Braunger Wörtz Architekten

Description

The new building for the Palliativdienst Mittelschwaben is sensitively situated on a meadow on the outskirts of Weissenhorn, nestled amongst tall mature trees. The ecologically valuable landscape is preserved, offering users strength and inner peace. The centre provides outpatient care for the terminally ill and their families on their final journey. The aim was to create a place of simplicity and tranquillity, a place of warmth that offers support, strength and serenity to all carers and relatives, like a nest. A simple wooden building emerged – prefabricated, single-material, without any surface treatments – completely natural. The entrance area features open consultation and meeting rooms for seminars, separable by curtains, with retreat and relaxation areas indoors and outdoors for staff. On the upper floor is an open-plan office area with workstations and communication islands, and at the centre facing the open meadow a farewell and memorial space. The uniform timber grid structure, combined with prefabricated timber panel construction, allowed for a short construction period that minimally impacts the surroundings. The truss structure with timber columns allows flexible use. All building materials were used in their pure form, i.e., separable in line with the circular economy principle. All surfaces were installed untreated – rough-sawn silver fir inside and out, and natural felt as acoustic insulation.