Instead of retaining the historical, inrenovatable farmhouse we strived to generate a new accent without ignoring the traditional appearance of the typical and all surrounding, bavarian farmhouses. Therefore
the 2.0 version has like its predecessor a two-way facade consisting on base-level of plastered stone and in the upper levels of planked wood.
This Concept works as a good example for a modern family home softly integrated into the traditional structure of an ancient village and thus could offer some ideas on the subject of building and designing in a rural environment.
Design description:
The new building was created instead of a demolished farmhouse with barn as a simple two-storey corner building in an L-shape and completely takes up the historical cubature of the previous building, taking into account the building regulations.
The arrangement of the building towards the adjacent streets enables a generous creation of gardens and open spaces, which can be used by the residents, isolated from the traffic, and form intimate outdoor spaces that are integrated into nature.
The shape of the plot results in an unusual building shape that can be perceived differently from different perspectives. The southern gable quotes neighboring buildings, in particular the gable shape of the church is emphasized. The gable roof shape takes up the usual village roof shapes.
The use of natural and ecological building materials was an essential aspect in the creation of the material concept. This led to the decision to use insulating concrete on the ground floor and to dispense with the use of additional insulating materials. A high-performance insulating plaster on the inside makes it possible to achieve the characteristic values for the KFW funding.
The use of natural building materials continues inside the apartments; all floors in the living rooms, for example, were designed as natural oak floors. The interior design refers to historical floor coverings with large floorboards in a rustic design. The former “parlor”, where family life mainly took place, is reinterpreted in one large room by merging the kitchen, dining and living areas in the residential units. The open living concept seamlessly includes the garden.
In conclusion, it can be stated that, despite many references to rural building principles, a modern building with contemporary uses has emerged. Building in the tradition of a historical building style does not mean currying favor, but adapting to scale and proportions.
This is best evidenced by the remark of a neighboring old farmer from the neighborhood who inspected the building upon completion:
"It looks like the house has always been there!"