Wood was widely used in traditional architecture in the Alps due to its availability and workability, which allowed it to meet the residential and construction needs of the agro-silvopastoral activities of the rural Alpine world. These simple yet sophisticated log constructions, alongside some stone structures, built the vernacular Alpine landscape. It is precisely this representation of rural construction that was decisive in shaping the images and imaginaries of the Alps throughout the 19th century. Noteworthy are the Swiss-German treatises on the subject, starting from the works of Jakob Hochstetter and Ernst Gladbach and culminating in Jakob Hunziker’s great eight-volume work dedicated to Das Schweizerhaus.
The Alpine environment can be understood as a place where environmental, economic, and sociocultural issues intertwine, which, combined with construction and building site requirements, led to the flourishing of project experimentation throughout the 20th century. This experimentation was mainly aimed at reinventing the Holzbau construction technique, oriented towards technological innovation and resolving the issue of prefabrication. Swiss-German research of the 1930s is emblematic of this experimentation, from Konrad Wachsmann to Paul Artaria and once again Clemens Holzmeister, which opened critical reflections on wood construction that still resonate in contemporary architectural production.
Wood construction is currently experiencing a significant paradigm shift. The beginning of the 21st century has seen an increase in technological innovation, the development of material research, and the optimisation of processes, accompanied by a growing awareness of the impact of the construction sector. However, contemporary wood construction are simultaneously experiencing a long process of affirmation that often clashes, on the one hand, with scepticism towards the material and, on the other, a stereotypical and sometimes romantic image of wood construction that alludes to the vernacular.
Discussing wood as a construction material is at the very least necessary today, as it is a plentiful, renewable resource in the Alpine and pre-Alpine areas, and, as Mario Cereghini reminds us, it is also a strategic and compelling resource in terms of its economic impact and ecological benefits, two factors that should be at the centre of the construction of a contemporary architectural identity.
This issue of Archalp, focused on the topics briefly outlined above, attempts to provide an overview of wood architectural production in the Alpine territory by examining the entire production chain. From forest policies that place forest resources at the centre of regional and national economies, mainly referring to Italy, to a review of architectures built along the Alpine arc, alternating with in-depth looks at specific themes–from cultural issues affecting wood construction in recent years, discussed in an interview with Hermann Kaufmann, to wood construction awards, the digitalisation of processes, and the themes of training and research. The issue closes with a section dedicated to technique, offering thorough analyses of historical Alpine architecture, from the central Alps to the Dolomitic landscapes, and questioning what architectural and figurative elements characterise wood constructions by observing the opportunities they present.
