storey. The perforated end made of anodised aluminium now forms an exciting contrast to the painstakingly restored historic façade of the old building.

The all-round railing of the three urban villas is also made of anodised aluminium and creates a visual relationship to the roof structure of the old building. Old and new are thus combined to form a harmonious ensemble.

Quick to assemble, quick to dismantle

Due to the growing population and legal requirements to increase the supply quota, numerous new kindergartens need to be built. The city of Innsbruck is focussing on the "mobile kindergarten" concept. A suitable temporary location was found in the Olympic Village, allowing it to be moved to another part of the city at any time if necessary. The single-storey timber module building is a self-contained three-group kindergarten and is completely prefabricated in the factory. The individual room cells can be dismantled just as easily as they can be assembled for the first time.

The layout consists of group areas, a movement room, functional room, dining room including kitchen and several ancillary rooms and allows for a variety of layouts. The three group areas can be arranged in clusters, which offer direct access to the covered terraces and partially shaded outdoor play areas. A second storey can be easily installed using a module with a staircase. A suspended wooden louvre façade in spruce unites the individual modules to form a harmonious whole.

Growing from the centre

The rural area, the village, needs effective concepts for positive development and a viable future. The small Salzburg community of Moosdorf should grow from the centre outwards. With the "Innviertlerin" project, we are expanding the existing village structures. A food market, a hotel with a bakery and café, restaurants, flats for singles, couples and families as well as offices and surgeries all contribute to a lively village life.

The concept consists of five houses of different heights loosely grouped around a lively "village square". From north to south, the functions gradually shift from public to increasingly private use.

A sheltered roof over your head

The Edelweiss Alpine Club describes the Hinteralmhaus as one of the most important huts in the Mürzer Oberland Nature Park. The positioning on the alpine pasture and the distinctive shape of the old hut are also retained in the replacement building. The building has been adapted to the existing cubature without significantly changing the orientation and proportions of the striking gabled façade. The Hinteralmhaus is the only building that stands at right angles to the other huts on the mountain pasture. The replacement building also responds to this distinctive rotation and its position reacts to the existing topography.

Thanks to the timber frame construction method, processed timber from the original building can be used for the frame timbers and the outer formwork. The high degree of prefabrication and the recycling of existing materials from the demolition work enable a simple, ecological and economical construction.

The architecture of our time requires a conscious and contemporary approach to existing buildings. Preserving existing structures and developing them in a future-oriented way makes a significant contribution to conserving resources and at the same time preserves the cultural identity of a place.

This project transforms an existing villa by Willibald Braun from the 1920s, previously a detached house, into a generational house with four residential units. Precise extensions and careful interventions have now added the necessary space to the existing building. The new components stand out from the old building with their independent, contemporary architectural language, but are in a harmonious dialogue with it.

The Generation House is an exemplary contribution to redensification in established structures. It shows how contemporary architecture not only creates new living space, but also respectfully rethinks and upgrades existing buildings.

First office building with LEED Platinum certificate

Innovative energy solutions, high standards of building ecology and indoor and working environment quality were at the forefront of the i+R headquarters. The new building brings together all of the group's companies under one roof and also demonstrates to the outside world the company's typical management style of flat hierarchies. It was particularly important to us to embed the building between the company's own construction logistics centre and machinery and to create a "model building" that demonstrates the company's efficiency and quality.

The i+R headquarters was the first new office building in Austria to be awarded the prestigious LEED Platinum certificate and therefore meets the highest standards for ecological and sustainable construction. This office building is an ode to intelligent construction: powerful architecture, in harmony with the client's philosophy and well thought out both functionally and in terms of conserving resources.

Timeless beauty in wood

On a mountain meadow above Dornbirn, we built a timeless, beautiful house in wood and glass. Conscious of tradition and at the same time straightforwardly modern, it shows respect for the landscape, but without any false rustic flair. With its clear cubature, flat pitched gable roof and wooden outer skin, the building blends into the surrounding landscape with the same respect and restraint as the traditional farmhouses in the region.

