WIA_ISSUE2_2023

ENGINEERED WOOD
Everything done right
from an early stage
Bachhof resort (Image:
werbeFOTO HAASZ)
For years, Haas Fertigbau has actively diversified in many fields of
prefabricated timber construction in apartment construction.
By Dr Joachim Mohr
Haas Fertigbau — based in Falkenberg,
Bavaria, Germany — started constructing
apartments in the 2000s. Despite
a slump in detached house market
occurred last year, the company had
alternative business areas to tap into.
The construction of detached and
semi-detached houses accounted
for 60% of the annual turnover of
Haas group, which totalled €250m
in 2022. The remaining 40% annual
turnover was generated by commercial
construction, which was divided into
areas of industrial and commercial
construction, apartment construction
which is currently experiencing the
strongest growth, and the construction
of agricultural buildings. Its managing
director Xaver Haas said that the
company is focusing on building “what
it can and what makes sense” — that
is, residential buildings with up to four
stories that are energy-efficient and
sustainable turnkeys.
APARTMENT CONSTRUCTION
ALLEVIATED THE EFFECTS
OF THE DETACHED HOUSE
CRISIS
Both areas of apartment construction
are on the rise and, in 2022, they
helped to partially compensate for the
slump in detached house construction
— which amounted 30% for Haas. This
development did not hit the prefabricated
timber house company as hard as some
competitors for other reasons too.
For example, only half of the total
700 prefabricated houses are built
in Germany. The rest are produced in
Großwilfersdorf, Austria, with some
being sold in Austria, and some to the
Czech Republic via a sales office in
Prague. The decline in detached house
construction was less severe in both of
these countries compared to Germany.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – 2023 41