29 June saw the first cut of the spade in a new era of wood architecture. Thalis is a four-storey, multiple-dwelling building made from wood, one of the first in the Canton of St. Gallen. New fire prevention regulations have been in force throughout Switzerland since 1 January 2005. New wooden buildings are allowed up to six storeys high, wooden facades up to eight storeys. This opens up new markets for wood.

In Switzerland, wood has been known for centuries as a material for house building. Wood stood for tradition, rural architecture and for the carpentry trade. Today, wood is an important element of modern architecture. When combined with concrete, glass and the latest technology, wood stands for the future. The concept of sustainability, naturalness and restriction to essentials is implemented logically and consistently through modern wood architecture.

Thanks to rational production and precise assembly, modern wooden construction is absolutely competitive in terms of costs. Lasting materials and outstanding implementation of energy-saving building styles make wooden construction a focus of investor thinking. As a result, wood can reckon with a noticeable increase in its share of the building market in future.

Architect:	archinova, Buchs
Location:	Haag (SG)
Number of rooms:	6
Gross floor area:	1'026 m2
Year of construction:	2007