Wood is the dominant material, inside and out. The floor-to-ceiling glazed rooms are orientated towards the south-west with beautiful views of the countryside and the valley. Exits at ground level lead to the loggia in front, which is adjoined by the garden.

Synergies for education and research

The institutes for media research at Johannes Gutenberg University are currently spread across seven locations. With the new media centre, we are concentrating all functions on the campus. This facilitates interdisciplinary work and creates synergies for teaching and research. The building is divided into a base and three upper floors, interspersed with inner courtyards with stepped, green terraces.

The basic concept of levels and boxes is reflected in the exterior façades with horizontal cornices and recessed loggias, some open, some with extensive glazing.

On the upper floors, the façade consists of a grid of prefabricated wooden elements and is structured by protruding wooden louvres. The generously glazed post-and-beam construction of the courtyard façades and the plinth area are clad with a smooth skin of recycled aluminium.

Innovative working environment for interdisciplinary collaboration

The "Projekthaus Zukunft" (Project House Future) in the centre of the Technical University Dresden (TUD) campus is the interface between science, research and teaching. The cube-shaped solitaire at the eastern end of the central campus green forms a striking counterpart to the auditorium centre. Our design creates an innovative working landscape with a variety of spaces for interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and students. Here they can engage in dialogue with each other, drive projects forward together and present their research findings.

The concept not only fulfils the functional requirements of the university, but also develops a concise architectural language. It was important to us to maximise flexibility of use, life cycle-appropriate construction methods and future-oriented and cost-effective energy concepts.

Spacious living on a cramped plot

In the far north of the Bregenzerwald lies the small community of Sulzberg on the ridge of the same-named mountain. On a steep slope in the middle of a densely built-up neighbourhood of detached houses, we built a house that makes perfect use of the limited plot. Due to the extreme slope, we divided the rooms over three floors.

With House K, we have succeeded in densifying a cramped hillside plot in the middle of a residential area to create spacious living with privacy and an unobstructed view.

Vibrant cultural life

The medieval town of Blankenberg with its picturesque alleyways, half-timbered houses and historic castle can be seen from afar, perched on a rocky spur above the River Sieg. In order to keep this special place alive, the town is investing in a new cultural and heritage centre on the former site of the fire station opposite the historic town wall and the town center.

Our concept separates the different functions and divides them into several buildings, which are loosely arranged to resemble traditional village structures. The L-shaped new fire station consists of two buildings: the vehicle depot and the functional wing, which is offset by 90 degrees.

Supermarket with social housing on top

In view of rising land prices that are unaffordable for social housing, we have developed a multifunctional urban building block with prototype character. The special thing about this project is that it is not social housing with an integrated supermarket, but a supermarket with social housing on the roof.

The three-storey complex includes 60 flats with private gardens, terraces and balconies and blends harmoniously into the small-scale development of the neighbourhood. Above the plinth, a façade band with generous openings serves as privacy and noise protection for the flats above. The east-west orientation of the four rows of flats creates a varied interplay between residential courtyards, arcades and the gardens.

From the 16th to the 21st century

The history of the hotel "Zum Hirschen" in Salzburg's Elisabeth suburb dates back to the 16th century. The current owner family acquired the inn in 1830. Together with Tom Lechner, we have renovated the hotel and expanded it with modern architecture. Under the name "Am Hirschengrün", 42 flats plus an underground car park were built alongside the completely renovated hotel.

The inner courtyard with flower garden, kitchen garden, play area and open spaces offers hotel guests and residents a green oasis of relaxation and recreation. The new urban component "Am Hirschengrün" stands for a holistic residential concept that combines hotel, dining, garden and offices.

Perfect environment for start-ups

The Technology and Start-up Centre TGZ in the port of Straubing-Sand offers a broad and flexible portfolio of premises for young companies. Added to this are services such as the use of conference and meeting rooms. This concept is so popular that the operator has decided to expand the TGZ. We are supplementing the existing building with an elongated timber frame structure to create a multifunctional campus.   

