immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Naturmaterialien

  • Circular building with reeds

    Circular building with reeds

    The residential building by Marina Rosa and Jacobus van Hoorne, designed by Gilbert Berthold, architect and research assistant at BFH, deliberately stands out in a single-family housing estate on Lake Neusiedl. It combines a consistent timber construction with a striking thatched roof and thus relies on local, renewable raw materials with a low ecological footprint. The numerous awards, from the client prize of the Central Association of Austrian Architects to the architecture prize of the province of Burgenland and the newcomer prize “House of the Year”, underline the exemplary character of the project.

    Reeds as a high-performance building material
    Jacobus van Hoorne, originally a particle physicist at CERN, took over his father’s reed cutting and thatching business and developed it into an innovation laboratory. Together with Berthold, he developed a roof structure that met strict fire protection requirements and was officially approved through real fire tests. A milestone for reed in new buildings, even in densely populated areas. The gently curved roof surfaces follow the material logic. Each additional degree of inclination extends the service life of the roof, the construction makes the qualities of the natural material visible and legible.

    Geometry, material and space as a unit
    The floor plan of the house follows an S-shape resulting from the rotation of the central living space. At its heart is a two-storey, light-flooded atrium that opens onto the garden and is closely linked to the outside space via terraces. Compactly organized functional spaces create scope for spacious recreation areas. The interplay between the thatched roof and the natural oak façade connects the building and the landscape. The roof becomes a design-defining element and a contemporary interpretation of traditional craftsmanship.

    Real-life laboratory for bio-based materials
    For Gilbert Berthold, the project marked the start of his self-employment and at the same time a real testing ground for sustainable construction. Today, the house serves as a home, study object and exhibition space all in one. It provides data on energy efficiency, indoor climate and the long-term behavior of bio-based building materials. In the context of the BFH, it fits in with research into plant-based materials such as straw, flax, hemp and mycelium and shows that reeds can be used not only as an insulating material, but also in a leading architectural role.

    Symbol of a regenerative building culture
    The project illustrates how circular building with regional resources can already be implemented today. It shows students and professionals that regenerative architecture is not a vision of the future, but a built reality. With reeds as a strong symbol for a building culture that rethinks nature, technology and society.

  • Tried and tested building materials reinterpreted

    Tried and tested building materials reinterpreted

    Sustainable building materials such as clay, wood and straw have a positive climate footprint. As they grow, they absorb CO₂ and store it in the long term. Around fifty million tons of excavated material containing clay are produced in Switzerland every year, a potential that is only used to a limited extent as most of it is landfilled. If this soil could be used as a building material, the material cycle could be closed directly. Saving resources, less transportation and lower disposal costs are the result. Wood is equally sustainable. Swiss forests provide a fast-growing, robust building material that now accounts for up to seventeen percent of load-bearing structures in new buildings, particularly in urban housing construction and additions.

    Prefabrication and hybrid construction
    The modern rediscovery of traditional materials is based on high-tech production methods. Prefabricated modules, the targeted use of robots and the addition of natural additives allow faster and more efficient processes. Nowadays, clay can be poured into formwork as liquid clay like concrete or used as rammed earth with reinforcements for multi-storey buildings. Combining clay and wood in hybrid wall or façade elements creates sustainable and climate-friendly structures. Researchers are working on optimizing materials to make clay and straw even more efficient. For example, through natural additives such as trass lime or innovative reinforcements.

    Challenges and development prospects
    The market penetration of clay and straw throughout Switzerland is still low, mainly due to a lack of industrial development, insufficient standardization and high start-up costs. Wood, on the other hand, is already widely accepted, although the forestry industry is struggling with climate change. Softwoods are coming under pressure, hardwoods are gaining in importance, but need new processing technologies. At the same time, environmental standards must be ensured and biodiversity preserved in the forests so that CO₂ storage is maintained. Research projects are investigating how wood can be made more resistant to environmental influences using biological substances such as shellac or plant-based tanning agents.

    Circular economy, health and acceptance
    Innovative building materials offer not only ecological but also health benefits. Natural materials improve the indoor climate, reduce allergy risks and avoid pollutants. Production is often low-energy and the components can be recycled at the end of their life. Web platforms such as the “Atlas of Regenerative Materials” network companies and projects in order to increase acceptance of and confidence in bio-based buildings.

    Innovation as a driver
    The combination of traditional expertise, modern research and digital prefabrication creates new opportunities for sustainable construction. Only by combining natural materials, recyclable structures and ecological responsibility can the construction industry make a positive contribution to climate protection. The opportunities for this have never been better and the building material of the future lies in the soil, in the forest and in the fields of Switzerland.