Expansion of the Loogarten Foundation Care Center, Esslingen

The project
For this two-story addition, Timbatec was responsible for the fire protection, structural engineering, and building physics aspects of the project. The requirements for the construction project were diverse and demanding: The use of TS3 technology, fire protection solutions with encapsulated cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors and walls, as well as fulfilling the client’s request to source the approximately 2,000 m³ of wood required from the forests of the surrounding municipalities of Küsnacht, Erlenbach, Herrliberg, and Egg. This required a three-part tender for the forestry operation (timber procurement), the timber industry (sawing and further processing), and the timber builder—a collaboration that combined technology, logistics, and regionality.

The construction method
TS3 technology was used for the addition, in which cross-laminated timber panels are bonded lengthwise and end-to-end with cast resin. This creates solid, biaxially load-bearing floor slabs that transfer loads precisely and efficiently to the load-bearing walls and columns of the existing solid-construction floors—this construction method is characterized by its high load-bearing capacity and enables slender timber structures.

The challenge
The use of locally sourced wood required separate bids from the forestry department, the wood processing industry, and the timber contractor (generally involving slightly more planning effort). On-site, enclosed timber components in the areas where ceiling joints meet had to be modified to meet fire safety requirements.