Beck Oser Architects

The former farmhouse, dating from the 17th century, is situated on the edge of the village center of Zunzgen at a crossroads. The building is characterized by the typical local division into separate residential and agricultural sections, which is still clearly discernible today. Over time, the residential section was extended by a small addition with a shed roof.

After years of vacancy and decay, the building was to become a home for a family once again. To this end, the residential section was completely renovated. All wall surfaces, floor and ceiling coverings, as well as building services, were renewed or replaced. The load-bearing structures made of rubble masonry and the old ceilings, whose beams were left exposed in the rooms, were preserved.

Inside the barn, the intermediate floors and interior walls have been removed, creating an exceptionally spacious intermediate climate-controlled space that can be regulated by opening the two barn doors. A new, large window, positioned at a height of 1.5 meters, brings plenty of light into the barn and simultaneously serves as the most prominent external indicator of the new interior.

A single-story, timber-framed extension with a change in height now occupies the space of the former stables. Its exterior is clad in natural spruce, a building material with a long tradition. Inside, the extension houses the entrance hall and the kitchen, both connected to the original farmhouse via openings. Large windows in the kitchen offer views of both the barn and the garden. The extension's roof, which serves as a living space, echoes the traditional haylofts arranged at different levels.