brückner & brückner architekten wraps 'hohes holz' in facade of spruces

for one of the largest sawmills in europe, brückner & brückner architekten realizes the ‘hohes holz’ office and administration building. the project seems to grow organically from the forested clearing — a play of light, shadow and wood. the team designed the building to suggest a continuation of the surrounding woodland, a celebration of the ziegler group’s neighboring betzenmühle sawmill. the structure is built nearly entirely from the wood sourced on-site, architecturalizing the products and philosophy of the company.

all images © mju-fotografie, marie luisa jünger, hümpfershausen

working closely with the ziegler group, the team at brückner & brückner architekten designed the ‘hohes holz’ office building as an interface between the forest and company. the project is wrapped in a façade of the most original product in the ziegler range, the trunk of the spruce tree. projecting to a height of 19 meters (62 feet), the monumental timber elements introduce a rhythmic façade and organic image.

brückner & brückner architekten continues this concept with the building’s interior. here, the wood is processed at a finer scale — the building exhibits each level of processing, from the rough wood of the counters, to the refined wooden surfaces of the office furniture. the wood is celebrated with a full diversity in processing, type, and color. the new administration building seeks to discover contemporary solutions for the use of ziegler group’s timber at all levels of development.