A house always enters into a dialog. In this case, a dialog with tradition and the surrounding agricultural buildings. It listens and tells a story of constancy and development. Of constancy and change. Of coming, staying and going. It serves as a place for confidential exchange. As a place of dialog in two respects. Outwardly and inwardly. The farmhouse in Schwendt is steeped in over 600 years of history. That is over 600 years of dialog. We saw it as our task to enable this dialog to continue.
The top priority during the renovation was therefore to preserve the existing building. This applied to both the façade and the interior. The aim was to reduce the visual impact to a minimum. To achieve this, the foundation walls, which were susceptible to moisture, were dried out in a complex process.
It was important to the owners to create plenty of space for communal gatherings through renovation. The kitchen was to be the main focal point, as cooking and eating together is very important to the family.
In addition, the original color scheme was felt to be too dark, so a lighter room concept was implemented. The basic idea here was to use natural materials and natural colors
The interplay between carvings in the rustic wooden elements and the black steel of the spiral staircase or large glass elements creates a gentle fusion of the history of a house that has arrived in the modern age. From the outside, the house retains the classic style of the region. Large and with a rectangular foundation, the house stands freely in a rural setting.
To round off the sustainability concept of building in existing structures, the house was equipped with a pellet heating system and solar and photovoltaic systems as part of the renovation. This means that oil and other fossil fuels can be dispensed with. Care was also taken to use ecological materials for the insulation work to be carried out and to use existing wood wherever possible. In order to remain true to the overall style, old floorboards from all over Austria were sourced and laid in the house with unparalleled patience and great effort. This will tell stories for a long time to come.