House in Hittisau

This all-timber house in post-and-rail construction accommodates two dwelling units. The southern part contains the client’s own two-storey maisonette; the northern section, divided off by the staircase, can be used as an independent flat. The two dwellings can be easily joined. On the ground floor are ancillary spaces and a small shop. All visible surfaces consist of native, untreated silver fir, reflecting the building tradition of the region. Neither slab materials nor vapour barriers were used; good-quality, dry wood needs no further protection. The small external projections on each floor and the continuous protruding sills, in which the window shutters slide, are a constructional means of shielding the facade.