The Perfect Family Home
The client didn't really have a clear idea what their house in Ramsau should look like. They only knew what it shouldn't look like: not too big, but not too cramped either. Not too showy or loud, but not too boring either. Not in the traditional tourist style, but still staying loyal to regional building methods. This meant that the architect and the building contractor were setting off on a journey into the unknown, the results of which didn't need to be hidden away behind a curtain – but could be if required.
One thing quickly became crystal clear in the exciting and intensive planning process – the material of choice would be wood: "In ecological terms, it's far and away the best construction material in this region," Helmut Berger of Berger Hofmann Architekten tells us with conviction. That's why he and his team, with the help of two highly respected timber experts – the timber construction company Meiberger and the interior design specialists Prehal – decided to focus 100% on this raw material, which could be sourced from local forests. In a lively dialogue with the building contractors, a set of functional specifications were developed to create a new interpretation of a "single-family detached house". In this cosy wooden structure, three mini-units are grouped around a common living and dining area, a "bath house" with beautiful views and a fragrant-smelling loft.
A feel-good home
The loft was created from rough plywood boards and ended up being a spacious extra room with a lovely fragrant smell that could be used in lots of different ways. It can be accessed via a revolving "magic staircase". This forms the boundary to the bathroom, where a truly majestic view of the forest and the mountains can be enjoyed from the bathtub. The remaining wall and ceiling elements in the house are made from rough-sawn, untreated silver fir and from spruce that has been finished with ADLER Lignovit Interior UV 100 in shade Tanne to preserve its natural beauty long-term. Prehal used a range of different products from the broad ADLER product portfolio for the windows and doors, the elegant interior fittings and the built-in furniture. For the impressive oak kitchen, the company – which is based in Radstadt – chose a special stain blend from ADLER.
Lighting effect
Berger Hofmann Architekten made use of a special artistic trick with their design for the facade: on the untreated spruce facade, a curtain of silver-grey varnished lamellae provide protection from the weather. The slats, which were painted grey in advance using Pullex Silverwood by ADLER, create a contemporary version of the "Gangerl" which is customary in the local area – an outside seating area that goes around the building and leads to a semi-open yet intimate veranda. At night, the light shimmers through the lamellae giving the building a warm and attractive appearance. It "appears" like a star in the sky, reserved and discrete. The architects and the considerate building contractors have in general been very successful in creating a seamless connection between the building and its natural environment: the restrained wooden building is nestled gently into the foothills of the Dachstein mountain range. A garage – also made of wood and finished with Pullex Silverwood – marks the threshold to the private area. From here, a simple concrete path leads to the entrance. And, logical for a project with such a strong focus on wood, yet not to be taken for granted: two old maple trees at the edge of the premises have been left standing – thanks to the fact that they triggered an emotional reaction in the building contractor by bringing back memories of his childhood!
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