Medical and Office Building F1c

The structural system is based on an advanced, modern adaptation of the traditional log-cabin concept. Built entirely from solid timber, the two-story structure incorporates around 150 trees, sequestering roughly 200 tons of CO₂ long-term. Solid wood walls and ceilings are interlocked without glue using dry beech dowels to ensure dimensional stability. By eliminating synthetic adhesives and plastic membranes, the entire structure can be cleanly dismantled and recycled into single-origin material streams at the end of its lifecycle.

Interiors feature untreated solid wood surfaces to guarantee a toxin-free environment for medical staff and patients alike. Sourced from high-altitude alpine forests above 1,000 meters, the spruce and silver fir were harvested exclusively during winter dormancy. Because winter-felled timber contains virtually no sap, starch, or sugar, it is naturally insect- and fungal-resistant—requiring no chemical preservatives. The exterior envelope pairs 17 cm of solid timber with 20 cm of soft wood fiber insulation and rough-sawn silver fir cladding. To ensure a uniform, graceful patina without patchy weathering, the exterior siding was pre-treated at the factory with a dual-coat mineral graying stain.

The building's energy and climate control strategy leverages the thermal mass of solid wood alongside a patented thermally activated building system (TABS). Water circulates through piping loops embedded directly into the prefabricated timber ceilings. Operating at low flow temperatures below 40 °C, the system relies primarily on long-wave radiant heat rather than convection, eliminating airborne dust and allergen circulation. Combined with wood's natural self-regulating thermal storage capacity, room temperatures remain exceptionally steady. Heating and cooling rely on a ground-source (brine-to-water) heat pump tied to a slinky trench collector buried roughly two meters beneath the unpaved parking area. During summer months, cool water circulates through the ceiling elements for passive cooling, while in winter it provides gentle radiant warmth. Electricity is generated on-site by a 45 kWp flat-roof photovoltaic array, paired with a 1,500 kWh hydrogen storage system that carries summer solar surplus over into the colder months—cutting average winter heating costs (October through February) to around 5 euros a day.

Text: ZAB | Sources: Planungsbüro Simon Beis, Holz100 Bayern, KEIMfarben, alpha innotec