Timber construction: Architecture that is responsible and forward-looking

For Delta Pods Architects, sustainable architecture does not begin with the choice of a particular building material. Rather, their holistic planning approach centres on the question of which construction method is the right one for the intended use, location, life cycle and architectural brief. Timber and timber-hybrid structures open up a wide range of possibilities: they allow for a high degree of prefabrication, can make construction processes more efficient and, at the same time, create spaces in which the materiality of the structure is immediately apparent.

As the internationally active architectural division of the DELTA Group, Delta Pods Architects combines architecture and general planning with digital planning, a focus on sustainability and a holistic view of the entire building life cycle. Timber construction is not viewed in isolation, but as part of an integrated solution that brings together design, functionality, cost-effectiveness and long-term added value.

Ried Hospital Campus: Learning with BauBuche

At the Ried Campus Hospital of the Sisters of Mercy, timber becomes a defining element of a learning and working environment within the healthcare sector. According to Delta Pods Architects, the Education Campus is the first timber-frame building to be realised using locally sourced BauBuche. The load-bearing structure made of BauBuche is complemented by a pre-weathered fir facade.

The high degree of prefabrication of the timber components enabled a reduction in construction time. At the same time, natural and regional materials create a pleasant learning environment for the approximately 220 pupils and students. The choice of materials was made in close consultation with the client and the planners involved, with the aim of striking a balance between environmental sustainability, cost-effectiveness and long-term operational efficiency. In 2025, the project was honoured with a BIG SEE Award.

Project: Campus of the Hospital of the Sisters of Mercy, Ried
Client: Hospital of the Sisters of Mercy, Ried
Architecture: Delta Pods Architects

dm distribution centre, Kronstorf: Large-scale timber-hybrid construction

The new dm distribution centre in Kronstorf demonstrates that timber construction is by no means limited to smaller buildings. Spanning around 43,000 m², it is one of the largest logistics projects in Austria. The timber-hybrid construction method and timber-frame façade are combined with PV systems, flat-plate collectors, structural thermal activation, green roofs and digital implementation using BIM.

DELTA is supporting the project with general planning, project and sustainability management, as well as construction supervision. The form of collaboration is also unique: the project is being realised according to the IPD model. The client, planners and contractors are working together in a spirit of partnership and transparency to jointly ensure quality, cost control and adherence to deadlines.

Project: dm distribution centre in Kronsdorf
Client: dm drogerie markt Austria
General planning: Delta Pods Architects / DELTA Group
Project and sustainability management, construction supervision: DELTA
Project delivery: IPD model

BOKU Vienna: Timber construction for research and teaching

The Ilse Wallentin House at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU) in Vienna marks the city’s first university building constructed from timber. The building was designed by Delta Pods Architects in collaboration with SWAP Architects for BIG – the Federal Real Estate Company. Around 78 per cent of the building is made of timber. Spanning approximately 3,100 m², it houses ten seminar rooms for 500 students, a library and departmental offices.

The project demonstrates how timber construction, flexible usability and a contemporary learning and research environment can be combined. The structural logic becomes part of the architectural expression. The building was honoured with the Green & Blue Building Award, amongst other accolades, for its consistent approach to sustainability.

Project: Ilse Wallentin House, BOKU Vienna
Client: BIG – Federal Real Estate Company
Architecture: Delta Pods Architects in collaboration with SWAP Architects

Seekirchen District Administration: Wood creates identity

The Seekirchen District Headquarters, also realised by Delta Pods Architects in collaboration with SWAP Architekten, demonstrates just how naturally wood can be used in public administrative buildings. Six timber cubes of varying heights form the new administrative complex for around 200 staff members. A key guiding principle was to make the structure and materials visible, thereby integrating them into the building’s identity.

Generous glazing and green spaces create a natural working environment, whilst a clear floor plan structure facilitates orientation, short walking distances and flexibility. Sustainability is reflected in the energy concept: local district heating, a ground collector and deep geothermal probes complement the structural approach. The building has been certified with ‘klimaaktiv Gold’ and nominated for the State Prize for architecture in 2024.

Project: Seekirchen District Headquarters
Client: State of Salzburg
Architecture: Delta Pods Architects in collaboration with SWAP Architekten

Timber construction today and tomorrow

This diversity is evident in current projects. It shows that, depending on the brief, timber can take on a wide variety of roles: as a structural system, as part of a hybrid solution, or as a deliberately chosen material to create atmosphere and identity.

At the new St. Barbara Hospice in Thalheim, timber, together with clay, is an essential component of an architectural concept designed to convey tranquillity, naturalness and a sense of security. The new building also combines sustainable materials with the deliberate preservation and further development of existing structures. Delta Pods Architects is overseeing the project from the study through to the planning stage and on to the Construction Supervision.

Timber is also being used in a targeted manner at the Freistadt Clinic. However, the project is deliberately not classified as a purely timber-framed building: due to the requirements of healthcare construction, the new building is designed as a reinforced concrete frame, whilst timber, amongst other things, defines the materiality of the façade. It is precisely this nuanced approach that demonstrates that the choice of building material must always be based on the specific brief.

With Bern.Dorf, on the other hand, timber construction forms part of a comprehensive brownfield regeneration project. For Berndorf Immobilien, Delta Pods Architects is planning a compact, four-storey office block for let, constructed using timber. Two-storey atriums create unobstructed views, encourage communication and ensure bright working environments. Within the DELTA Group, expertise ranging from brownfield development and architecture, through general planning and ECI management, to building physics and sustainability consulting is brought together.

Timber construction is not an end in itself

BOKU Vienna, BH Seekirchen, Campus Ried and dm Kronstorf represent four very different scales and uses. What they have in common is not a specific construction formula, but the question of how material, construction and architecture can create long-term added value.

For Delta Pods Architects, timber construction therefore does not mean using timber at any cost. The key is to use the material where its structural, ecological and atmospheric qualities create genuine added value.

This results in buildings where sustainability is not seen as an afterthought, but is integral to the architectural decision-making process from the outset. By taking a holistic view of use, construction, design, cost-effectiveness and the building’s life cycle, timber becomes a building block for architecture that works today and is designed with tomorrow in mind. BEYOND BUILDING.