FORESTRY STATION
WOOD AS A WAY OF BEING
The new forestry station in the centre of Nova Ponente/Deutschnofen is a highly functional administrative building designed to combine purpose and surroundings. Home to the local forestry office of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen, the building represents a responsible use of resources and is constructed from a material inextricably linked to the daily work of its users: wood. The architecture reinterprets the traditional two-storey residential houses of the area with pitched roofs, reducing their form to the essentials, thus creating a conscious contrast while remaining in dialogue with the existing context.
FUNCTION AS THE BASIS OF DESIGN
The forestry station has a dual function: on one hand, it is the headquarters of the internal administration, and on the other, it is a point of reference for the public in matters related to the management of forest areas for economic use. The dual purpose of the building is reflected in its spatial organisation. The basement, made of reinforced concrete, houses a garage for service vehicles, changing rooms as well as storage and technical rooms. On the publicly accessible ground floor: the entrance, public service area and administrative offices, as well as an archive and an accessible toilet, ensuring usability in accordance with current regulations.
In the attic of the upper floor, under the gabled roof, there is a large meeting room with its own kitchenette. Thanks to pull-out beds, this space can also be used as an operations centre in emergency situations.
TIMBER AS STRUCTURE AND LANGUAGE
The choice of timber construction is consistent with the context and function of the building. Nova Ponente/Deutschnofen is one of the most densely wooded municipalities in South Tyrol: wood is omnipresent in the landscape and forms the basis of local forestry work. The load-bearing structure, walls and floors are made of a cross-laminated timber (X-lam). As such, wood is understood as a structural, spatial and identity-defining element, capable of defining both the atmosphere of the rooms and the character of the building.
Particular attention was paid to the design of the façades. The blackened wooden cladding is inspired by traditional preservation techniques, in which wood is heat-treated to increase durability. These practices can be found both in Japan, where wooden surfaces are intentionally charred, and in the local Alpine tradition, where poles fixed in the ground were treated with fire where they came into contact with the soil to protect them from moisture and rot. Inspired by this craftsmanship, the new forestry station takes shape as a form seemingly driven into the ground whilst reinterpreting traditional building knowledge as contemporary language.
SUSTAINABILITY AS A BUILDING RESOURCE
In addition to its wooden construction, the building has been built to high energy standards, achieving the CasaClima Gold standard. Energy is supplied by heat pumps powered by a roof-mounted photovoltaic system. All building components and technological systems are designed according to the state of the art, with particular attention to energy efficiency, durability and the reduction of consumption.
ARCHITECTURE AS A CONTRIBUTION
The building consciously elevates simplicity and form, favouring a rigorous use of material and construction detail. It is precisely in this sobriety that its quality lies: the architecture is a functional tool and, yet at the same time, as a concrete contribution to the contemporary debate on sustainability, responsibility and conscious construction.
