Lüdi & Müntener Architekten

Description

From the original cluster of gable-facing farmhouses along Brüttisellen’s village street, one house on the western edge of the village has withstood the passage of time: a multi-purpose farmhouse built in 1823, comprising a residence, threshing floor, stable, and two sheds as later additions. The task within Brüttisellen’s core zone was to transform this two-hundred-year-old house into living space while preserving and reinforcing it as a defining testimony of the past. Beneath the roof of the former agricultural building, four new residential units now find space: stacked across three floors, each axis forms its own house. The concept is house within house: the original façade becomes a shell, and the space between becomes a filter for light and a sheltered outdoor area. The deeply overhanging roof and opened gates create a sense of private comfort. Inside, the living spaces clearly reveal the dialogue between the original timber structure and the new spatial layout. Those who venture behind the old house will recognise its role: it is the seed from which an entire residential complex has grown. The former farmyard served as a reference for the residential courtyard with its playground; the vernacular board cladding inspired the batten cladding, the balcony railings, and the concrete texture of the new buildings. The red of the console frieze influenced the infill panels, the green of the shutters informed the façade colour, and the beige of the plaster was used for the reveals.