The elongated block extends the BioCubator building to the north and completes the established structures of the TGZ to form a campus. A green inner courtyard encourages interaction within the building and offers users an attractive view. The office wing of the new building docks directly onto the existing building. The slightly higher laboratory wing adjoins it.

Recognisable as a timber construction from the outside, the new building has a horizontally structured, rear-ventilated timber façade. The front pergolas and the connecting bridge are covered with a wire mesh that serves as a support for the greenery on the façade.

New architecture for new educational concepts

In a bid to transform the Edlach elementary school into a contemporary cluster school, the main classes and group rooms form small units with a variety of spatial design options. Parallel to the existing gymnasium, the two-storey main building houses the classrooms. The link between the school and the gymnasium is the glazed, multifunctional assembly hall, which is also the entrance to the school.

Here we have realised the concept of the cluster school in an architecturally precise and economical way without completely abandoning the original building structure. For the school community, the recognisability and easy orientation in the new structure of all-day and inclusive teaching was thus retained.

The Edlach primary school was honoured with the State Prize for Architecture & Sustainability. The use of natural products and the attention to detail contribute to the harmonious and cheerful learning environment.

Distinctive, kinked silhouette

A swimming pool with a 25-metre and practice pool as well as a three-court sports hall including a bouldering wall, sprint tunnel and spacious ancillary rooms - the construction project of the municipality of Gräfelfing at the Lochham school campus involves a lot of volume. We considered how this volume could be organised in the most compatible way for the surroundings and in the most functional way for the users.

The result is a single-storey, two-part building with a green flat roof, whose striking, kinked silhouette blends harmoniously yet confidently into the surroundings. The indoor swimming pool and lowered sports hall are arranged at an acute angle to each other and connected by a triangular, shared access area.

The asymmetrically cantilevered roof emphasizes the entrances and guides visitors into the hall. Narrow vertical slats accentuate the timber façade and act as privacy and sun protection in front of the generous glazing.

Wooden cube as a landmark

The cube-shaped administration building with its asymmetrically cut windows is a landmark for the Wibeba Holz site in Wieselburg. With its eye-catching appearance, the small-format timber cube can hold its own against the large neighbouring industrial buildings and also blends in well with the loosely built-up area of detached houses.

The concept is derived from the requirements of the space programme, which includes offices as well as special uses such as training, recreation and presentation rooms. The exterior walls in timber element construction are clad with rear-ventilated, vertical oak panelling.

The sustainable timber construction kit

At the North German Academy for Finance and Tax Law Hamburg (NoA), civil servants from the tax administrations in Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Bremen receive training and further education. The listed building currently in use at the present location cannot meet today's requirements for "new work" and "new education". Therefore, we are building a new timber system construction on the "Beim Pachthof" site in Hamburg Horn. The new NoA fulfils high design standards and modern requirements for learning and working environments.

For the first time, the serial modular system is being trialled in the NoA project. We developed the system as part of a study together with specialist planners and the client. The prefabrication of the modules ensures a rapid assembly process on site. The building can thus be flexibly adapted to site-specific cubatures and designs as well as individual requirements in terms of size and function. With this innovative system, we are establishing a sustainable, climate-friendly and economical construction method for educational buildings in Hamburg.

Historic estate with new residential wing

The expansion of the former Hochreute model estate into the European centre of a Buddhist foundation presented us with a special challenge. The task was to create a prestigious address out of the listed ensemble and the new buildings, a spiritual centre with a meditation hall, accommodation for guests and seminar rooms of various sizes.

Our approach leaves the historic courtyard complex from 1910 completely untouched. An L-shaped, two-storey residential wing, partially integrated into the slope, adjoins the former farm building and forms its own courtyard. Both courtyards are connected to each other and, with their differentiated open spaces, offer ideal conditions for seminars. The spatial structure is clear and uncluttered: the centre of the Buddhist community in the barn, seminar, residential and guest rooms in the new building around the courtyard.

Open the stage with city window

The city theatre with adjoining city hall was built in 1915 in neoclassical style and has 438 seats. The aim of the refurbishment is to create an economically, technically, energetically and logistically optimized spatial structure. A new building with rehearsal stage, ballet hall, workshops and canteen complements the ensemble.

