Centre of excellence

Timber framing is not only nice to look at, it also diversifies the appearance of our cities and villages. One of the goals of the Hessenpark Open Air Museum is to become a centre of excellence for the restoration of half-timbered buildings and sustainable raw materials, which would connect decentralised networks and collect valuable information. Together with our partners and experts in this special field we put a lot of effort into making this goal reality.

Timber framing should not only be present in the museum as part of the historical buildings, but visitors should be able to experience and understand this mode of construction first-hand. We examine the development of this mode of construction throughout history including contemporary buildings. So we ask ourselves questions like: How were half-timbered buildings constructed in times when wood was a scarce resource? How did – and do – construction and decoration of these houses differ from region to region?

The centre of excellence wants to provide everyone interested in the matter with the possibility to find out about the correct care for old buildings. Through choosing appropriate materials for restorations, half-timbered buildings can be very durable and offer a pleasant interior climate without causing significantly higher costs. Making these buildings more energy efficient becomes increasingly important today. Here you’ll find information about which energy concepts can be applied without posing a threat to the building. As an open-air museum we have our own specific requirements regarding the restoration of our buildings. When restoring a building we take both modern restoration concepts and current heritage conservation guidelines into account. Before each restoration, the relevant building is examined and the special requirements assessed.

Timber-framed show house for energy efficiency
A show house was built in the South Hesse ensemble of the Hessenpark Open Air Museum to model the interaction of energy efficiency, contemporary building equipment and a modern living environment. This is where home owners and builders are able to learn about modern standards and restoration concepts. Moreover, we would like the centre to become a contact point for training and development. The show house was created as part of the programme for the centre of excellence for climate protection in half-timbered cities [“Kompetenzzentrum für Klimaschutz in Fachwerkstädten”] funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. The centre aims to create a network of expert partners dedicated to the exchange of knowledge on the subject of half-timbered houses and climate protection. The working group on half-timbered cities in Germany, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutsche Fachwerkstädte, and the model towns of Wolfhagen, Hannoversch Münden, Bleicherode and Schiltach join their forces with the Hessenpark Open Air Museum in this project. The measures which will be developed during the project that will be run over the course of three years in total are aimed at home owners and municipalities, planners and executing companies alike.