A Mixed-use Wood Hybrid Building. Weggishof by HHF architects
21/12/2021.
[Weggis] Switzerland
metalocus, VALERIA OZUNA
metalocus, VALERIA OZUNA
Description of project by HHF architects
The Weggishof, a mixed-use development in Weggis on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, is a wood hybrid construction and consists of 39 apartments made of prefabricated wooden elements. These are intersected with a bracing concrete fundament, which houses 1’200 m2 of commercial space with public uses. The apartments, ranging from simple studios to five-room apartments, are double faced and open to the green, seasonal and biodiversity-oriented courtyard with a garden and a playground, which is a public meeting place for the community.
Weggishof is a pioneering project in the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM). A digital workflow was crafted to allow for dimensional steering of the prefabrication of the standardised wood elements, whose surfaces are left raw for visual impact. The BIM also supported the project’s high sustainability intentions as it facilitates a more precise layering and system separation of structures and materials. Thus future material recycling will be easier and more efficient.
The modular metal facade gives a vivid identity to the public space while adding a layer of privacy. Thus it acts like an open threshold between the two worlds of prefabricated precision and the surrounding landscape with a striking alpine panorama.
The building nestles into an existing natural U-shaped slope, which allows for structural diversity. Floor heights are staggered to let the new construction blend in with the surroundings without blocking the view of the lake from existing structures. Interestingly, the 39 flats offer a small and large version of each of the different floor plans, providing comparable quality at different scales and budgets.
In the end Weggishof is much more than a sustainable housing project – it also enriches the centre of town with a new urban expression and a public space.
HHF architects is an architectural firm established by Tilo Herlach, Simon Hartmann and Simon Frommenwiler.
Tilo Herlach. He born in 1972 in Zurich, Switzerland. Between 1992 and 1998, Studies in Architecture at ETH Zurich and ETH Lausanne; Masters at ETH Zurich with Prof. Ruggero Tropeano. 1998-2003 Collaboration with d-company, Bern and Rolf Furrer Architekten, Basel. 2003 Founding of HHF architects, Basel. Since 2006 member of the "Board for Urban Planning SIA Basel". Since 2007 Board member of the Berlin Chamber of Architects. 2010 BSA member. 2011 Visiting professor at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.
Simon Hartmann. He born in 1974 in Bern, Switzerland. Between 1994 and 2000, Studies in Architecture at ETH Lausanne, TU Berlin and ETH Zurich; Masters at EPF Lausanne with Prof. V. Mangeat. 2000-2003 Collaboration with Rolf Furrer Architekten, Basel. 2002-2007 Teaching assistant at the ETH Studio Basel with Prof. Jaques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, Roger Diener, Marcel Meili. 2003 Founding of HHF architects, Babel. 2009-2011 Professor at the HTA Fribourg. 2010 BSA member. 2011 Visiting professor at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. Since 2011 Professor at the Joint Master of Architecture course, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Simon Frommenwiler. He born in 1972 in London, United Kingdom. Between 1994 and 2000, Studies in Architecture at ETH Zurich; Masters with Prof. H. Kollhoff. 1997-2003 Collaborations with Bearth & Deplazes, Chur and Skidmore Owings & Merrill, New York, USA. 2003 Founding of HHF architects, Basel. 2005-2007 Teaching assistant at ETH Lausanne with Prof. Harry Gugger. 2010 BSA member. 2011 Professor at the Joint Master of Architecture course, Fribourg. 2011 Visiting professor at the ENSA Strasbourg, France.