ISTA Agricultural Centre, Maria Gugging

The planned agricultural centre is to be located at a strategically important site on the ISTA campus in Maria Gugging, positioned between Haselbachgasse and the Ring Road. This location offers good transport links and plays a central role in the campus’s development. The new building is necessary to meet increased demand. Increased capacity and optimised infrastructure are essential for efficient logistics. The maintenance yard will improve the functionality and flexibility of operational processes while ensuring an attractive, sustainable appearance.
The cubic capacity of the property largely determines the building’s floor space. The design involves setting back the ground floor to create a spacious forecourt with ample turning and manoeuvring space.
The exposed concrete of the ground floor and the green façades help the building blend into its surroundings. A translucent joint made of profiled glass visually separates the ground floor from the upper floor. The ground floor, which contains the equipment hall and forecourt, is hidden from view of the main road by a green wall, enabling it to blend discreetly into the background.
On the other hand, the upper floor is designed as a solid wooden construction inside, while outside it features a timber frame with a diagonal wooden slatted façade.
A copper-coloured, perforated sheet metal fence protects the forecourt facing Haselbachgasse, and this colour is also reflected in the window and door frames.
Planting on the riverbank and façade promotes biodiversity and water infiltration. The ground floor basin is designed to preserve the compensation and riverbank areas of the torrent, which positively influences flood behaviour. A photovoltaic system on the flat roof is intended to meet the building’s energy needs.