The building and stage technology areas will be expanded and modernized and the fire protection concept will be adapted to current safety standards. Accessibility and integration into the urban space will also be improved. The façade of the theatre is being restored and the Great Hall is undergoing a general refurbishment. The "city window" lends the ensemble an unmistakable architectural identity. At the same time, the original character of the listed building will be retained.  

Ecological material, economical construction

The multifunctional sports hall forms a community centre in the heart of Bon Lait, an urban development area in Lyon. The spatial programme consists of a triple sports hall for various ball sports, a training hall for martial arts, dance and gymnastics as well as a meeting room and offices. The sports hall is available to schools, clubs and amateur athletes in the neighbourhood and is a meeting place for the local population throughout the week. The building is impressive proof of the effectiveness of timber architecture in an urban context.

It is not only renewable raw materials such as wood and straw that make the building sustainable. It is above all the interplay of ecological materials, economical construction, uncomplicated building technology and comfort that has been achieved here with optimal utilisation of daylight, natural ventilation and surfaces that appeal to the senses.

Aiming high with wood

A mosaic is made up of many individual pieces that fit together harmoniously. Colourful, modular, lively and connecting - this is also what the Moosaik urban quarter at the entrance to Starnberg is to become. At the centre of this district, we are building a timber office tower. Called Moo 6, it complements the surrounding ensemble of buildings with its height and presence and forms the unmissable centrepiece of the quarter.

The restaurant area on the ground floor with its large terrace creates a link between inside and outside. The flexibly divisible office units on the upper floors attract a wide variety of users and thus ensure diversity and vitality.

Wood, design and sustainability

With a compact, highly insulated and airtight building envelope with triple glazing, a ventilation system with heat recovery and the passive use of solar energy, Austria's first university building in passive house construction was built on the Kuchl campus.

The three-storey timber frame construction is braced by the solid staircase core and the closed front wall made of cross-laminated timber. In the basement, the existing building was extended in a solid exposed concrete construction and houses the workshops and a work yard with a covered outdoor area. For fire safety reasons, the escape staircase was also constructed in reinforced concrete.

Affordable, sustainable, natural living

The developer's competition for the "1st Vienna WohnBAUM programme" set the task of developing innovative prototypes for small-scale residential buildings that can be flexibly adapted to different locations. The focus was on affordability, living close to nature and sustainable energy concepts.

Our solution is the Magic cube made of prefabricated wooden elements. The Magic cube offers attractive, affordable flats with lots of wood and a close connection to the surrounding nature. Spacious living and dining areas with a view of the greenery and compact, multifunctional rooms as well as a garden, balcony, loggia or terrace offer a high quality of living.

Universal, manoeuvrable, communicative and open to change, the cube is built on a square floor plan. With a floor area of just under 150 m² and with one to three storeys, it is suitable for most plots of open or coupled construction in building class 1. The recessed top floor gives the buildings a differentiated silhouette.

Cuboid and crystal, connected by glass

The ENSAD Art School forms the northern end of the ARTEM (ARt, TEchnology, Management) campus, the largest new university building in France. The art college houses all the rooms required for the three study programmes of art, design and communication, such as studios, workshops and classrooms, as well as spacious exhibition areas. The four-storey, elongated "Vauban" cuboid on the north-west side and the five-storey, crystalline-faceted “Signature” building on the south-east side enclose an inner courtyard with the two glazed link buildings.

The clear spatial organisation becomes evident as soon as you enter the building. The dark Signature building houses exhibition areas, administrative offices and a spacious skylight hall on the top floor. The workshops and studios are located in the lower Vauban building. An auditorium building partially raised from the ground closes off the inner courtyard at the rear and leads to the adjoining park.

Event location on the waterfront promenade

The Graf-Zeppelin-Haus was opened in 1985 as a cultural and congress center for the city of Friedrichshafen. The multi-part, flat building directly on the shores of Lake Constance comprises a large hall with 1,300 seats as well as eight smaller conference rooms, a restaurant and a café. After 30 years, extensive renovation work is now due to provide spectators with contemporary comfort, meet modern safety standards and improve efficiency.

