The Hotel Heubad in Völs am Schlern has been run by the same family for five generations, a story of continuity in a region where tourism has begun to outgrow its limits.

Working closely with the owners, and building on a prior feasibility study by the South Tyrolean Hoteliers' Association (HGV), we explored how a small family hotel can find a sustainable footing for the future. The shared foundation across all scenarios is a right-sizing of the operation: reducing bed capacity by around two thirds, to bring the hotel back in balance with its context.

For the spaces freed up by this step, we developed and compared several possible futures: a period of rest for the unused parts of the building, much like farmland left fallow between harvests; a conversion into apartments or staff housing; and a cultural reuse. The study is designed as a decision-making tool for the family, not a finished prescription.

Alongside the architectural scenarios, we developed a new landscape concept. The asphalt car park gives way to a productive permaculture garden; the courtyard becomes a cultural space with a flexible stage; and Schlernstraße shifts from a through-road into a calmed, shared street.

Degrowth,
Flexibility,
Accessibility

sketches