Architectural gem in American style

“Man proposes, life disposes,” thought architect Stefan Knabel from the “maaars architecture” studio in Innsbruck when, after successfully submitting all application permits, he stood in Seefeld a month before the construction of a residential building was to begin. Knabel’s architectural studio specializes in wooden constructions. However, shortly before the work was to commence, he decided to dissuade the investor, who resides in the United States, from maintaining the demanding wood and proposed a maintenance-free PREFA FX.12 roof and facade panel, characterized by long durability, weather resistance, and a unique design with a robust construction. “The central element of the whole project is the play with stone. Therefore, together with the investor, we set out to find something less conventional yet sufficiently contrasting as a supplementary material. Based on a professional consultation with the project developer at PREFA, Mr. Harald Kronthaler, we found the perfect material in the form of aluminum panels,” adds Knabel.

Minus 20 degrees – no obstacle for FX.12
The roof panels are laid over an area of 280 m2 and the facade panels over an area of 320 m2. The entrance gate, garage, and garden doors were also clad with panels in a sandy shade. “A significant challenge ultimately was how precisely the roofer would process the materials at considerably low winter temperatures down to minus 20 degrees. Workers often felt as if they were in a freezer, but for our products, it was no problem,” says project developer Mr. Kronthaler at PREFA. Plastic tarps covered the construction site and heating cannons were installed. In just eight weeks, most of the work was completed, including the installation of windows and roof gutters.

PREFA know-how in the mountains
“Aluminum roofing has proven itself in high mountain landscapes for many years. We have carried out dozens of realizations, including chalets located at high altitudes, as well as those on mountain pastures, among them the highest chalets in Austria, the chalets of Archduke Johann,” says Harald Kronthaler. One of the decisive roles in the selection of material in Seefeld was the extreme temperature fluctuation and significant snow load – Seefeld is one of the coldest places in Tyrol and, at altitudes above 1,000 meters, faces literally meter-deep snowfalls every year. The malleable aluminum small-format panels bravely handle large temperature fluctuations as well as snow. At the same time, they allow roofers to play with the roof down to the smallest detail, such as the subtle integration of gutters and eaves into the entire structure of the roof and facade.

Alpine play of light and shadow
The design of panel FX.12 was crucial for the investor's choice. With the monolithic appearance of the residential building and the open, light-filled spaces, featuring a private wellness area and a living hall of almost six meters high, she was convinced by the “living facade.” “The appearance changes literally from morning to evening. The play of light and shadow on the futuristically appearing surface arises due to the longitudinal and transverse breaks in the surface of the FX.12 panels. The result is an asymmetrical and entirely unique appearance of the building,” describes PREFA consultant Manfred Ossanna. In choosing colors, the investor opted for sandy, which perfectly adapts to the dreamlike surroundings and the monolithic appearance of the building. “In total, seven natural color shades belong to the new P.10 color palette, including sandy. This durable paint further enhances the reliability of aluminum and perfectly protects roofs and facades against UV radiation and other environmental influences,” adds Mr. Ossanna.

Warm natural shell in cold Tyrol
The mountain style of the residential building, perfectly integrated into the surrounding landscape, is convincing (it appears completely natural/authentic). “In the realization, we created a connection between the ruggedness of the surrounding area and the finesse of the roofing work,” says architect Knabel. Another important detail for the functionality of the building in cold climates is the structure and design of the roof and facade with rear ventilation. The use of panel FX.12 allows for a ventilated facade, which enables excellent insulation and drainage of excess moisture from the building, thus creating exemplary and natural insulation providing an optimal indoor climate. A wooden substructure was mounted onto the concrete wall, into which thermal insulation 200 mm thick was mechanically anchored using disc dowels. A vapor-permeable membrane was then installed. A ventilated gap was created by adding battens 50 mm wide, onto which solid board sheathing 24 mm thick was installed. Finally, the facade panel FX.12 was installed on the sheathing.

Architect's Recommendation
“The residential building in Seefeld is one of the first in Tyrol whose roof was fully covered and whose facade was clad with a product from PREFA, the FX.12 panel. The sandy-colored material perfectly resembles the look of stone, and its robustness, long lifespan, and resistance to weather influences can easily compete with the properties of stone. Moreover, there are minimal materials with which buildings can be clad in winter under extreme and almost arctic temperatures,” Stefan Knabel and Andreas Hausbacher, maaars architecture.

Building Data:
Location: Tyrolean Alps, Seefeld area
Building: family house
Construction: March 2012 to June 2013
Area: roof area approx. 280 m2, facade approx. 320 m2
Architect: maaars architecture, Innsbruck
Roofer: Roofing company HANGL Christoph, Telfs

PREFA product range facade panel FX.12:
Brief description: FX.12 – a unique roof and facade panel that enables exceptionally futuristic design with its longitudinal and transverse breaks in the surface. With two different sizes and the corresponding asymmetric appearance, the appearance of every house can be individually accentuated. This product received the main award for the best exhibit at the Roofs Prague 2012 fair, titled "Golden Tile 2012" in the area of innovation, interesting technical solution, progressiveness, and extraordinary quality at an acceptable price.
Material: aluminum with a two-coat baked enamel, thickness 0.7 mm
Dimensions: 1400 x 420 mm and 700 x 420 mm
Weight: 2.3 kg/m2
Colors P.10: dark brown, anthracite, brick red, dark red, light gray, sandy, slate
Technical sophistication: The standing angle groove serves multiple functions simultaneously: 1. optimally protects against leaking in heavy rain and moisture, 2. eliminates material expansion during temperature changes, improves self-cleaning of the surface thanks to easy washing away of dirt.