Houzz Tours
Germany Houzz: Creating Summer & Winter Homes in a Converted Barn
One barn, two homes – see how architects designed separate zones for summer and winter living in an old country barn
Petr Barth and Taras Breker of architecture firm Barth and Breker had already worked for this family once, when they converted a penthouse apartment in Berlin, Germany, into their new home. For this project, they turned their attention to the family’s country house. At the time, the site consisted of a collection of old buildings in the middle of the Uckermark, a much-loved part of Brandenburg in north-east Germany.
“A traditional farmstead, with a farmhouse, a barn, and stables were up for sale. Two families, who are friends, were interested in it,” says Barth. They accompanied the owners through the whole process, from the decision to purchase, through the preliminary planning permission and scope to carrying out the project.
While the smaller farmhouse was manageable, it was the barn that was the star: its views and generous size were what finally persuaded the family to purchase. The two architects also made some interesting discoveries behind the old brick walls during their first visit, as the barn wasn’t just used for storage for all kinds of materials over the decades: “The previous owners were hunters. At least, in one room, there was a boiler in which antlers could be boiled down and prepared,” says Barth.
To get the discussion rolling with the two owners, the architects worked out several options for how they could proceed with the buildings. “In the beginning it is always about roughly sketching out various ideas,” says Breker. With the clients’ feedback, it then goes to the next round. “It’s all about narrowing it down. Taking the budget into consideration, we then work out one, two or three consistent versions.”
While the smaller farmhouse was manageable, it was the barn that was the star: its views and generous size were what finally persuaded the family to purchase. The two architects also made some interesting discoveries behind the old brick walls during their first visit, as the barn wasn’t just used for storage for all kinds of materials over the decades: “The previous owners were hunters. At least, in one room, there was a boiler in which antlers could be boiled down and prepared,” says Barth.
To get the discussion rolling with the two owners, the architects worked out several options for how they could proceed with the buildings. “In the beginning it is always about roughly sketching out various ideas,” says Breker. With the clients’ feedback, it then goes to the next round. “It’s all about narrowing it down. Taking the budget into consideration, we then work out one, two or three consistent versions.”
The budget, which was initially around €300,000 (AU$493,000 at time of publication), was the decisive factor that favoured the unusual approach of separating the barn into an insulated ‘winter house’ (shown at left on the plan) and an airy ‘summer house’. Insulating the whole house would have been beyond the budget.
Moreover, they wanted to preserve the building’s original barn aesthetic. For this project, the architects suggested an experience of wide open spaces in the warm summer months, and a well-insulated retreat for winter – a kind of heart of the barn that followed the original basic structure.
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Moreover, they wanted to preserve the building’s original barn aesthetic. For this project, the architects suggested an experience of wide open spaces in the warm summer months, and a well-insulated retreat for winter – a kind of heart of the barn that followed the original basic structure.
Searching for an architect who can balance your brief and budget? Find one near you, browse their work and read reviews from previous clients
The idea of two climatic zones impressed the new owners. However, it was not possible to plan everything in advance.
“We notice over and over again, that the final thinking and planning has to happen during the construction itself, because many needs first become clear during construction itself,” says Barth. This is one of the reasons why Barth spends a lot of time on-site during construction. He notes it is an important part of the process to let issues arise over time, rather than planning everything to the last detail from the beginning. “It is about creating a connection,” he says.
Once the initial idea and the budget are in place, Barth and Breker typically plan out about 70 percent of the project before construction commences. “The rest comes about in the improvement stage,” says Barth. His approach involves a lot of trust on the part of the construction crew, “so that it can reach an end point or take shape”.
“We notice over and over again, that the final thinking and planning has to happen during the construction itself, because many needs first become clear during construction itself,” says Barth. This is one of the reasons why Barth spends a lot of time on-site during construction. He notes it is an important part of the process to let issues arise over time, rather than planning everything to the last detail from the beginning. “It is about creating a connection,” he says.
Once the initial idea and the budget are in place, Barth and Breker typically plan out about 70 percent of the project before construction commences. “The rest comes about in the improvement stage,” says Barth. His approach involves a lot of trust on the part of the construction crew, “so that it can reach an end point or take shape”.
The hidden potential of the run-down building was very quickly visible: “This hall [ceiling] was nine metres high and had a 150-square-metre area. This is an enormous volume. This would be 450 square metres total over three floors,” says Barth.
“This is a wood structure, built almost like tent poles. The roof lies on top. The walls are hung onto this structure. The whole thing is actually already like a shelter, a protection from wind and weather,” says Barth. “The fun was in finding a way of reusing this shell and building on this theme.”
“This is a wood structure, built almost like tent poles. The roof lies on top. The walls are hung onto this structure. The whole thing is actually already like a shelter, a protection from wind and weather,” says Barth. “The fun was in finding a way of reusing this shell and building on this theme.”
The timber structure before the renovation.
A new roof was the first task during the year-and-a-half construction phase. The new skylights brighten up the inside of the barn and create a pleasant atmosphere alongside the old brickwork, which was completely repointed, to “give the walls a basic seal and, together with the insulation, prevent the precipitation of moisture,” says Breker. This work formed the basis for the successful renovation of the barn.
