Hintere Wühre A/B1

Tradition goes modern

The Hintere Wühre residential complex was developed south of Appenzell on a green meadow. The large-windowed apartments have superb views of the surrounding hillsides and Alpstein. Spacious, roofed terraces and loggias extend the living space outdoors. A ski lift, various schools and a sports' complex are all in walking distance of the housing estate.

HRS was commissioned by the ASGA pension fund with developing the first of a four-phase project from 2013 to 2015, consisting of three apartment blocks (sub-project A) two elongated and one central building (sub-project B1) and a total of 41 rental apartments.
The architecture is oriented towards the appearance and dimensions of traditional houses in Appenzell. From the façade to the parquet flooring in the interiors, wood surfaces characterise the overall impression.

Wooden façades for an unmistakable character

The development of the special wooden façades was an especially exciting challenge for HRS: The requirements of the district plans and cultural heritage protection had to be met as well as guaranteeing the longevity of the wood, which proved rather demanding. In the end, the façade consisted of four coatings. Each plank of wood was impregnated twice during manufacture and a further two times once assembled.
The unstable foundation soil composed of sand layers meant that a shallow foundation covering the whole site was not possible. Micro-supports had to be inserted into the foundation soil to carry the weight of the buildings higher up the slope.