The primary building material is timber: timber-frame walls from spruce and pine, slab elements from spruce, façade cladding from larch, window frames from pine, and one column from beech. All wood is European-sourced and FSC-certified. Alongside the structure, materials for all building elements are chosen for their low emission intensity, recyclability, and occupant well-being. The curved ground floor recess invites visitors in, and once inside, the half-barrel roof shields traffic noise – while drawing in sunlight and allowing for natural passive stack ventilation. Attached to an external staircase and an existing basement, the project exhibits no additional soil sealing and an excellent life cycle performance. Rather than accepting the often-angular shapes of prefabricated timber structures, Haus 2+ expands the architectural language of timber frame construction.

Project status: Completed (constructed September 2022 to August 2023).

The jury was particularly impressed by this infill design project, which extends an existing fabric and thoughtfully optimizes and creates a new relation with the surrounding urban space and the riverfront. The mix-use building, with workshop and local business spaces, garnered high praise for its versatility and community-oriented design. The project’s bottom-up approach embeds a powerful message of protest against financially-driven real estate logic and interests. The jury particularly admired the young team’s bold design choices, which brought fresh perspectives and innovation, recognizing its inclusive nature and the positive impact it has on the community’s engagement. 

Additionally, the project’s commitment to low-carbon material adoption and smart construction systems, enabling rapid on-site assembly and ease of disassembly for reuse, resonated with the jury’s environmental sustainability principles. From an architectural perspective, the project’s harmonious integration with the colorful and improvised appearance of the district was highly appreciated, contributing to a new aesthetic quality that enhances the area’s cultural identity.