LBGO LEUPOLD BROWN GOLDBACH
ARCHITEKTEN

A traditional southern German timber barn dating from 1773 has been meticulously reconstructed. This undertaking demanded not only a lot of courage on the part of the client but also the exceptional artistry of the carpenter.
The barn, initially designed for agricultural use and tool storage, featured a large, undivided interior devoid of partitions or ceilings. Originally, the timber barn, an unenclosed structure with interior boarding, facilitated unrestricted ventilation and functioned solely as protection from the elements. Daylight was not needed inside the building. The challenge was to transform this exquisite structure into a seminar and residential facility, while preserving and accentuating the details of its artisanal craftsmanship.
To establish the absent spatial demarcations, an abstract 3-story sculpture, constructed of wooden cubes, was installed within the interior. The cubes are arranged in a staggered fashion, thereby creating tri-dimensional spatial formations that permit the entire volume of the barn to be experienced from ‘floor to roof’. The homogeneous exterior of the silver fir cubes creates a striking contrast to the intricate lattice work of the timber, while remaining distinctly discernible as a contemporary addition that does not overpower the original design. The defining features of the barn, the two threshing floors, are left unencumbered, with only small bridges linking the spaces on the upper levels. The enormous barn doors were no longer available, necessitating their replacement with expansive glass ones. This is also where the interior space converges with the exterior space, as a direct path leads from the barn to the bathing lake beyond.
The inside of the barn is fully glazed. This arrangement allows daylight to flood into the interior, affording a wonderful view of the exquisite timber work with its intricate components from inside the building. To conserve the original shape and sturdiness of the barn, vertical wooden beams were inserted between the lattice work and the glazing. These features contribute to a calming exterior aesthetic. The originally very small openings in the first-floor masonry were replaced with strategically positioned larger ones. These architectural features take on distinct shapes and detailing, revealing themselves to be very much contemporary interventions.
The outdoor facilities are designed with a restrained aesthetic, utilizing natural materials that are in harmony with the rural surroundings. An elongated outbuilding situated in front of the barn, accommodating the building services, storage rooms and carports, creates a type of courtyard complex together with the barn while framing the entrance area.

  • Size: 800 m²
  • Client/Owner: Aubenhausen Gbr
  • Lanscape Architect: Uwe Schmidt - Büro für Orts- und Landschaftsplanung
  • Structural Engineer: Thomas Bachmann
  • Climate Consultant: Transsolar
  • Electrical Engineer: Wastl Ingenieure
  • Building physicist: PMI Ingenieure
  • Photos: Jonathan Sage
  • Current Status: fertiggestellt
  • Project Phases: LPH 1-5 HOAI
  • Awards: Nominierung ArchDaily 2021 Building of the Year Award
  • Planning: 2014-2019
  • Project number LBGO: 124
  • Team LBGO: Amlis Botsch (Projektleitung), Anne-Sophie Maria, Martina Siciliano, Richard Thompson