From the architect:
Austrian studio Bernardo Bader Architects created a wooden clad, shed-like building in the middle of the Austrian hills.

Presented project, titled Haus am Sürcher Wald is situated 1000meters above the sea level in the picturesque village of Laterns. The outstanding timber house was designed to resemble the surrounding farmhouses and the typical Walserhouse of the area. The land of the house was considered useless, since it lies on an area which is in between the street sections.

Nevertheless, the architects managed to solve the problem, and now the house lies peacefully on an uneven base of hills at the very end of the area, not breaking the harmony of the surrounding environment. Its elongated, compact form contributes to the architects` idea of reducing the impact to the land. However, the house is perfectly balanced by a massive concrete base providing safety for the residents.

The outer skin of the private temporary living is made out of whole wood construction, more specifically rough sawn larch slats in different widths. The interior follows the same use of materials, with the only difference being the wood used in planed and sanded form. The building consists of two floors from which one is dedicated to the social areas and the other one to the private areas. The living area is situated on the main floor, with an open kitchen, featuring huge glass windows to maximize the incoming natural light. Moving to the upper floor, the minimalistically styled private rooms and bathrooms were placed.

The architects used unique solutions to maximize the usefulness of the layout of the connecting floors. “Interesting in spite of the easy cubing is the spatial sculptural linking between both floors. Some parts of the living area are reaching out to the roof top where open galleries correlate main floor with top floor,” the architects explained. The project is a perfect example of reactivating the traditional building types into the nature, without being monotonous. It is a symbol of escapism, to the ones living there.

www.bernardobader.com