Addition of storey to apartment house Bruhin, Pfäffikon SZ

The project
The unique feature of the existing building was that the architects had already taken into account the value of a generous combination of outdoor/indoor space at that time. This resulted in a building with extensive south-facing glazing. The load transfer points of the existing concrete ceiling were to be as slender and unobtrusive as possible. This was achieved with steel columns.

The construction
Furthermore, no loads were to be transferred into the lintel area of the existing windows. This was achieved by load distribution strips, which distribute the roof load already in the upper area of the exterior wall to certain mullions outside the existing windows. The exterior walls in timber frame construction are internally covered with OSB boards 15 mm and gypsum plaster boards 15 mm. The exterior walls in timber frame construction are insulated and additionally covered with plastered exterior insulation. The green roof is designed as a simple rafter layer with three-layer panels and sloped insulation.

The challenge
A particular challenge of the new building was to distribute the loads in such a way that no disturbing supports were created in the interior of the room and in the generous south-facing glazing. Nevertheless, the loads had to be transferred precisely to the existing transfer points.