Project: Mill Barn Conversion
Architects: Beck + Oser Architekten
Location: Hofstetten-Fluh, Switzerland
Area: 5,920 sf
Photographs by: Borje Muller
Mill Barn Conversion by Beck + Oser Architekten
Beck + Oser Architekten have undertaken a conversion project in the Swiss countryside. The Mill Barn Conversion is an amazing project, converting a 6,000 square foot mill barn into a modern living space. It is located in Hofstetten-Fluh, Switzerland, surrounded by a peaceful countryside and beautiful landscapes. The home is clad in wood in order to blend in with the natural environment while inside of it, the interior is relaxed and casual, designed with minimalism in mind.
The dwelling house is part of the design plan Mühle, which primarily aims to preserve the protected mill and the surroundings of the mill. On the south side the building group will be completed with the replacement building for the burnt-down barn, giving it the necessary spatial and historically justified importance. The result is an attractive place of a pleasant size, usable for various activities. Since the houses on the Sternenbergstrasse, which are also part of the design plan, are at a reasonable distance and clearly distinguished in the architectural formulation, the legibility of the historical ensemble is strengthened.
The four duplex apartments are all directly accessible from the mill court. The innovative apartment disposition with controlled spatial overlaps and nestings allows all residents to use the spacious and spatially exciting attic (vertical orientation) and on the ground and upper floor two apartment widths (horizontal orientation). The result is a surprising combination of the advantages of duplex and storey apartments. The half-storey concept allows a precise building placement in the slope and creates exciting spatial sequences. Two apartments are equipped with garden seating, two apartments are enjoying the private outdoor space in form of loggias.
Thanks to a clever lighting control no openings in the roof were necessary. The external appearance with vertical wooden slats, solid base and tiled roof points to the original use, but converts the theme of the barn in a contemporary form. Sustainability in terms of resource use is given by the careful handling of space and size, as well as the use of raw materials and the equipment with environmentally friendly pellet heating, which is also used for hot water production.
