Blumer Lehmann won the general contractor competition as full-service contractor for a new federal asylum centre with a processing facility in Altstätten. Ruprecht Architekten designed the complex with two timber constructions and a courtyard. The jury were particularly impressed by the systematic division to form separate buildings for the dormitory, the administrative wing and daily activities.
The facility can accommodate close to 400 asylum seekers and has over 100 workstations for employees of the State Secretariat for Migration and International Affairs. The dormitory, the administrative wing and a single-storey pavilion for meals and activities together form a homely complex with a village feel, meeting spaces and private areas.
The timber construction’s high level of prefabrication results in short building times with low primary energy values. There’s also plenty of timber visible on the outside of the structures: The open facade is made of Swiss spruce/fir. The timber also creates a pleasant indoor atmosphere and regional value.
