Wagyu-Cattle House Huemer

The new Wagyu-cattle house is part of an agricultural holding owned by the family of Diana and Hubert Huemer. It is situated on one of the gentle hills of the Hausruck with a view of the mountain Traunstein. The Wagyu-cattle breed which originates in Japan is reared by its owners with special attention and in harmony with nature. The cattle house offers shelter for the animals in all weathers.
 
From tree to saw timber
It was the aim of the construction of the exceptional cattle house to optimise the use of timber by harvesting the trees through personal selection in the forest, by the cutting of the logs in the sawmill and by the construction on site. The processed wood in the cattle house comes from spruce and fir logged in the Hausruck forest. It was cut without the pith and consists of log dimensions of 16/36 with lengths of up to 9 metres. Exhausting and passing the limits which are predetermined by the industry played an important role in sizing the wooden logs. The cattle house presents virtually the antithesis of contemporary timber manufacturing processes where the material is first cut into small pieces in order to be transformed into a substance which can be dimensioned infinitely by using a binding agent. Contrary to this technique the quality of execution of the Wagyu cattle house maxes out the knowledge of the material as such as well as traditional Upper Austrian carpentry skills without losing touch with the limits of timber.
 
Two worlds embraced by the crown of a tree
The architectural concept of the building is guided by the needs of the animals it houses. Like the Wagyu-cattle their house stands safely on a slope somewhat crouched, but with a strong body on firm legs and nevertheless it seems to be soft and flexible. The static bracing of the cattle house is reached through the roof and the supporting framework above in order to allow the cattle a maximum of free space and the tractor the passage on the ground floor. The wooden pillars on the ground floor are held bend-proof in concrete foundation and contribute to the dynamic bracing of the construction. Thus, the evoked gestures of the building refer to traditional Japanese constructive forms which make great airiness near the ground possible by using highly developed roof constructions. In combination with sophisticated Austrian carpentry a building in which the cattle can move around freely is generated. Outdoor and indoor space mesh unrestrictedly in good weather, however, in unsettled weather gates can be pushed between the pillars. In this way the wooden bracings on the upper floor form the protective crown of a cluster of trees under which the Wagyu cattle find shelter from wind, rain and heat. 
 
Roof cladding and roof framework
The most striking feature of the cattle house is its roof. It is stepped on two levels in order to provide adequate ventilation for the roof framework  - on the one hand above the lateral roof wings and on the other hand underneath the gable. The lateral stepped roof area was covered with larch shingles through personal contribution by the family Huemer. Above it lies the tin roof which is set back. The gable is formed by a glass triangle that is permeable to light which provides daylight for the building along its whole length.