Community Center Caltron

Design: The municipality of Cles launched an architectural design competition, limited to young architects below the age of 35, for a new community center in its Caltron ward. The winning design offered a generous space for events and get-togethers, serving as a link between the settlement and the cultivated landscape it is surrounded with.

Wood: The building architecturally continues the impression of the landscape, formed by its neighboring apple orchards. The facade slats are ordered vertically, with cross-laminated timber pillars figuring prominently in the appearance of the building. The basement level, built into the mountainside, houses the parking and house technique, while the overground floors are home to the community rooms. They are built almost entirely out of larch wood.

Energy: The top floor is unheated. The glazing of the valley-facing facade only reaches parapet height, resulting in a pleasantly airy sense of room. This refers to the local building culture the architect drew on, typically featuring brick-built basement floors, timber structures, and an open top floor. The building draws its electrical energy from a photovoltaics installation placed on the roof of the neighboring gym.