ROMAN HUTTER ARCHITEKTUR
Heidenhaus in Münster
best architects 16 in Gold
single family homes
Place
Münster / Switzerland
Studio
Photos
Markus Käch
Description
The Heidenhaus, a type of Swiss chalet, dates back to 1448 and is one of the oldest buildings in Obergoms in the canton of Valais. The house is an impressive testament to how a structure built with exquisite craftsmanship using a construction method that befits the materials can stand for over 500 years. Inside, the old log walls were uncovered wherever possible. It was also important in the project to highlight the typical separation between the front and rear sections of the house. The rooms in the rear section are zoned using built-in furniture, so that a flowing sequence of spaces results. Two soapstone stoves form the central hub of the home. Spruce interior fittings were used as a deliberate contrast to the dark log walls. An exception is the solid larchwood kitchen, which stands in the room like a chest of drawers. On the exterior of the house, rough-sawn larchwood boards were butt-jointed in their maximum width and the joints concealed with a cover strip. This lends the new façade areas the kind of depth found in the furrowed and uneven old timber in the heritage building. The atypical sheet metal roof left over from a previous renovation was replaced by a traditional shingle roof.