öko skin Facade for bivouac in the Slovenian Alps in collaboration with Harvard and Ofis architects.
Within the framework of an architecture seminar at Harvard University, different designs for the construction of a safe, long-lasting, and architecturally appealing bivouac – a refuge – emerged in the high alpine terrain. Inspired by the traditional alpine architecture, which offers a rich and diverse architectural heritage, they elaborated twelve proposals that met all the site conditions, material requirements, and programmatic considerations.
The search for a suitable material for the facade that meets the strict weather conditions as well as the requirements for environmentally-friendly and resource-saving products and is also aesthetically pleasing in the environment led the project team to Rieder. In September last year, company owner Wolfgang Rieder was invited as a speaker to the GSD Talks at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge to discuss innovations and interdisciplinary changes in architecture.
“It has always been our concern to take on problems in the world of architecture and to find solutions together with architects and planners,” said Wolfgang Rieder, commenting on the cooperation between industry, university, architects, and executives. His invitation to a practical workshop and a visit to the Rieder production facility in Kolbermoor attracted the students to further develop their project work “HOUSING IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS”.
In cooperation with Rok Oman and Spela Videcnik of OFIS Architekten, a design was chosen to be realized as a bivouac on the mountain of Skuta in the Steiner Alps in Slovenia. Rieder supported the students in the design and realization of the shelter at 2.118 meters above sea level in the Slovenian Alps. The envelope of the exposed shelter was created with öko skin glassfibre reinforced concrete since it offers a high-resistance envelope for extreme temperature fluctuations. The comparatively low weight of the only 13 mm thin plates, a high degree of pre-fabrication, and quick assembly were important for the erection on the mountain by means of helicopters. In addition, the silvergrey color of the plates fit well into the environment. More information:
