Holzner & Bertagnolli Engineering HQ: to make structures visible

HOLZNER & BERTAGNOLLI ENGINEERING The internationally active engineering company "Holzner & Bertagnolli Engineering" is a well-known expert in structural design and geotechnics. The design for the new company headquarters was to make the company's core competence, the structural engineering of concrete structures on the most difficult terrain, visible from the outside. Pichler Architects successfully tackled this task and found an elegant solution: In Lana (BZ), a three-storey building now rises up with emphatically clear, purist lines that does not hide its load-bearing structure but brings it directly into view. Reinforced concrete and glass are the main materials of the structure, whose façade appears light and permeable despite its weight. High-quality exposed concrete also deliberately dominates the interior design. The 50 employees gain a lot of daylight and ingenious visual axes through the large glass surfaces. For all its visual simplicity, a wealth of technical details ensures special working comfort under the climate-friendly green roof. According to Klaus Gummerer (Pichler Architects), the building was planned "from the outside in". The site dictated the shape of the building. The basic idea was to place the load-bearing reinforced concrete skeleton on the outside without cladding. 11-metre-high, jointless concrete columns not only support the structure but, together with the glass surfaces, are the main element of the visual design. Among other things, the covered outdoor area, which was gained through a support-free cantilever and makes the company's main entrance accessible from the car park on dry feet, proves to be a masterpiece of structural engineering. The reception area, around which light-flooded offices and conference rooms are grouped, is spacious and open. Daylight enters the building not only through the façade windows, but also via a large atrium. Untreated wood-fibre boards on the ceilings provide sound absorption and, as a further reminiscence of the clients' core business, bring a bit of "construction site atmosphere" into the rooms. Otherwise, the ceilings and floors are dominated by fine exposed concrete in a light grey colour, with the façade windows on the inside radiating a sense of homeliness through larch wood reveals. At the same time as planning the exterior structure, Pichler Architects tackled the technical equipment of the building. The pipes of the heating-cooling system were integrated right into the ceilings. In this way, the ceilings give off heat or cooling directly to the air in the room, as required. A pleasant interplay of light, room climate, and acoustics was particularly important to the clients in order to create a friendly, productive atmosphere. A sophisticated lighting system adapted to daylight was integrated. Ergonomic, height-adjustable office furniture rounds off the healthy working environment at Holzner & Bertagnolli Engineering. Around a central atrium, the building is accessed by stairs whose concrete steps were clamped into the lift shaft without supports. This gives the stairwell an optical lightness and presents the versatility of the material used. The banisters once again allude to the working world of the engineering company Holzner & Bertagnolli Engineering: Powder-coated metal frames span rock safety nets made of stainless steel. Up to 70 employees can be accommodated in the new company headquarters, which comprises three floors visible above ground and an underground level. On the ground floor, a simply elegant multifunctional room with a black ceiling and separable shelving serves as a staff lounge that can be quickly transformed into a conference room or lecture hall if required. Centrally located on the first floor is the internal meeting room between the two offices of the company management. The corridor area, on the other hand, is open-plan and includes a library with seating. Views down to the reception area open up from each floor. Thus, another important concern of the company takes visible shape in the new company headquarters: Openness, communication, and encounter.