How do you restore and adapt a 17th-century building destroyed by fire?
In the Swiss town of Cressier, architect Laurent Demarta has worked on the complete restoration of the historic building, tackling construction challenges and acoustics, to revive this home for future generations.
Speaking to Laurent Demarta, we explore how Posi-Joist was used to reconnect and support the remaining four walls of the building that were left behind after the fire. The house has undergone numerous transformations over the years, and this latest undertaking will bring it in line with modern living standards.
Laurent Demarta shares his insights about the meticulous restoration process:
“Our client used to live in the house and rented out parts of it. Sound insulation was virtually non-existent, and you could hear everything from one floor to another. The post-fire renovation provided an opportunity to introduce modern sound insulation between the floors, which was one of the main requirements for the client.”
The client is an expert in acoustics and sound insulation, so a high standard of restoration was expected.
The damage left by the fire left all four walls at risk of collapse without extensive support. One challenge was solving how to integrate modern flooring with the existing stone walls. The new floors were designed with Posi-Joist, enabling connections between different parts of the building.
Constructing floors to support 300-year-old stone walls is complex, but MiTek’s Posi-Joist flooring stood up to the challenge.
