Marode Scheune wird Neubau mit altem Fachwerk | ARD Room Tour

When Steffi and Mirko Immendörfer bought a plot of land with a 300-year-old barn in 2010, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Requirements to preserve the listed old town of Markgröningen forced them to break new ground. They were unable to preserve the barn, which was in danger of collapsing, and had to rethink their dream of owning their own home. A huge advantage: Mirko is an architect and their own house was the first to be based on his designs and plans. Of course, this also had a considerable influence on their own limited financial resources. The result was a unique mix of old half-timbering and a new solid timber construction. The necessary compromise with the monument protection authorities was to preserve the ancient half-timbering from 1680 and place it like a backdrop in its original position about one meter in front of the new building. The result has now become an integral part of guided tours through the medieval old town. But Mirko had to improvise and experiment in many places before he got that far. After all, the plot only has 70 m² of floor space. The family of four has plenty of space because the building was built three storeys high. In addition to the small footprint, the diamond-shaped floor plan is also characteristic of the building's design. Hardly any of the walls here have a ninety-degree angle. Mirko made a virtue of necessity when it came to planning and adapted the central staircase to the asymmetrical basic shape. This left space to create ninety-degree angles for the living rooms behind, making it easier to furnish. At the same time, this shape gave the staircase a unique, remote charm that makes it a real eye-catcher. The staircase here is far more than just a necessary object for connecting floors. Another experiment was lighting the building with daylight. Because the new building had to fit into the existing gap between buildings, windows were only possible on the south façade. Four huge skylights in the roof directly above the central and spacious stairwell therefore provide the entire building with sufficient light. The rooms at the back of the house are then lit by frosted glass panes set into the staircase. Otherwise, the new house is made entirely of wood, the Immendörfers' favorite building material. Only the floor on the first floor is made of polished concrete. This means you can ride your bike straight into the kitchen-living room via the courtyard at the entrance. This room forms the center, the heart of the house. From here, you can access the children's rooms, a bathroom and Mirko's music room on the second floor. There is also a bathroom on the second floor. This leads to the very small master bedroom, which the family affectionately call the “little ski hut”. Anyone who wonders how a closet fits into this small space will be proven wrong in the far corner: here you enter the dressing room and closet. This walk-in closet is enthroned above the staircase. From up here, you can see eight meters down to the kitchen on the first floor through the full glazing. An absolute highlight in the old, converted barn. If you go up the last few steps in the central staircase, you reach the converted attic. This is where the family's living room is located. It is also the brightest room in the entire house. From here, you can admire the preserved half-timbered art of the Middle Ages on the exterior façade through the large glass front. Or let your gaze wander into the distance, as the view offers an almost unobstructed view over the surroundings of Markgröningen as far as the horizon. A movie by: Jörg Hommer (editing), Andi Enderle (camera), André Franz (sound) and Marco Büttner (editing). 00:00 New building with old façade 00:30 Kitchen & dining room 03:55 Staircase 05:19 Children's rooms 06:05 Bedroom 09:37 Living room 10:23 Roof terrace