Youth Center Ingersheim

The design inverts the conventional planning process: instead of dictating a shape, the planners developed a new spatial structure based entirely on the fixed geometry of the available 3D-curved formwork, which originally shaped the concrete for a pedestrian underpass. Rather than sending the milled CLT for thermal disposal after its initial use, the elements were stripped of their coating, sanded down, and installed as load-bearing walls and roofing. To protect the massive, untreated wood surfaces from the elements, the structure was enveloped in an independent, elliptical shell made of solid structural timber and wooden cladding. This facade is entirely reversible, relying on screws rather than adhesives or varnishes, and avoids the use of foils, except for the roof waterproofing. Funded by the municipality with a budget of around 100,000 euros, the building sits on a conventional reinforced concrete slab with base walls, as a fully demountable screw foundation was not permitted due to strict flood protection regulations at the site.

The entrances to the building are concealed behind the outer wooden slats. This prevents direct views from the outside, preserving the intimate, labyrinthine character of the interior space.

Text: ZAB | Sources: Gemeinde Ingersheim, HTWG Konstanz, HFT Stuttgart, HS Karlsruhe, proHolz Baden-Württemberg, Züblin Timber GmbH, Ed. Züblin AG