The beautiful hotel complex, ideally situated in the Wilder Kaiser, comprises four rustic lodges built of larch and spruce, and features a remarkable design concept. Winter sports enthusiasts who come here are rewarded by the perfect combination of comfort and convenience in the form of a direct link with the valley cable car station. At the same time, they can enjoy a range of options for rest and relaxation. While the natural construction in a modern alpine style creates a cosy yet stylish feel-good atmosphere, it requires special protection against moisture due to the heavy precipitation that defines the region’s weather. This task is effortlessly handled by the Stabile Air façade channels from Richard Brink GmbH & Co. AG at the interfaces with the wooden façade.
Environmentally friendly and protected
The concept of Tirol Lodge is based on a purely environmentally friendly timber construction. The design of the foundations took careful planning and implementation in order to protect the outer walls. In particular, precise drainage measures are required in places where the outdoor area is flush with or less than 30 cm from the façades. Given the specific weather conditions at the site and the recent increase in annual rainfall in the Alps, Tirol Lodge Bergbahnen Ellmau-Going Touristik GmbH set out some clear requirements: reliable drainage and protection against the wet conditions, even during periods of intense precipitation. After conducting thorough research into the products available and based on their positive experience on previous projects, the firm commissioned to execute the project, Holzbau Saurer Ges.m.b.H & Co. KG, opted to use façade channels by Richard Brink.
The best solution
Stabile Air channels are used in several places across the hotel complex. A total of twelve channels, each 2.5 m long, were installed at the main entrances to the hotel rooms. In addition, the fitters installed around 17 running metres of the product by the metal products manufacturer on two sides of the pool house, and 100 running metres on all four sides of the building. Steel mesh gratings with a zinc-aluminium-magnesium coating provide a suitable cover for the channels.
As far as Klaus Lorenz, the foreman from Holzbau Saurer, is concerned, façade channels from Richard Brink were the logical choice: “Thanks to its special design, Stabile Air meets all our requirements. The water is able to trickle away evenly, leaving the wall surfaces to dry out again.” This is possible due to the large openings on the façade-facing side of the stainless steel or galvanised steel channels. Outward-folded grating supports and the projection of the channel floor on one side maintain a 15 mm distance between the drainage system and the wall. This means that rainwater cannot build up, thus reliably preventing pooling water and capillary formation.
Richard Brink makes the Stabile Air in a length of 1,000 mm as standard; single-part channels can be up to 3,000 mm long. A simple plug-in connection allows the system to be extended as required. The drainage channel can also be made in custom dimensions, according to the client’s specification.
Custom installation
The fitters from Holzbau Saurer also benefited from this system. They saved a lot of time when installing the custom-made parts, as there was no need to perform onerous separating cuts on site. In general, the specialist tradesmen appreciated the ease of assembly and installation, which meant that the drainage system could be put in place without delay.
First, the external area around the building beneath the supporting base for the façade channel was back-filled and compressed with water-permeable bulk material. The support level could then be created with precision in a straightforward process, using similarly water-permeable lean concrete or fine gravel fill, before the drainage system was installed and the remaining area filled in ready for the paving.
Long-term satisfaction
Now that they are fully installed, the products from Richard Brink are set to ensure reliable drainage of the façade areas of the wooden lodges for a long time to come. The client, the building contractor and the fitters are all extremely happy with the result. “The drainage solution is 100 per cent effective. It fits into the overall design and the hotel architecture beautifully, and fully meets our requirements,” declares Klaus Exenberger, Managing Director of Tirol Lodge Bergbahnen Ellmau-Going Touristik GmbH. Klaus Lorenz completely agrees: “The products supplied by Richard Brink meet our requirements for building materials for our customers. We will be using them for future projects, and are happy to recommend them to others.”