The architects turned the open space in the middle, where tractors would have driven through in the past, into a well-tempered zone with underfloor heating. In the summer, it acts as an additional living area.
When the glass ‘barn door’ is opened wide, everyone meets at the long farmhouse table. Cooking happens in the neighbouring kitchen, which opens to both the summer and the winter side and can be used from ‘inside’ the glass cubes and ‘outside’ (where the table is located).
When the glass ‘barn door’ is opened wide, everyone meets at the long farmhouse table. Cooking happens in the neighbouring kitchen, which opens to both the summer and the winter side and can be used from ‘inside’ the glass cubes and ‘outside’ (where the table is located).
In summer, the approximately four-metre-high bi-fold doors are mostly left open.
This is not so in winter, when the long kitchen is only used from inside the barn’s winter zone. A bank of folding windows made of well-insulated glazing divides the two zones from one another. The facade, which is glazed right up to the gable, turns the winter house into a cocoon inside the barn.
The kitchen, seen from inside the winter zone of the house.
The so-called winter house is a self-contained whole and stretches over three storeys. With an open-plan kitchen/living room on the ground floor, as well as a kids’ room and a bathroom, there is still enough space for the family of four to enjoy country life in the cooler months, even with the summer section of the house sealed off. The generous windows maintain the feel of the barn’s impressive proportions.
In the parents’ bedroom, the architects built a screen from simple timber slats to create privacy. “We updated this because it was a little too open for the owners, after they slept there the first few nights,” says Barth. The economical slats, slightly offset, solves the problem, without detracting from the sense of space. The view over the landscape is also retained thanks to the low skylights.
The kids’ room under the ridge of the roof feels cosy and offers a lovely view of the countryside on one side, and into the huge volume of the open-plan living/dining room on the other side.
The family bathroom mixes raw, original charm and traditional elements with contemporary features and a soft colour palette.
The two architects had a lot of freedom when it came to designing the old barn, including the search for the right materials. One example is the old timber staircase, which looks as though it was purpose-built for this home, though instead came from a dealer of antique building materials in the Black Forest.
“Naturally, you could also present sketches of any stairs,” says Breker. But this wouldn’t have fitted into their approach to projects like this and would not have led to the desired effect, he says. “It’s about the soul; about a connection. The search alone binds us and the construction crew with the task.”
But it’s not just reused building materials that signal the unique character of the project. Building components that were not used for their intended purpose came together bit by bit in a harmonious whole.
“Naturally, you could also present sketches of any stairs,” says Breker. But this wouldn’t have fitted into their approach to projects like this and would not have led to the desired effect, he says. “It’s about the soul; about a connection. The search alone binds us and the construction crew with the task.”
But it’s not just reused building materials that signal the unique character of the project. Building components that were not used for their intended purpose came together bit by bit in a harmonious whole.
One of the guest rooms, for example, was not clad with the usual plasterboard. Instead, the architects used black-glazed maritime pine panels that can better cope with the barn’s fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels.
The metal joints between the panels are only visible at second glance. They are simple steel rods that Barth discovered by chance in a hardware store and brought to the construction site. “They rust very easily and bring their own patina with them. It looks very special,” says the architect about the successful composition, which also includes an old door made of oak and wooden steps made of leftover timber pieces from the ceiling.
The metal joints between the panels are only visible at second glance. They are simple steel rods that Barth discovered by chance in a hardware store and brought to the construction site. “They rust very easily and bring their own patina with them. It looks very special,” says the architect about the successful composition, which also includes an old door made of oak and wooden steps made of leftover timber pieces from the ceiling.
For a coherent look, Barth and Breker gave the heavy wooden ceiling beams a black finish in some sections of the barn.
The second guest room is also accessed through an old oak door.
The architects also left the wooden framework openly visible in the two guest rooms. For wall insulation they used soft wool-fibre boards and slurry chalk. “This is a beautiful, natural colour. We also used the same plaster to mud the masonry in the hall,” says Barth.
The attic before the conversion.
The platform on top of the two guest rooms offers additional space. Over the balustrade made of netting, “a Duchamp story”, as Barth calls his idea, there is a view to the dining table in the middle of the hall and into the glazed winter house opposite.
View from the platform into the glazed winter house.
Your turn
What do you love about the architects’ approach to this project? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
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Missed our previous Houzz Tour? Catch up here with this Gold Coast Houzz: A Modern Beach House With Resort-Like Vibes
Your turn
What do you love about the architects’ approach to this project? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
More
Missed our previous Houzz Tour? Catch up here with this Gold Coast Houzz: A Modern Beach House With Resort-Like Vibes
House at a Glance
Who lives here: The entire property is shared by two families; one family lives in the farmhouse, the other family of four lives in this converted barn
Location: Uckermark, Germany
Architects: Petr Barth and Taras Breker of Barth und Breker Architekten
Budget: €350,000 (AU$575,000 at time of publication)
The family hadn’t even signed the contract to buy the property when they brought in Barth and Breker to help them with the unusual idea of dividing the barn into two climatic zones. The separation between the summer house and a small, insulated home for use year-round cannot be seen from outside. Nonetheless, it carries a lot of advantages.