The wood as a building material developed through history by
adapting to different constructions. The swiss farming houses
are a distinguished example of wood construction. Their roofs in
particular were always considered to be something noteworthy.
Swiss houses influenced the modern wooden architecture in the
beginning of 20th century, as seen in the work of Konrad Wachsmann.
While the farming houses are analyzed so we can better understand
the typology and construction of roofs, an investigation of
Wachsmann’s work brings further information on how recent
technological development changed wood construction.
The aim is to propose a project for a new depot building for the
Ballenberg museum. My approach to solve this task is by
bringing together the information gathered from the analyzes of
swiss farming houses and the work of Konrad Wachsmann.
Through references and the project proposal, this paper
explains the reasons as to why timber returned as a relevant
building material and how new technology can transform the
traditional swiss structures, delivering an architecture that
relates to both tradition and the latest technical innovations.