A house dating back to 1432, historic rooms and a Silver Fir wooden floor: During the renovation of the listed KOLLERHAUS in Bremgarten, Switzerland, particular attention was paid to choosing materials that respect the building’s history while meeting the demands of modern living.

When owner Alex Hürlimann acquired the badly deteriorated historic town house in 2016, a careful renovation process began with the aim of preserving as much of the original fabric as possible. When selecting the right wooden floor, the idea of using Silver Fir emerged in close collaboration with the heritage authorities.

Silver Fir is a traditional timber species of the Black Forest and has been used there for centuries in buildings and interiors. For the KOLLERHAUS, Alex Hürlimann deliberately looked for a wood deeply rooted in its place of origin and processed close to where it grows. The choice fell on HIRAM Habitat Silver Fir wooden floors from the Black Forest.

Three-layer engineered Silver Fir planks were installed throughout the building. Thanks to their dimensional stability and slim construction, they are particularly suitable for installation over underfloor heating. The planks were fully bonded onto gypsum fibre boards with integrated underfloor heating grooves. This created a low-profile floor build-up that combines the requirements of the historic building with modern living comfort.

The natural surface of the Silver Fir creates a warm and calming atmosphere while enhancing the character of the historic rooms. This effect is especially evident in the Bürgerstube, a living room dating back to 1548, with its stone arched windows and Gothic coffered ceiling. Here, the Silver Fir floor was framed with a surrounding border made from narrow HIRAM Habitat Oak planks.

Beyond the flooring, further areas of the house were carefully modernised. The historic building envelope was upgraded for improved energy efficiency, original mullioned windows were reconstructed, and the heating system was converted to district heating supplied by a woodchip heating plant.

The KOLLERHAUS demonstrates how historic architecture and contemporary living can be brought together. With HIRAM Habitat Silver Fir flooring, the building gains a floor that combines regional provenance, traditional craftsmanship and timeless design.