Timber basements

Timber construction starts with the foundation.
Project inquiry

Rethinking the basement

Concrete basements are still the norm today. Timbase builds the alternative: basements, floor slabs, or cellars made of wood—more sustainable, faster to install, and designed for the next generation of climate-friendly construction.

  • Our technology was developed in collaboration with research and industry partners and is continuously refined. In this way, we combine scientific insights with practical applicability to create solutions that meet today’s demands for construction quality, efficiency, and sustainability.
  • At Timbase, the planning and construction of the wooden basement come from a single source. From the initial consultation through planning and prefabrication to implementation, our coordinated processes ensure high-quality execution and a cost-effective solution—from the initial idea to the finished wooden basement.
  • Homeowners, architects, and timber construction companies are convinced of the solution’s merits. Feedback from real-world applications confirms the performance and reliability of our technology the results speak for themselves.

Since 2020, we have been building basements, underground levels, and floor slabs using timber construction methods. Our technology combines industrial precision with sustainable building practices to create a foundation that looks to the future.

Building a wooden cellar
Building a wooden cellar

Impressions of the Wooden Basement

Construction of a timber basement in record time

Installing the Wooden Floor Panel
Installing the Wooden Floor Panel
Timbase: Building a Wooden Basement with Walls
Timbase: Building a Wooden Basement with Walls
Timbase: Building a Wooden Basement
Timbase: Building a Wooden Basement

A high quality of living with the natural charm of wood

The Wooden Basement as a Living Space
The Wooden Basement as a Living Space
The Wooden Basement as an Art Gallery
The Wooden Basement as an Art Gallery
Woodworking in the Basement
Woodworking in the Basement

Good reasons to choose a timber basement

A timber basement offers more than just personal benefits—there are clear technical and economic facts to support this. The high degree of prefabrication, short assembly times, and the use of wood as a renewable building material are transforming traditional construction processes and opening up new possibilities in the construction industry.

  • Wood, as a renewable raw material, and a high degree of prefabrication reduce the use of resources and materials.

Sustainable

  • Efficient processes, short installation times, and a high degree of prefabrication ensure planning reliability.

Economic

  • More living space—warm, dry, and high-quality basements create additional usable space and new possibilities for building use.

Added Value

  • Structures designed with building physics in mind ensure high-quality thermal insulation and a targeted, holistic system for the building.

Energy-efficient

  • Prefabrication and dry construction methods shorten the construction time. A basement can usually be assembled within a week.

Fast

News & Events

Timbase updates and innovations

We’ll keep you regularly updated on Timbase’s progress with news from our research and construction projects.

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Votes

Opinions from experts

"Sustainable construction means avoiding climate-damaging materials as much as possible. If a basement is necessary, a wooden one is the logical choice."

Andreas Burgherr, CEO of Timbatec Holzbauingenieure Schweiz AG, Zurich
Andreas Burgherr, CEO of Timbatec Holzbauingenieure Schweiz AG, Zurich

"Thanks to its cozy, wood-paneled atmosphere, the common room in the basement is the ideal place for yoga."

Doris Baumgartner, Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Bern, www.bern.yoga
Doris Baumgartner, Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Bern, www.bern.yoga

"Objectively speaking, there are no arguments against wooden basements. We are researching solutions so that these can soon be mass-produced."

Christoph Renfer, Professor of Fire Safety and Timber Construction, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) AHB, Biel
Christoph Renfer, Professor of Fire Safety and Timber Construction, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) AHB, Biel

“As an architect with over 35 years of experience, I’m not looking for trendy innovations, but for genuine improvements in construction. To me, Timbase clearly falls into this category.

From an architectural perspective, it is particularly significant that this load-bearing structural element is made from a renewable raw material sourced in Switzerland, at no additional cost compared to a concrete foundation. This is not a compromise, but a step forward.
Timbase demonstrates that sustainable construction doesn’t have to be ideological—it can be intelligent. For me, this system is a genuine alternative that I will continue to use very consciously in the future.”

