Hirben Naturlaub resort
Made of 100 per cent wood
At the Hirben Naturlaub resort in South Tyrol, it’s all right to be superstitious – in fact, the eco-friendly timber building, constructed in 2016, really invites visitors to “knock on wood”. The owners, the Stoll family, think of their property not only as a place to live, but first and foremost as an oasis of well-being, and in line with their personal philosophy, they chose 100 per cent local, solid wood for the extension of the existing structure. This sustainable building material is not only a real eye-catcher from the outside, but the scent of wood and the warm, untreated surfaces also transform the rooms and common areas into an inviting temporary home.
In the course of the planning process, Dominik Rieder from Baukraft Architektur in Brixen chose local larch for the façade and spruce from the region for the structural components, leaving the walls exposed. For the furnishings, architect Ambra Piccin opted for old-growth spruce while largely avoiding plastics. In addition to 24 new holiday flats, the extension also includes a new reception and kitchen as well as an additional yoga room and the new rooftop Panorama Restaurant & ALPINE Taste Bar, complete with sun terrace. Unsurprisingly, wood chips are used for heating.
The fact that Hirben can now call itself one of the few wooden hotels in the region is also thanks to Erhard Stoll, THEURL’s round-wood buyer in the South Tyrol area. All the natural materials come directly from the Pustertal valley, meaning the transport routes were extremely short. THEURL supplied 35 m³ of glulam and 700 m³ of CLTPLUS for the project, both in industrial quality. Five-layer elements were used for the walls and seven-layer panels for the ceilings.
Thanks to precise planning, the carpenter on site was able to complete the construction in just 17 days – including taking in one or two admiring views of the surrounding Dolomite Mountains, of course.
Erhard Stoll, THEURL round-wood buyer in the South Tyrol area & hotel owner
„Wood is honest, real and easy-going. And that’s exactly what I expect from my partners, too. It was obvious to me that Theurl would live up to this expectation, especially since we’ve had a great working relationship for years. It’s therefore no coincidence that the wooden walls of our extension come from Theurl. The product is great, exactly what we needed for our sustainably built property. A beautiful piece of nature for indoors – a strong product, through and through.“
