a+u Architecture and Urbanism 22:02_617

The February issue of a+u features the work of Bernardo Bader, who has stayed close to his roots in Austria’s picturesque Vorarlberg region his entire life. Since establishing his studio in 2003, the architect has rapidly accumulated a stunning oeuvre in the villages and valleys of the Bregenzerwald. Each of the 60 felled spruces, firs, and elm trees used in the House by the Fens was accounted for in its entirety – becoming the building’s structure, walls, and furniture. Clay excavated on-site was pressed and air-dried into bricks. This act of “doing,” a stringency and devotion, expresses the character of the region. While his buildings may look ordinary at first sight, as though they have belonged exactly where they are since time immemorial, they exude contemporaneity, lightness, and youth. The…

The thing that stands out about Bernardo Bader’s buildings is that they are conventional. They appear different from other buildings according to their location or conceptualization, yet they do not convey a style, so much as (and primarily) an attitude. They seek a dialogue with the history of the area, respond to the individual stories of the clients. They react to the landscape as well as to the architectural context, embed themselves in it either cautiously or self-confidently without desiring to appear pretentious, and are characterized by the demand for good craft and sustainable materials, so they can age gracefully. Above all, however, they not only appeal to the eye, or to the gaze of the camera, but they also wish to make contact with the physical form of their…

The Last House in the Village The place where I was born, raised a family, and then had the opportunity to erect a residential and studio building was to reflect the values of all involved. This aspiration required both distance and closeness, distinctly expressed by the house itself. Our grandfather had reassigned a large, wet bedding meadow bordering the woods for building. The new structure constituted the western border of the settlement, and while we have not exhausted the entire range of possibilities, there are no plans to build more in the future. Scaled back to the prototypical idea of a longhouse with a longitudinal pitched roof, the edifice architecturally accentuates the foreground, the reception area and entrance, the midsection, and the background. Spatially it delineates the hamlet that faces the adjoining…

A Final Resting Place Islamic Cemetery in Altach is open to all Muslims from all the municipalities of Vorarlberg. To meet specific requirements, we consulted a specially appointed working group, and imams from Vorarlberg were consulted during the planning phase. Apart from orientation toward Mecca and the ritual wash, grave burial is mandatory in Islam. Burial itself is a very simple ceremony, and it is not customary to frequently visit the deceased because Muslims are expected to let go and have faith that the dead will be well in the afterlife. The chosen design offers an open and clearly structured layout and pragmatically nestles the cemetery into the landscape, displaying only sparingly used symbols. Regardless of religious orientation, nearly all burial sites reflect the “primordial garden,” characterized by the cultivation of its…

A Well-Tempered Courtyard House The level corner plot borders a growing settlement on the edge of the municipality of Sulz. It consists of small allotments in the transition from development to a green agricultural zone, surrounded by highly frequented walking paths that lead to the nearby recreational area along the Frutz River. With an unwavering focus on fostering a high-quality lifestyle on a relatively small plot, the design uses a closed courtyard to shield the house from external views. The result is an engaging alternative to the typical single-family home along the Rhine valley in Vorarlberg, with its 3-meter “residual green space” and do-it-yourself landscaping. Striving to provide convincing solutions for future densification, the house subtly echoes the themes of agricultural buildings, in which the courtyard also appears to seamlessly merge with…

Reuse, Recycle, and Reshape This single-storey house, with its gable roof and minimal, formal language, is sensitively integrated into the Vorarlberg landscape of Austria. It stands on a site that has been in the possession of the same family for generations. Initially the intention was simply to refurbish the existing building, but when its poor condition became apparent, the clients were compelled to demolish the old farmhouse. It was taken apart with the greatest of care, and the components were laid bare and incorporated into the new structure wherever possible. The present single-family house, similar in shape and size to the former building, exploits the functional advantages of the Bregenz Forest type. All spaces – living rooms, garage, terraces, and the others – are contained within an outer skin of white fir…