Some of the most important measures are the thermal and technical refurbishment, the renovation of the catering areas, the improvement of room acoustics in the event halls and the adaptation of safety equipment to current standards. All work will be planned and carried out in such a way that operations can be largely maintained. The entire listed building and its original character will be retained.

Wooden schools, in Vienna too

The architectural concept for the Christian Bucher-Gasse primary school combines the existing 1950s building with the new buildings to create a harmonious, functional school complex with a large, sheltered inner courtyard.

By building 17 additional classrooms, a gym, a gymnastics hall, leisure classes, media and work rooms as well as a canteen, we were able to increase the number of pupils by a third to 425 children. The construction work was carried out in four phases without interrupting school operations

The new building was one of the first schools in Vienna to be constructed predominantly from wood.

Sports fields on the roof

The ETH Sport Centre is part of the new Science City on the Hönggerberg. It houses the Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport and at the same time provides all members of the university with a wide range of facilities for a broad variety of sports. The sections of the building, which are pushed deep into the slope, take away the dominance of the large volume and integrate it sensitively into the landscape.

From the outside, there is no hint of its inner life; the sports fields on the roof appear to be part of the landscape. Only the polished green crystal of the fully glazed west façades opens up completely to the campus.

Thanks to controlled ventilation, intensive use of daylight and largely recyclable building materials, which were produced with the lowest possible energy consumption, we were able to build ecologically and sustainably. As the first Minergie-Eco-certified public building in Switzerland, the sports centre meets the ETH's objective of creating highly energy-efficient facilities.

Carefully guided into modernity

On the picturesque outskirts of Weiler lies a traditional farm that has characterised the cultural landscape for decades. Once used as a dairy farm, the building combines living, barn and stables under one roof. This kind of farm with all functions under one roof is known as “Einhof” in the Alpine region. We have carefully transformed the farm into a contemporary, ecological living space that preserves the character of the building while at the same time reinterpreting it. In this way, the new building sets a clear accent without disturbing the original townscape.

The new “Einhof” in Weiler is an example of respectful treatment of existing buildings, sustainable use of resources and a timeless, authentic architectural language.

Careful redensification

In the spirit of careful redensification, we built the Qulumbus residential and commercial building in the centre of the Vorarlberg municipality of Klaus. The project consists of two different structures made of solid wood, connected by an underground car park.

The three-storey, crystalline cube on the street side houses commercial space on the ground floor and eight rental flats above. The smaller rear building houses a further four flats. The buildings are built as a solid timber construction. Only the plinth and ceilings are made of reinforced concrete, the outer walls and pitched roof are made of wood.

The vertical city

The long building site on Vienna's Rennweg is exciting, challenging and diverse. Old structures with small businesses and housing meet the ambitious event and research centre Neu-Marx or the T-Mobile headquarters. Powerful traffic arteries such as the south-east tangent and S-Bahn give the site its insular location and at the same time ensure excellent connections to the city centre and the airport.

We want to create a new, lively, urban building block here. The hybrid project of nine buildings, including two high-rise blocks, combines living with creative work and manufacturing.

For children's urge to move

The elongated group room wing with the short, transverse head section is located in the centre of a loosely built-up area of detached houses. A frame of wide panes on the south side unites the wing into a whole and creates a loggia-like transition area to the garden.

The three group rooms are divided into several sections. Each one has its own cloakroom, accessible from the rear corridor and with an exit to the garden terrace. The facility offers the children various types of rooms as experience spaces with different room heights and levels.
 

Camera obscura on a steep slope

In the north-east of Bregenz, a black-painted, wooden prism juts out of a steep southern slope towards the Vorarlberg Rhine Valley. What at first glance appears to be a free-form building sculpture is actually the result of an economic calculation. In order to maximise the cubature of the extremely steep plot with a buildable area of only 450 m², we designed a maximum volume with a wide cantilevered soffit.

