New construction/renovation of the Mühleareal building complex, Herbligen BE

The project
The mill area with the listed mill consisted, like the farms, of very different volumes. Due to the abandonment of the mill and a transitional period without commercial activity, a kind of industrial wasteland was created. A new center for Herbligen was to be built on this industrial wasteland. In an invited competition, the project of Aebi Vincent Architects from Bern prevailed. It unites an ensemble consisting of a five-story apartment building and 2 x 3 terraced single-family houses grouped around the existing mill building.

The construction
The old mill once consisted of a residential and an economic part, united under one roof. In the southern part, the existing apartments were gently converted, while in the northern part modern, clearly structured units were created. In both parts of the building, the attic apartments are duplexes. The original exterior appearance of the mill building was meticulously reconstructed and structurally restored. The construction of the new buildings is made of wood from the first floor upwards. The buildings have Minergie standard and controlled ventilation. Wood-concrete composite ceilings and wood-frame walls are used to achieve the acoustic and fire protection requirements. The base is made of exposed concrete, the facades are clad with horizontal larch wood slats.