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Huf Haus

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Huf Haus GmbH & Co. KG
Company typeFamily driven
Industryprefabricated houses in unique wood-glass construction
Founded1912
FounderJohann Huf
HeadquartersHartenfels, Westerwald, Germany
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Georg Huf (CEO)
Revenue84 Mio. EUR (2007)
Number of employees
434 (2007)
Websitehuf-haus.com
A Huf Haus near West Linton in Scotland

Huf Haus is a German company based in Hartenfels in the Westerwald region that manufactures prefabricated houses.[1][2] Huf Haus is the world's leading company in selling houses in the Bauhaus tradition based on german Fachwerk. The construction allows individual floor plans, including for office buildings. Huf houses are available as zero-energy buildings.

History

1912 Johann Huf founded a carpentry in the small village of Krümmel in the Westerwald. A year later the enterprise moved to Hartenfels. In 1948 his son Franz Huf took lead of the enterprise, and enlarged it to a supra-regional provider of carpenter's works, e. g. churches in the Rhineland, the large post administration office in Bonn (1950) as well as the German and Arabic pavilions at Expo 58. The so-called "Huf Fachwerkhaus 2000" was designed in 1972 together with the architect Manfred Adams.[3] The principles of this construction are still the standard in all Huf houses. Since 1996 the grandsons Georg Huf and Thomas Huf have led the company, and brought the products to the world market. They also established "The Huf Haus Village", a collection of Huf family houses, which represent the possibilities of building Huf houses.

At 20th September 2011 Thomas Huf died in age 51.[4]

New efficient designs

In the end of 2009 Huf Haus started new designed houses which they call "evolutionary" in its post-and-beam architecture but "revolutionary" in energy efficiency.

Because the expressive symbiosis of wood and glass finds recognition at major international architecture and design competitions, and among Huf Haus clients, who also acknowledge that it can be individually designed, the main stylistic elements haven't been changed.

In contrast the changes in energy efficiency they call "revolutionary"[5]. Despite the generous use of glass the Huf Haus houses reach an energy need for heating of 34 W/m2 (at Hartenfels, Germany). Main reasons are:[6]

  • All constructional wood elements are fitted with a heat insulation layer achieved directly at the factory. This reduces thermal bridges.
  • The already well-insulated walls have been redesigned. The walls are thicker now, but the depth of which can be varied depending on the climatic region. The material used is optimized to the location, so that an adequate heat insulation is achieved.
  • The glass walls have 51 mm triple glazing with a heat transfer coefficient (U-value) of 0.6 W/m2K.
  • Home technology bases on heat pump, electronically regulated heating systems, under floor heating pipes laid very closely together, high developed ventilation system, independent domestic hot water pumps, so that the independent heating system can be switched off during the summer months.
  • A large photovoltaic system across nearly the whole roof.

Exports

The company delivers around the world and they restrict their production to 200 houses a year to keep the unique character of the houses. Of these, about 50 a year are exported to the United Kingdom (UK). As a result, an independent "Huf Haus owners' club" has been established there.[7] Since 2009, Cleveland (OH) based dotGreen Inc. is the official sales office for the US market[8].

Awards

Huf Haus products have won several architectural prizes, including:

References

  1. ^ Wall, Barbara (2005-12-11). "Do-it-yourself dreams at an affordable price". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  2. ^ Bradbury, Dominic (2008-10-08). "Huf Haus: Leader of the flatpack". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-12-06. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Sissons, Maia (2006-09-19). "Enter the space age". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
  4. ^ Notice of death in Rhein-Zeitung, Obituary , retrived 2011-10-15
  5. ^ See Huf Haus special homepage
  6. ^ Anette Rehm: Das besondere Haus : Green (r)evolution von HUF HAUS. In: Geld-Magazin, 2009-16-11.
  7. ^ "Huf Haus owners' club". Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  8. ^ dotGreen Inc.
  9. ^ "Housing Design Award Winners". Royal Institute of British Architects. 27 June 2002. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  10. ^ Eurosolar: Plaketten 2009
  11. ^ "National HomeBuilder Design Awards 2004: Commendation for Best Interior Design". Home Design Awards. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  12. ^ "Walton: Huf Haus". Grand Designs. Channel 4. 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2008-12-06.

Further reading

  • Huf, Franz ; Adams, Manfred: Von Generationen für Generationen. Bd. 1 Franz Huf: Mein Leben für das Unternehmen. 163 S. mit zahlr. Ill. u. graph. Darst.; Bd. 2 Manfred Adams: Mein Leben für die Architektur. 167 S. mit zahl. Ill. u. graph. Darst. Hartenfels: Edition Huf Haus 2002. ISBN 3-00-008929-2
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