An Innovative Development for Septfontaines

Situated along the Eisch river, the village of Septfontaines is a part of the striking valley of seven castles. The history of this quiet, rural area is evident in the surrounding small homes and farms. These locally sourced wood and stone structures reveal the regional building techniques and the various gestures of conformity to their historical epochs. 

In 2018, the newly formed commune of Habscht approved a Septfontaines development plan (PAP) for 5 single family homes and an apartment building with 5 units placed at the entrance to the village. Jorge Daniel Pinto of P&P development, who we have enjoyed working with on past projects such as Lewin & Laurel in Bertrange, took the opportunity to take on this development proposing a new collaboration with a Luxembourg start-up called Leko Labs.

Leko Labs founder, François Cordier, and his team have developed a glue-free wood structural system that is not only sustainable and circular, but has many other benefits as well. The unique and patented crossing wood technology gives the system a great deal of strength while being light and up to 40% thinner than standard masonry or concrete walls. They also have a state-of-the-art robotic assembly that allows for very fast construction. 

As Leko Labs notes, 20% of the wood that is harvested in the greater Luxembourg region is from forest thinning to maintain the health of the forest. With this wood alone, the Leko Labs system could be used to build 10,000 houses every year. The annual increase of the forest would be greater than what is harvested.

It is always our utmost priority to give a high degree of attention to our client’s vision and integrate it seamlessly into our design work. In this case, what could be more fun than to take the vision of Mr. Pinto and his desire to work with such a ground breaking system and run with it. In keeping with his respect for the local environment, we will take further inspiration from the surroundings for the design of the facades. 

The designs are still under study, but it is our goal to ensure the village of Septfontaines will have a natural yet modern new neighbourhood. The project will serve as an inviting entrance to the village and will provide houses for young families and apartments for singles and couples. 

Saharchitects is experienced in understanding how to design with natural materials for wellbeing. If you are considering renovating or building a new home, contact us or follow us to learn more.