HTK Kuchl College of Wood Technology | Austria

Project New college building and core renovation
Place Kuchl, Austria
Year of construction 2017
Client Kuchl College of Wood Technology
Architecture Tom Lechner, LP Architektur ZT, Altenmarkt
Execution of timber construction Appesbacher GmbH
Statics Bauingenieure Lackner Egger ZT

Kuchl College of Wood Technology offers an educational combination of wood/technology, economics and languages, which is unique in Europe. Austria’s timber industry guarantees the quality of training by co-funding the new college building. Construction started in July 2015. The first construction phase, the new building made of CLT BBS elements, was completed in September 2016. The second phase, the general renovation of the west block in timber, was completed in the spring of 2017.

The building was constructed in an energy-efficient manner, thanks to the highly insulated design of all external components. The project initially focussed on the east block of the L-shaped building to enable the college to continue to run.
The concept for the new college also includes space for open forms of learning for multiple classes, in addition to spaces for free movement, group work and recreation rooms, all combined in a spatial grouping, a kind of cluster. The spatial infrastructure is intended to enable the most flexible changeover possible between different forms of learning, whether individual work, group work or even teacher-centred teaching.

“Timber is steadily growing in importance as a building material and ultimately climate protection and the conservation of resources have also led to a rethink about construction. At the same time, technical developments coupled with computer-aided manufacturing methods , a high level of prefabrication and short construction times are making timber construction extremely attractive,” explains architect Tom Lechner.

Ceilings and visible quality CLT BBS walls were used in the classrooms. Acoustic panels in the ceiling area and notice boards covered in loden guarantee optimum room acoustics. The major part of the construction was manufactured by the students themselves in the workshops. 3,700 m² of solid oak parquet floor were laid for the floor throughout the entire college building. The in-built underfloor heating can also be used as cooling in the warmer months of the year, thanks to the installation of two groundwater heat pumps.

The façade consists of a back-ventilated timber façade, sealed on one side, and an open back-ventilated slatted façade. 17.5 m³ of profiled timber were used for the façade slats. The expansive glazed façades of the classrooms and offices were predominantly constructed using fixed safety glazing, although there are also pivot vents in the classrooms. Air exchange in the clusters is provided by controlled ventilation. The ventilation system was equipped with a heat exchanger to ensure optimum use of the waste heat. With a heating requirement of 24 kWh/m² per annum, the new college building thus achieves the lowest energy standard. The staircase is constructed using self-supporting solid timber treads and the architects have designed an open-plan concept with fire doors that only close in the event of a fire.

“We have achieved improvements in terms of fire prevention and noise insulation. Timber is also superior to other materials from an energy and environmental perspective,” explains HTK President, justifying the choice of the building material.

Photos: © HTK Holztechnikum Kuchl, binderholz
Plans: © Tom Lechner LP Architektur ZT