The goal was to replace an aging master's office with a high-quality, craft-oriented timber construction.
They opted for a half-timbered imitation in an old wood look that combines the charm of traditional carpentry with modern connection technology.
The Challenge
Due to the thin wall thickness – consisting of 80 mm structural timber and 24 mm internal paneling – they were looking for a connection system that could be installed invisibly. They quickly remembered the X-fix connector.
After a few prototypes, it was clear: This works perfectly!
Adaptation to old wood
Unlike KVH timbers, which can be worked squarely and dimensionally accurate, the hewn old wood presented a particular challenge.
First, the end faces had to be precisely adapted to the longitudinal wood. Due to the slightly irregular surface, some finesse was required, and they installed the X-fix connectors with slightly higher tension – the template was also minimally adjusted.
Precise milling with Mafell
During the assembly, all timbers were cut, measured, and aligned.
The center axes of the X-fix connectors were marked and milled with the Mafell LO 65. Thanks to the powerful machine, the entire milling pocket (45 mm deep) could be produced in one pass – a very pleasant and precise job.
A total of 110 X-fix connectors were used.
Traditional Finish
All timbers were "scribed" on the visible side to allow for clear identification later.
The visible wooden pegs are solely for aesthetic purposes – they imitate traditional mortise and tenon joints and emphasize the historical appearance.
Assembly and Completion
During erection, the individual wall sections were pre-assembled on the ground and secured exclusively with the X-fix connectors – additional screws were not necessary. The gable and longitudinal walls were mitered (45°) and connected with aluminum dovetail connectors, creating visually massive corner posts.
After the walls were positioned, the joists, edge boards, and the ceiling and wall paneling were installed.
The fixed glazing and the office furnishings were implemented after the topping-out ceremony.
We sincerely thank Mafell for the excellent cooperation on this project and look forward to many more joint projects in the future.
