Wood delivers on multiple fronts: warmth and comfort, natural elegance, and remarkable functionality. Add to that its high degree of prefabrication—enabling fast, seamless installation—and you have an ideal building material. Its lightweight nature makes it particularly valuable for adding storeys to structures with limited load-bearing capacity. This was precisely why Zimmerei Frank was brought in to expand a 1980s building in Munich's Maxvorstadt district. The existing structure had minimal reserves in its foundations, requiring the demolition of a reinforced concrete terrace floor to accommodate two and a half new storeys. The solution: a solid timber extension with a ventilated steel façade and exposed concrete fire walls—elegantly resolving the weight constraints. The multi-family home was built using cross-laminated timber, with dimensions determined using cutting-edge surveying technology. Architects then mapped the entire timber and steel construction in both 2D and 3D. "Our role encompassed installing the solid wood ceilings and roof elements as finished surfaces," explains Bernhard Kilmarx, managing director of Zimmerei Frank.

Pool Leber Architects, based in Munich, envisioned more than just additional square footage. The roof extension was designed to create expansive outdoor living spaces and terraces with panoramic views across all orientations. Mission accomplished. The completed building now seamlessly merges interior and exterior on the main living floor, with carefully orchestrated connections linking the living area, kitchen, and bedroom zones. Inside, timber is complemented by naturally finished materials—concrete, Jura limestone, and steel—that harmoniously extend the flowing spatial and colour narrative throughout.

This seamless collaboration between architectural vision and skilled craftsmanship earned the project second place in the prestigious Geplant + Ausgeführt competition. Beyond Zimmerei Frank, the team included Erwin Miller Roofing, Kaufhold Construction, Markus Lembcke Plumbing, and Küchenkonzepte Humpel.

www.zimmereifrank.de

Photography Credits:

Brigida González
www.brigidagonzalez.de