Unterfeld Nord Office Building, Baar (CH)

We are constructing an innovative timber office building on the Unterfeld Nord site. The cross-shaped floor plan allows entrances and exits on four sides, accessible via the surrounding park. The clear structure with a central access core and a circular walkway with attractive views enables simple and clear routing within the building. The park and the roof terraces with views as far as the lake invite people to linger.

Construction and materiality
The four wings of the 6-storey building are constructed in timber. The timber structure not only offers advantages in terms of prefabrication and rapid construction time, but also enables flexible subdivision of the office space within the column grid. The façade is also designed accordingly. The lightweight room partitions can be altered as required. This allows the building to adapt to its tenants and future developments.
Inside, we use natural materials that are as untreated as possible. Wooden surfaces in the office wings and exposed concrete in the earthquake-proof stairwell core create a pleasant working environment and at the same time high-quality, durable surfaces. Large areas of glazing offer views and vistas within the office areas.
The exterior of the building is clad with upright, butt-jointed wooden louvres. Vertical timber strips emphasise the column grid behind and structure the façade. The timber façade is glazed from the parapet height of approx. 70 cm to below the ceiling edge and provides the work areas behind it with plenty of daylight.

Sustainability
The construction and façade are made from renewable raw materials. The Minergie P façade and the compact design minimise heat loss and reduce the amount of materials used. All work areas are evenly supplied with daylight. The green roof is fitted with photovoltaic elements. Recycled concrete is used wherever possible and for the timber construction we favour wood from the region.
Resource-conserving construction, a holistic approach to site selection, planning and construction as well as environmentally friendly operation have a positive impact on costs over the entire life cycle. The aim of this planning is to create a high-quality building that is profitable in the long term. From the planning stage onwards, we attach great importance to the reutilisation and recycling of the building components (cradle to cradle) and also take into account the dismantlability of the building elements from the outset.