Flexible timber construction design for recreation and health at Lake Sarnersee

The Kurhaus Sarnersee is located in the middle of the Obwalden mountains, directly on the Sarnersee in a spacious park. The traditional place, which used to be the training center of the parish sisters – the Sarner sisters – is now a place of rest and relaxation after a hospital stay, or to escape the hustle of everyday life.

In our contribution to the study assignment, a two-story connecting building and a new guest house with around 30 hotel rooms complement the existing ensemble. With the new composition, the qualities of the location and the references between interior, exterior space, and the formative nature are restaged. While in the center of the guest house floor there are two-story lounges that can be used, for example, as a studio, music room, or orangery, the surrounding balcony layer extends each room with a private outdoor space protected from view.

The new buildings are designed as flexible timber element buildings and translate the elements of the existing concrete façade into a delicate façade that originates from a clear timber construction logic.

Although we were not able to win the assignment, we were able to demonstrate our competencies for urban planning, operational processes, and innovative wooden structures. We congratulate arge.arch.kurpur, Burch und Partner Architekten AG ǀ Werkunion AG on their 1st place.

Team

Client: Foundation «Zukunft Alter – Wohnen und Betreuung»
Construction economics: Bauseits Partner AG
Landscape Architecture: ASP Landschaftsarchitekten
Timber construction engineer: Holzprojekt GmbH
Timber construction: Renggli AG
Building Services Engineer: 3-Plan Haustechnik AG
Energy and Sustainability: EK Energiekonzepte