In the vicinity of the State Academy for Youth Education, an educational centre of the non-profit State Association for Fruit Growing, Garden and Landscape e.V. (LOGL) has been built in Weil der Stadt. Traditionally, the association promotes the diversity of garden culture, the preservation of the cultural landscape and the imparting of specialist knowledge in the fields of fruit and garden culture.

The project is characterized by a diversely designed natural garden and a meadow orchard, in which two solitary wooden buildings are embedded. Typologically, the buildings are based on the wooden barns characteristic of southern German orchards. Both buildings were designed as one-room architectures, which are spatially zoned by free-standing solitary structures. This resulted in a main building with a seminar room, foyer, offices and a library, as well as an adjoining building as a storage and technical building. The chosen constructive order now offers the opportunity to present the qualities of contemporary timber construction with its diverse constructive and sensual qualities. For example, local softwoods such as Douglas fir, silver fir and pine are used in the building envelope and the false ceiling, while the qualities of various hardwoods and fruit woods are exemplified in the area of the solitary components inside the building.

Through the complex, design and constructive mixing of wood-based materials and wood species, the specific properties of the respective building material can be used in a targeted manner. This is intended to demonstrate that modern timber construction can combine the wide range of possibilities for the use of coniferous and hardwood in one project.

The design is complemented by an energetic zero-emission concept, consisting of a reversible air/water heat pump, PV system and minimized, decentralized ventilation system with heat recovery, so that the required heat and energy can be generated in-house without emitting further emissions.

The use of ecological insulation made of wood fibre, which is used to a sensible extent, reduces the primary energy requirement in summer and winter. The external, flexibly movable sun shading system completes the concept passively. This low-tech solution, which quotes a filigree barn door, makes it possible to dispense with technically complex façade layers. A rainwater cistern collects the rainwater that accumulates, so that this valuable resource worth protecting can also be stored.

The LOGL project illustrates a special degree of complexity in its conception and implementation and diversity in the application of contemporary and sustainable timber construction topics. In doing so, both industrially manufactured products with great scalability, as well as traditional niche products, thus showing a wide range of possibilities. It is also intended to raise awareness of the use of hardwoods in contemporary timber construction. In addition, the use of niche products is to be from the great biodiversity of wood species in Baden-Württemberg contributes to the preservation of the tradition of timber from meadow orchards and mixed forests.

Source: lohrmannarchitekten bda
Photos: Volker Schrank

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