New build

Sleeping under the starry sky

Holiday huts at Milstätter See

"One thing we knew from the very beginning - we want our guests to be fully immersed in nature, yet comfortable: they should look up to the stars directly from their bed, wake up with the rays of sun or the music of the raindrops. Due to this connection to the sky roof windows are a key element of our concept."

- Maria Wilhelm, general manager of Millstätter See Tourismus GmbH

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Holiday huts at Milstättersee with VELUX roof windows

Architecture: Element Design gmbh; Photos: Kasia Jackowska

The concept of spending a day immersed in the landscape - yet in a comfortable bivouac - was invented by Maria Wilhelm, general manager of Millstätter See Tourismus GmbH together with the designer Roger Aeschbach from element design gmbh from Basel and their teams for an annual tourism innovation contest organized by the Austrian government. The project, together with five others among over eighty submissions, was awarded and generously funded.

The Millstätter See region is, along with other holiday destinations in the Austrian region of Kärnten, known for its picturesque views: deep blue waters surrounded by forests and mountains.

Seven tiny two-person cabins are located in prime locations around the lake: some right at the shore, some at the mountain top, all with splendid views. The competition among the regions is big, so is the need of clear, progressive tourism concepts. Focus on conscious experiencing of nature with beloved people is the trademark of the Millstätter See region, put in scene in various projects developed by Millstätter See Tourismus together with element design. The bivouac project is part of a larger concept, tying together various players in the tourism sector.

Holiday huts at Milstättersee with VELUX roof windows Architecture: Element Design gmbh; Photos: Kasia Jackowska

Maria Wilhelm

general manager of Millstätter See Tourismus GmbH

The most valuable thing you can give someone is time and attention, and the most romantic thing to do is to look together at the stars, spend time outside, and return for the night to minimalistic, well designed space without decorations other than views of the nature and the sky, and absolutely no technology.

Architecture: Element Design gmbh; Photos: Kasia Jackowska

A modest design with sloped roof, one fully glazed facade and roof windows opening to the sky was done by Elementdesign, an office from Basel, dealing with spacial concepts for tourism and museums. The form derives from the "primitive hut", an imaginary, romantic concept of a first dwelling - minimal shelter for humans in nature.

The cabins feature only basic furniture. Actually one piece takes over most of the functions: bed, drawers, place to stow away suitcases and a shelf for glasses, lamp or books.

The interior is clad with wonderfully smelling larch planks.

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Architecture: Element Design gmbh; Photos: Kasia Jackowska

The walls and roof have a simple wooden structure and pine cladding. They are well insulated and rear-ventilated, which allows a good climate in the summer and, with electrical heaters, a good indoor temperature in winter as well.

As the pine cladding wrapped the entire building, and the whole structure is thinner than in standard housing, typical solutions could not be used.

Thanks to use of prefabricated wooden elements the construction of one hut, including the built-in furniture, took only two weeks. First cabin was opened to the public in May 2017, the rest followed during the course of summer.

VELUX solutions used in this case

Roof windows

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