(cm) Within the framework of the wood promotion programme "holz21“ SAEFL (the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape) launched a competition this year in order to generate new and surprising ideas on ways to combine wood with other materials, such as steel (1). At the Swiss "HausBau und Minergiemesse" in Berne last Thursday, nine of the 139 entries received awards of 10,000 Swiss francs. Two of the successful teams came from ETH Zurich's Department of Architecture.

Thanks to digital and student power

The group "designtoproduction“ from the ETH Chair of CAAD with incumbent Ludger Hovestadt received one prize for its "3-D optimised production chain in wood construction“ (2). One of these led to the exhibition platform "Inventioneering Architecture", currently on show in the USA, which represents Switzerland's four architectural colleges and universities (3). With "Futuropolis“, digital production specialists from ETH re-created a sculpture by Daniel Libeskind (4). This served as an inspiration for a workshop at the University of St Gallen. Another piece of work, a pavilion, which was done for the exhibition "Swissbau 2005“ in Basle, was also entered for the competition (5).

The ETH Chair of Professor Andrea Deplazes also received an award in Berne (6) for its contribution entitled "Wood Works“. During a seminar week in 2003 participants created a wooden bird observation station with several domes for the Nature Park Balaton in Hungary using firewood domes (7).

Interesting because of diverse planning processes

In a media release from the Association of Swiss Engineers and Architects (SIA) concerning the award the ETH projects were set in contrast to eachother as follows: "Two of the winning projects show in very different and therefore very interesting manners unusual planning. A computer driven design process even persuaded the famous US architect, Daniel Libeskind, to collaborate. Very different, on the other hand, is the temporary wooden bird observation station made of firewood and created by students from ETH Zurich that was erected within four days in a nature protection area in Hungary. This project provided young people with the means of directly experiencing the possibilities of working with wood.“

Overall the organising heads of the promotion programme holz21 from BUWAL consider this first such idea-seeking event to have been a success. This is why a second competition is planned for 2006 calling for further new ideas concerning wood and entitled, "Neue Horizonte – Ideenpool holz21". Competition details will be published and distributed in the first quarter of next year in the specialised press and via mailing. Perhaps ETH Zurich will be able to display its expertise once again.