The development of the slope requires four levels. The two middle levels house the living spaces, with the garage above and the garden tool room below. The rooms on the two living levels are layered according to their privacy: The kitchen, dining and living areas are located on the upper floor, while the more intimate rooms such as the study, guest room and bedroom are located on the lower floor.

Four houses, one circulation

On the loosely built-up edge of the Lake Constance community, we have built a modern residential complex. In close cooperation with the municipality, the design advisory board and the neighbours, we succeeded in creating a careful and well thought-out redensification.

Spread across four buildings, 20 light-flooded flats with generous outdoor areas were created. Different typologies provide a high-quality home for singles, couples and families. Built using sustainable timber construction methods, the buildings blend harmoniously into the existing residential area on Lake Constance.

The optimal ratio of built-up area to living space was achieved primarily through the shared, central access platform for all four houses. This left space on the plot of just under 3,000 m² for extensive green areas and trees.

Vibrant city life by the lake

Seestadt Aspern, a multifunctional new district with affordable housing, offices and a commercial, science, research and education quarter, will be built in Vienna by 2030. Together with the Swedish office White Arkitekter, we have developed a new, mixed-use residential neighbourhood for the H1 construction site: Lili by the lake.

The staggered towers of different heights accentuate the silhouette of the quarter. A 66 metre high tower on Zaha-Hadid-Platz, which is oriented towards the lake, forms the prelude. The two 35 metre high towers mark the Platz der Kulturen and, together with the two lower high points at the northern and southern corners of the quarter, create an exciting ensemble.

A school of wood, light and shade

Wood is omnipresent in most of our school buildings to create a bright and warm atmosphere that promotes learning and socialising. This also applies to the college on the outskirts of Bretenoux. Set back from the road, it defines a public square with its wide west front. Harmoniously embedded in its rural surroundings, the horizontal monolith sets an urban accent at the entrance to the village. The Collège d'Orlinde is the first school in the Lot department to generate more energy than it consumes thanks to the 1,200 m² of photovoltaic panels on the roof.

Dense programme under a dynamic shell

In small towns like Cormeilles-en-Parisis, 17 km north-east of Paris, club sport plays an important role in social life. The new sports centre offers local teams, recreational athletes and schoolchildren optimal training and competition conditions. The dense programme includes a competition hall, multi-purpose hall, dojo and fistball room. Open and protective at the same time, the uniform and dynamic shell harmonises urban and human scale.

With its flowing silhouette, the sports centre makes a striking statement at the entrance to the town, and yet blends unobtrusively into the loosely built-up residential area. Thanks to the lowered playing field, we were able to keep the building height moderate. Cleverly placed kinks modulate the length of the building, and a simple twist turns the ribbon-shaped roof into an attractive canopy that extends protectively over the entrance and forecourt.

Dancing columns as a comprehensive gesture

The new Music & Congress Centre combines the existing event halls from the 1970s and 1980s with the new buildings to create a harmonious ensemble with a distinctive architectural identity. The complex now offers an international centre for music and culture, congresses and exhibitions.

The extension and general refurbishment included the construction of a new building with a 3,000 m² multifunctional hall, a conference hall for 450 people and an auditorium with 520 seats. The two existing concert halls were enlarged and remodelled and a new rehearsal hall was built. The extensive construction and renovation work was carried out during ongoing operations.

The qualities of the existing building extracted, reinterpreted, completely new spatial sequences created, boldly expanded and a new whole with a high recognition value created - this is a brief summary of the work. The clear, uncluttered spatial programme structures the functional sequences and enables visitors to easily find their way around.

Five houses, five courtyards

With an area of 44 hectares, the former Nordwestbahnhof is the last large inner-city development area in Vienna. This district is to become a climate-friendly and socially mixed residential and working neighbourhood. The aim of the phase 1 developer competition organised by wohnfonds_wien is to build high-quality, subsidised housing based on the 4-pillar model: architecture, social sustainability, economy and ecology.

The jury awarded first prize to our design for building site NW04-6: "This entry addresses the core concerns of the circular economy and climate protection in a truly convincing way. The entry is also convincing in terms of its urban planning and architectural qualities with a cleverly thought-out floor plan and development concept."