The Aesthetics of Ecology.
The Schwendi plant is designed as two structures. A long shed parallel to the slope houses a loading dock where organic materials are sorted and mixed. From the shed, materials are transported on a slow-moving underground track to the glass cube where combustion takes place. Heat for the client’s sawmill and a nearby hospital and electricity for 1,450 single-family houses are produced using an Organic Rankine Cycle machine.
A circular exterior screen made of intersecting larch posts veils the top half of the cube. This structure softens the glass’s reflection and glare, provides shading and adds a natural contrast to the cube’s industrial surfaces. The larch is nano-impregnated to prevent moisture absorption and preserve the wood’s reddish-brown color.
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