NÖN: Last year, as an architectural firm, you started a process that took a closer look at the direction of the office. What did this one look like?
Martin Pichler: It started with the fact that we actually just wanted to create a new homepage in January 2023. That then led to a process that lasted until July, during which we not only created a new website, but also thought a lot about our direction again.
Stefan Wedl: We asked ourselves what is actually important to us as an office, what we have done in the last few years, what we enjoy. And that’s where the work on existing objects clearly emerged. In 2022 alone, 80 percent of our projects were existing properties.
What is special about working with existing objects?
Pichler: The fascinating thing is that even back then these objects were usually built to a very high quality. You realize that not everything is worth throwing away, but that with a few measures you can often preserve the object very well. When you renovate existing properties, you really feel the sustainability, you don’t have to be a scientist to do that. The sustainable use of resources is particularly important to us in residential construction.
According to: What you also notice in the inventory is the reduction to a few materials, simply because there wasn’t that much available back then. There aren’t a hundred different plastics to be found there. This reduction to the essentials is fun and enjoyable.
You also describe your focus as “architecture with a sense of the essential”. What is this sense of essence?
Pichler: The main thing is to look at what is essential that people really need to live, work and ultimately live. The industry often goes too far or loses sight of this essential point. It’s not just about protecting the environment, but also about recognizing that we are part of the whole system. To create and have an awareness that we are part of a whole. In practice it looks like this: we communicate with a private builder and ask, for example, whether the double garage is really needed, whether it is really necessary to push the limits of our own resources. Single-family homes are actually no longer up to date; we need new forms of housing that are more resource-efficient. Where we can cover our needs with very individual solutions. We implemented such a community housing project in Waidhofen an der Ybbs in 2021, which was also awarded the Golden Kelle.
What else is important when it comes to housing?
Pichler: Living needs to be rethought in terms of functions, sizes and common areas. We have to think in a much more integrated way. The goal is to make living spaces much more flexible. Age-appropriate housing also needs to be promoted more, as does the mixing of generations.
According to: Resource-saving construction is also important with regard to future generations. If the object is adaptable and customizable, that’s great. And then, of course, always ask yourself how you can become even more sustainable and innovative.
Where do you get your inspiration for new projects?
According to: For example, we recently went on a three-day company trip to Vorarlberg with the entire team. There we looked at innovative projects – especially clay buildings and working with clay. There are a lot of innovative ideas in the West. We looked at how you can make prefabricated parts out of rammed earth – so you can basically reuse the excavated material on site. This is currently still very expensive, but if it becomes widespread and mass-produced, it will be a great innovation. It is always inspiring to exchange ideas with other experts.
The renovation of the district court in Waidhofen an der Ybbs, which you planned, took second place in the Lower Austrian Construction Prize 2022. What is special about this project? Pichler: This renovation, reduced to the essentials, succeeded in preserving the listed building and integrating new features without major changes. This doesn’t sound particularly complicated, but it is a challenge in its own right. What’s really special here is that the developers didn’t shy away from monument protection and simply built a new building, but actually ensured that the court can continue to function in the existing building in the center.
The remote work center of the start-up Emma Wanderer Alps is located in Hieflau, and the entire area can be rented including tiny houses.
Photo:
w30
Another passion project is the remote work center of the start-up “Emma Wanderer Alps” in Hieflau…
Pichler: Yes, this is a really great and innovative project that we just completed this year. Hieflau im Eisenerz is not a region that is very vibrant. That’s why the start-up had the idea of creating a space for co-working here – and combining the whole thing with the idea of van life. A community center has been built on the disused football field, offering various opportunities for work and community. The area can be rented, people live in tiny houses or can sleep in the attached van parking lot. And all of this is in the middle of nature. We are very proud of this project because it has activated unused land and an entire region.