Tehnicas, at 25 years - the meeting of a great community created around wood

On September 30 the company Techniques, known for the manufacture of glulam beams and glulam elements used in construction, but also for solutions that redefine the limits of wood construction, celebrated 25 years of activity. The event held at Voiteg, near Timisoara, attended by over 500 guests, felt like a big family party. Christof Krattiger, the manager of the business founded 25 years ago by his father, Simon Krattiger, brought together partners, beneficiaries, competitors, collaborators, employees, family members, friends from Romania and Switzerland. The atmosphere was very pleasant and relaxed, without cold and scathing speeches, a perfect environment for interaction, free discussions, making new relationships and friendships. Below, some impressions hotThe video will be released soon.

New buildings with modern architecture, seamlessly integrated into old buildings

The start time for the event was 10am, but we arrived a little early. The parking lot, set up on the green space in front of the halls, was almost empty and looked huge. I figured they were overdoing it a bit, as it seemed impossible to need such a large space for cars. I realised I was wrong only after a few minutes seeing the line of cars stretching all the way to the road. It wasn't long before the parking lot was almost completely occupied.

Our last visit to Voiteg was in 2019, for the interview in issue 5 Wood magazine print from which you can find out how the Krattiger family came to Romania and how Tehnicas was born. In the meantime a new hall has been built, completely covered with wood trim, and an office building with a special design. The new office space is modern, with lots of wood and glass, with outdoor seating in a small botanical garden that includes a pond. From the offices, it's a short walk to the paulownia forest where you can sit in the shade on wooden benches built a little more otherwise or you can walk along the wooden path to the observatory made of arched wooden beams. All done by the Tehnicas team in perfect harmony.

One big family together and a moving speech

By 11 o'clock, when the anniversary speech was announced, I was interacting with the other guests. The tables were already set, you could have breakfast if you hadn't already, coffee and refreshments were at your discretion. As time went on, the group grew larger and larger, with participants coming from all over the country. Meanwhile, the barbecues were beginning to sizzle in anticipation of the feast to come. As everything was family focused, the children were not forgotten either. An inflatable slide and a play area, also inflatable, were set up for them and were very popular. Other playgrounds were also set up for young and old children.

A little after 11 o'clock we managed to gather in the new hall which seemed huge. Half of it was set up with tables, and the other half was set up for the speech, with lots of benches, a screen and several arched beams on either side that made you think of an amphitheatre.

The first speaker, Simon Krattiger, talked about the beginnings, the carpenter's trade, the tradition. Christoff followed and stressed the importance of this event for the Krattiger family, how everything was built on the love of wood and the craft, the important projects carried out over the years: the submarine-like restaurant in Herăstrău Park, the Nuba club in Mamaia, about whose construction I wrote here, Seed House observatory, New Millennium Reformed Centre, Mall Galleries, Aquapark Nimphaea and many more. For all of them, he highlighted the precision of execution of the elements that fitted perfectly on site and the short time of execution of the works. And of course, the extraordinary qualities of wood and the total commitment to its sustainable exploitation.

In his speech, Christof gave an important place to thanks. The moment when he thanked the parents for their continued involvement was very touching. With a huge bouquet of flowers and tears in his eyes, Christof thanked his mother as the rock on which everything was built. Not to be forgotten were the employees, who are considered the company's most important asset and part of the great Tehnicas family. Thanks were also given to the partners and collaborators with whose help the company has constantly evolved.

At the end, in the typical Swiss organisational spirit, Christof told us what we were going to eat at the next meal, how everything would be organised and how we could cook our own food. He said that we could freely visit the whole property, from the paulownia forest to the animal pen and from the work halls to the offices.

A community built on a passion for wood

After the speech we again had the opportunity to interact with partners and colleagues, eat and visit the place together. Everything was organised in such a way that we didn't feel trapped in a template, we could eat something ready cooked or cook ourselves on the grills at our disposal, choose which salads we wanted or how we wanted to combine them. All to the strains of the brass band that filled the atmosphere of a traditional Swiss party.

There were hours of good times, quality time spent with partners and collaborators, many of whom have already become friends. We enjoyed meeting Emil Baciu from Cadwork, Nicolaie and Vlad Liteanu (Litarh), Florin Dumitrașcu (LignaDumiTech) and many, many others. We enjoyed seeing Marius Șoflete and his team again, discussing future plans. We saw Christian Rummel again, with the same typical Nepalese carpenter costume and the same desire to pass on his knowledge to those who want it. I met Andreas (Kenosis Design), the Swede from Giarmata who has been working and finding solutions for people from disadvantaged backgrounds near Timisoara for 19 years. A video and article with him coming soon. All along I felt the community created around wood, a community that is constantly building and growing fed by the energy released by each of its members.

Techniques - Wood is future

The future of construction is wood is the credo of Tehnicas. Simon's love for wood started the torus and continues now that the second generation has been involved in the development of the company for a long time. Simon Krattigen still works as a carpenter, being the one who is always at the top of a construction site solving the most difficult situations. Alongside him are two of his sons who contribute to the design, component construction and implementation of projects.

Tehnicas offers everything from consultancy and design, to assistance with the physical realisation of the project and even installation. In the factory, glued laminated timber (glulam, BSH) is obtained which is then processed by hand or CNC. The wooden elements are surface treated to increase their resistance to various environmental factors. The elements are sold to manufacturers of timber-framed houses or are used in projects that the company handles from start to finish.

But most importantly, Tehnicas is a great community that can be a model. At Voiteg, nature is respected, wood is regarded with love and used responsibly and people are valued.