Steinbach Bernhardt Architekten/Tobias Finckh

Description

Small things writ large – the conversion provides an example of the sustainable continued use of agricultural buildings in rural areas. Redensification and the upgrading of existing structures go hand in hand and create added value in terms of building culture. The central aim of the design was to convert the original structure of the barn for a new use as office space. The concept envisages the driveway that was previously used to lift hay onto the haylofts in different heights as access zone. The beams of the historic carpenter’s construction clearly divide the barn into three parts from eaves to eaves. A small covered entrance area leads from the courtyard to the office. Here, a staircase sculpture made of black steel opens up all levels and creates a reference to the original use – horizontal access from the courtyard and vertical access to the various former haylofts. Communication areas, workplaces and a conference room that opens onto the garden are located on different levels around the stairs. Like pictures on a wall, the windows in the conference room frame different areas of the garden and highlight the work of the landscape architects. Natural and raw materials such as clay, wood and concrete form an exciting connection with the existing building fabric and make the renovation a timeless intervention in the building history of the barn.