Hintere Wühre B2/B3

The Hintere Wühre residential complex is situated south of Appenzell on a green meadow, in a very quiet location. A ski lift, several schools and a sports' complex are all in walking distance of the new housing estate. The superb views of the Alpenstein massif make it even more attractive.

The whole Hintere Wühre HRS development consists of three phases. HRS completed the first phase between 2013 and 2015 as commissioned by the ASGA pension fund. The second (B2) and third (B3) phases as described here are comprised of five apartment blocks with a total of 26 condominiums and were commissioned by HRS Investment AG.

The architecture is oriented towards the appearance and dimensions of traditional houses in Appenzell. The buildings each form a courtyard situation reminiscent of a farm. Wood dominates as the building material, from the façade to the parquet flooring in the interiors.
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 Hintere Wühre housing development fulfils the stringent Minergie label requirements. The thermal energy transmitted to the apartments via an underfloor heating system is gained from the local heating plant of Holzin AG. The Appenzell-based company operates a CO2-neutral chip heating, powered by local wood.