Architects: modostudio
Area: 1450 m²
Year: 2014
Photography: Laura Egger
Project Team: Fabio Cibinel, Roberto Laurenti, Giorgio Martocchia
Construction: Kargruber-Stoll GmbH
Structural Engineering: Gilberto Sarti
Mechanical Engineering and Klimahaus Consultant: Thomas Dissertori, Alberto Micheletti
Wooden Structure and Wooden Floor: Thoma Holz GmbH
Special Automations: Meccatronica D.B.D. SRL
City: Laives
Country: Italy
Elisabeth and Helmut Uhl Foundation, designed by modostudio in Laives, Bolzano, achieved completion in 2014. Originating from a 2009 international architectural competition, this project blends local traditions with innovative technologies. The foundation’s buildings serve both research and residential purposes, harmonizing with the natural landscapes while emphasizing the visual connections between interior spaces and the environment.
The Elisabeth and Helmut Uhl Foundation project stemmed from a restricted international architectural competition in 2009, involving fifteen architectural teams from Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. The jury included notable figures like Prof. Thomas Herzog, Prof. Andrea Vidotto, Prof. Vittorio Magnano Lampugnani, and Prof. Herman Kaufmann. The competition aimed to design a building for the cultural and research foundation.
Situated in Laives, near Bolzano, the building enjoys a panoramic mountain view and a scenic landscape. The project preserved the environment by maintaining the footprint of the previous buildings, now demolished.
The project comprises two building: the main foundation building and an adjacent residential structure.
The foundation building features various architectural volumes a transparent glass and steel volume for research activities, a wood-clad volume for leisure and dining, and a lower section housing support areas and a wine cellar.
The design expresses the site’s orographic characteristic and the foundation’s function, emphasizing visual connections between interiors and the external environment. It integrates local traditions with technological innovation, balancing work and living spaces. The buildings protect guests from harsh climates while offering the benefits of the surrounding environment and views.
Materials from demolished structures were reused, including hand-cut larch shingles, traditional plaster, and porphyry stones, creating a dialogue with the region’s history and culture.
Innovative technologies include Thoma wood structural panels in the foundation’s lower part and a sophisticated window system in the upper volume.
The building is classified as Casaclima A, featuring a unique system that uses hot air from the glass volume instead of controlled indoor ventilation. A thermally insulated 20,000-liter tank, solar heating, and a biomass boiler support the complex’s radiant floor heating.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Laives, Bolzano-Bozen 39055, Italy
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