Rolf Stalder, Architect and Visionary, Allschwil, rolfstalder.ch
Rolf Stalder, Architect and Visionary, Allschwil, rolfstalder.ch

"With Stuber Holz, we were able to build Switzerland's first basement using timber construction. We need more buildings like this."

Nik Stuber, Managing Director, Stuberholz AG, Schüpfen
Nik Stuber, Managing Director, Stuberholz AG, Schüpfen

"I'm convinced by Timbagroup's innovations. I've already used TS3 technology in construction projects. Wooden basements will follow soon."

Robert Malczyk, CEO of TimberEngineering.ca, Vancouver, Canada
Robert Malczyk, CEO of TimberEngineering.ca, Vancouver, Canada

Partners

Research and development partners

Research partners
Together with universities and trade associations, we are continuing to develop wood-frame basement structures to make them even simpler, more versatile, and more cost-effective.

Bern University of Applied Sciences
Bern University of Applied Sciences

BFH AHB Bern University of Applied Sciences, Architecture, Wood, and Construction, Biel
As part of an Innosuisse research project, basement structures using timber construction methods are being further developed. Prof. Christoph Renfer is leading the project.

FPInnovations
FPInnovations

FPInnovations, Canada
FPInnovations develops business-oriented solutions for the forestry and wood industries. In a prototype project, wood components in contact with the ground are being used and researched for the first time.

University of Alberta
University of Alberta

Alberta State University, Canada
Based on the findings from Timbase, the University of Alberta, in collaboration with TimberEngineering.ca, the University of Alberta is researching the feasibility of basements in North America.

Implementation partners
The expertise of these partners is indispensable. They are therefore an integral part of every construction project that includes a basement built using timber construction methods.

Contec AG
Contec AG

Contec AG
Contec AG specializes in waterproofing and manufactures high-quality custom-made EPDM rubber waterproofing systems for basements in wood-frame construction at its facilities in Uetendorf.

Timber Structures 3.0
Timber Structures 3.0

Timber Structures 3.0 AG
Timber Structures 3.0 AG specializes in large-scale timber structures. This innovative technology enables the construction of basements using timber as a rigid monocoque spatial module.

Progeo
Progeo

PROGEO - the monitoring people
Progeo supplies and operates themonitoring system. The moisture monitoring system provides geometrically precise information about the moisture condition of the wooden basement at all times.

Implementation partners for our first projects

These partners made Switzerland’s first basement built with timber construction possible. Thank you very much.

Timbatec
Timbatec

Timbatec Wood Construction Engineers
Timbatec is one of Switzerland’s leading wood construction engineering firms and provided all engineering services. Timbatec is a research partner in various research projects aimed at advancing wood construction.

Gyger Flat Roofs & Industrial Construction
Gyger Flat Roofs & Industrial Construction

Gyger AG
Gyger Flachdach & Industriebau’s expertise inprefabricated waterproofing systems and on-site welding was incorporated into the development of wood-frame basements.

Stuber Wood
Stuber Wood

Stuber Holz AG
Stuber Holz AG has constructed Switzerland's first basement using timber construction methods and is a key partner in the development of timber basements.

Colorful Wood
Colorful Wood

Schilliger Holz AG
Schilliger Holz is the Swiss leader in cross-laminated timber. This high-quality, precision CNC-milled cross-laminated timber is used in wood-frame basements.

Perennial Carpenter
Perennial Carpenter

Staudenschreiner GmbH
Staudenschreiner GmbH is a pioneer in the field of wood-frame basements and has already completed several projects in Germany. Owner Günther Wolff is the mastermind behind wood-frame basements as we know them today.

Timber Engineering
Timber Engineering

TimberEngineering.ca
Robert Malczyk and his company, Timber Engineering, are supporting the first Timbase project in North America.

Looking for more partners
We are thrilled to be working with these companies and are always on the lookout for additional high-performing partners who can bring their own projects to the table. Please contact us!

Stefan Zöllig
Dipl. Ing. FH Holzbau
Managing Director
stfnzllgtmbscm
+41 58 255 42 00

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