SOHM Wood Construction - Office and Storage Building

The company Sohm in Alberschwende, Bregenzerwald – an innovative and growing enterprise for timberwork – had the possibility to expand on newly–purchased land.

The strongly sloping land allowed for the integration of storage space and a new heating installation in the basement and for the construction of a covered, but open, multi-purpose hall with associated two-floor office area on the ground floor.

The challenges when elaborating the design were, on the one hand, the formal adaptation to the irregular land and, on the other hand, the architectural connection of the extensive, open factory workshop with the small office building.
A shell of standing wood slats with clamped Plexiglas calms the whole ensemble and reacts precisely to the predetermined geometry of the land.
The rounded edges enhance the concept of enveloping.
The roof of the open hall rests on the office building, which is made completely out of wood and which is placed on a massive elevated ground level.
The company Sohm produces so-called anchor wood elements, meaning solid wood elements which are not bonded, but connected with diagonally drilled beechwood anchors. The office building is completely constructed with such elements which form the overall impression of the interior rooms. The natural finished wood without bonding guarantees a healthy working atmosphere.

This is an example of a modern timber construction on the technological level of our times which puts innovative approaches to the traditional solid wood construction in a new perspective.
NGF 612 m2, BGF beheizt 815 m2 (1.300 m2), BRI heating 2.670 m3