At this year’s Climate Festival, we had the opportunity to offer a special glimpse into one of our most defining projects: the K4 Institute Building for Polymer Research. In a joint presentation, Jürgen Naverschnigg, one of our lead architects on the project, and Willi Kayser from Fabromont discussed the building’s development, unique features, and the lessons learned during the creation of this extraordinary structure.
A building that thrives on participation
K4 impressively demonstrates how architecture has the greatest impact when users are actively involved. The well-thought-out structure, the diverse mix of uses, and especially the high level of participation during planning and implementation led to remarkable acceptance. Feedback to this day reflects high satisfaction and a daily sense of connection to the building.
Material selection with thematic relevance
For the library, offices, and residential areas, Kugelgarn carpet was used for reasons of comfort and functionality. The response was fascinating: due to the connection to the theme of “polymer,” users demonstrated a surprisingly strong affinity for the material—a small detail with a big impact.
Thinking Ahead and Continuing to Develop
Even though we are proud of the result, we take a critical look back at our decisions. Today, we would rely even more consistently on renewable building materials like wood. The experience from K4 has once again confirmed to us how important it is not only to consider sustainable solutions, but to actively promote them.
True to the motto: Never stop exploring.
We would like to thank the Climate Festival for the excellent organization and all participants for their attendance and the inspiring discussions on-site.
