30/09/2025
House at the Stürcherwald /
Häuser des Jahres 2017 | Recognition
Vorarlberger Holzbaupreis 2017 | Prize
Light, air, tranquility and the natural landscape
This free-standing house is located at a thousand meters above sea level in the “Stürcher Wald” hamlet of the municipality of Laterns in Vorarlberg, on a very steeply sloping southern plot. The plot of land was considered practically unsuitable for construction as it was a residual piece of land along a bend in the road. To benefit from the stunning views and minimize interventions on the site, the building was positioned at the very edge of the property and designed in as compact and elongated a form as possible. The design of the house is based on the traditional building type of long houses that are typical of the “Walserhouse” farming culture. On the other hand, however, the simple long structure with the pitched roof and the austerely structured wooden facade deliberately deviates from its historic example, showing that it is a modern interpretation.
At first sight, the House Stürcherwald appears rather unspectacular, but it turns out to be a convincing attempt of rekindling traditional building styles without falling victim to a superficial regional architecture. It does not subscribe to any clichés harking back to traditional country and forestry houses, but views architecture as a cultural achievement which should be embedded in the context of the era it is produced in. Nonetheless, the subtle interventions – and this is relevant – only reveal themselves at closer inspection.
