Architecture / urban planning
Stephan and Prof. Stefanie Eberding, se\arch Freie Architekten BDA, Stuttgart
Client
State Garden Show GmbH
Completion date
2018
Awards
Bauwerk Schwarzwald e.V. Architecture Route 2022, Hugo Häring Award 2020, Exemplary Building Ortenaukreis 2020, Baden Architecture Prize 2019, Timber Construction Prize 2018, 1st Prize Realisation Competition 2014
Design
The Kita+ is part of the Bürgerpark planned for the Lahr 2018 State Garden Show. The brief was to plan a 5-group daycare centre and a museum section with a meeting place. The outdoor facilities will be used jointly. The museum area is linked to the show site of a nearby Roman strip house. The timber construction is spanned by extensively planted segmental arches, which are reminiscent of a market hall, while the mostly transparent façades emphasise the light and open overall impression. Both facilities share a common entrance area with an atrium.
Material and construction
Extensive greenery provides climatic protection and absorbs rainwater. Cross-laminated timber walls with natural visible surfaces form the interior walls, which also absorb the wind loads. The vertical slat structure of the façades is made of local silver fir. On the north façade, it also serves as a translucent filter that allows a view to the outside without providing any insight.
The ecologically sensible use of wood as a building and construction material is a top priority. Features such as weather protection in the outdoor area in the form of the galleries or the "protective" roof in the form of the segmental arch construction are reflected in the building. The house should not look like its model, but rather find its very own expression. The knowledge of traditional craftsmanship is very much in demand in the manufacturing process. Last but not least, it is the local companies that provide this knowledge and also the stamina required for realisation. Ultimately, of course, this also means the use of contemporary methods such as a high degree of prefabrication or appropriate technical expertise in terms of joining technology.
The bottom line is
The classic Black Forest house stands for a harmonious, balanced and highly functional architecture, built using wood as the primary building material.
By applying this grammar, an attempt is made to find answers to today's building tasks. Although the houses do not look like five-hundred-year-old farmhouses, they largely follow similar principles. The aim is to use these same principles to find a language, an expression, that basically comes very close to the original farmhouse and to build houses that at least have a similar lifespan to their role models.
