Completed in 2020, the holiday residence blends unobtrusively into the tranquil Centovalli Valley in Ticino with its straightforward architecture. With open terraces and generous window fronts facing the park, the fanned-out new building impresses with its facade design made of anthracite-colored Maggia granite and brown wood composite. The innovative material was used not only on the facade but also on the terraces. The combination of the high-quality wood look with the material's typical properties of the Compact floorboards impressed both the commissioned architectural firm Bauer-Krieger and the clients.

The municipality of Losone in the Swiss canton of Ticino borders the urban areas of Ascona and Locarno and is located not far from Lake Maggiore. The elongated building, with a total of 25 apartments, is divided into eleven sleek, adjacent units. Each extends over three levels: two above ground and one at basement level. The living spaces face the adjacent golf course and the breathtaking landscape of the Terre di Pedemonte. Private gardens with direct access to the apartments and a large outdoor area are located on the first floor. The spacious open terraces nevertheless ensure privacy and discretion. The client placed particular emphasis on the use of high-quality materials in the interior design and the façade.

Wood composite materials for facades and terraces

"The client's requirements for a building with fine structure that should not appear massive," says architect Roger Bauer, "led to a filigree solution that divides the building into individual slabs." Inspired by the dry stone walls characteristic of northern Ticino, the pillars between the individual units were clad in anthracite-colored Maggia granite. The client had originally planned to use wood for the façade cladding in between. During a planning meeting, the architects, who had already used NaturinForm decking on several terraces for aesthetic and material-technical reasons, convinced him of the material's ease of maintenance and weather resistance. The characteristic mix of materials and colors of the façade is also reflected in the gray of the rocks and the brown of the earth of the Ticino landscape.

Compact from the Bavarian manufacturer's floorboard portfolio was also installed on the apartments' terraces and used as cladding for the floor ceilings. In the basement area, Compact was installed horizontally on an aluminum structure in front of the windows, with one layer in each gap, to ensure sufficient light penetration. On the facade, which is closed to the street, the wood composite materials occupy almost the entire front, interrupted only by vertical granite strips between the individual segments.

Uniform materiality of facade and floors

For architect Bauer, the uniform materiality of the exterior facades and floors was a stroke of luck, creating a sense of calm and harmony throughout the entire ensemble. The wood composite material from NaturinForm, which contrasts with the gray natural stone in terms of material and color, is a warm brown—a color that casts a subtle golden glow in the sun. The colors of the wood composite material "mature" in the first few months after installation and, like real wood, acquire a beautiful patina. This effect is created by the wood fibers, which, unlike wood, are kept in check by the lightfast color components of the high-quality plastic. This ensures that the selected color tone is retained over time, enhanced only by patina reflections.

Professional for sustainable outdoor surfaces

NaturinForm specializes in intelligent solutions for outdoor flooring and profiles. The wood composite materials are manufactured at the plant in Redwitz an der Rodach, Upper Franconia: a material that combines the visual properties of traditional construction timber with the durability of a technical polymer. During production, the wood fibers are combined with an environmentally friendly, single-variety thermoplastic polymer in such a way that it forms a protective coating around each individual fiber. Because the polymer itself is completely water-repellent, no water can penetrate the finished plank – while retaining the visual and thermal properties of wood. A major advantage for areas around damp and wet areas: the material does not swell or rot, nor does it splinter or become slippery. Municipalities and public investors, who are increasingly demanding sustainable products in their tenders, therefore prefer NaturinForm.

Climate-neutral production and resource conservation

Climate protection and resource conservation are top priorities for the manufacturer. For the certified climate-neutral production of its wood composite materials, the Franconian company relies exclusively on wood fibers from domestic and sustainable forestry (PEFC-certified wood suppliers). This means no additional trees are felled for this process; the wood fibers are a byproduct of the wood processing industry. All products are also 100 percent recyclable; after use, the company takes back the boards after inspection and returns them to the production process.

All NaturinForm floorboards and façade profiles are subject to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) prepared in accordance with international standards. All products are continuously subjected to quality controls and stress tests to ensure consistently flawless and first-class wood-based material quality. The company offers a five-year warranty on its products.