100% Pure Wood Building System

One of our Holz100 Projects - Hotel Silberhorn

​Historians have divided our prehistoric periods in the categories of stone, bronze and iron. There is not a single word about wood, as if it did not play a role in the development of humankind. Even in those prehistoric ages, we know that mankind learned how to start a fire and without it, we would not have come this far without wood. When people moved over to the water’s edge and started fishing, they used spears, fishing rods and built boats which are all made of wood. They started building houses, then castle towns and chapels - all made of wood. Then they invented the wheel and built wagons - all made of wood. Men sailed to America on wooden ships and discovered the rest of the world. Humans owe most of their development to wood, and still, it appears that most people are not aware of how incredible this raw material is.

The current trends in design and architecture look at wood as an anachronism. The future of wood lies in laminated particle boards, glued with chemicals and covered with a synthetic grain-simulating film - A billion dollar business. Use of wood without the influence of the chemical industry seems impossible today; they produce glues, preservatives, insulation, varnishes, films, and hundreds of other toxic products, which are often deadly to both humans and the environment.  It’s a market worth billions - and even then, it is instead wood that is considered dangerous, because of its alleged flammability. For this reason only, houses were preferred to be made of bricks to last for years and heavily insulated with styrofoam.

The world would have kept following this destructive path without a second thought, had there not been one man, who in the recent past with his experience, perseverance, and endurance, started a revolution in the field of timber. He rediscovered and reapplied certain valuable knowledge that had already been commonly known since the ancient times, initially derided and mocked in modern Europe. However, staying firm and true to his own experiences and family generations of woodworkers, he didn't give up. Finally the scientists, who had initially mocked him, began to applaud him, even having renowned institutions and scientists back up his theories with studies, experiments, and lab testings. He successfully began to disintegrate the system of lies created by chemical, wood and other industries of the like, lobbyists and corrupt politicians.

Dr. Erwin Thoma, an Austrian raised in the Alpine forests, was a hiker and a mountain guide, but always wanted to become a forester. As a result of his forest engineering education, like many young people in the 70s and 80s - he was convinced that modern engineering was able to solve ongoing environmental problems. Modern machines, chemistry, and even computer science have all been invading all areas of the economy and forest management, as well.
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In Austria, young foresters often have to wait several decades before receiving their own forest supervision area. He was lucky, however. It turned out that there was an area in the Karwendel Mountains where no one wanted to supervise as a forester as its residency was entirely snowed in and cut off from the world in winter - the closest store would be found 50 kilometers away. However, this was a dream come true for Dr. Thoma and moved in with his wife.