Once the cradle of the railway industry, the historic Lokstadt site in Winterthur (Switzerland) is being transformed into a modern and sustainable urban district. Symbolizing this metamorphosis, the "Krokodil" project perfectly embodies this alliance between industrial heritage and architectural innovation. The Krokodil building is distinguished by its design in cross-laminated timber (CLT), a sustainable material that reduces the carbon footprint while offering a warm and natural aesthetic. Integrated into the overall vision of the Lokstadt, Krokodil illustrates responsible urban planning where it is good to live, work, and relax. This ambitious project is part of a sustainable development dynamic while preserving the site's historic character. The Krokodil project is concrete proof that solid timber construction can revolutionize urban housing, combining ecological performance, comfort, and modernity.

The project highlights innovative construction solutions. With its 248 apartments Spread over 8 levels, this residential building rests on a wooden structure composed among other things of 4,950 m³ of CLT.

The floors are made of 22,000 m² of CLT, supplied by HASSLACHER Group*. The selected CLT panels have a “Excellent Surface”, thus allowing the undersides of the floor to be left exposed, thanks to a uniform, high-end finish that is unique on the market.

The assembly of these CLT panels, with a thickness of 220 mm, was carried out using 10,000 X-fix wood-wood connectors, guaranteeing fast and precise assembly which allowed the project owner to save 30% on installation. One X-fix is ​​equivalent to a saving of 16 to 24 screws!

*in France the CLT HASSLACHER Group is distributed by Groupe ISB