Remarkable transformation of an 1800s barn

You'll probably say I'm obsessed with old wood, recovered wood or converted old wooden houses. I don't even think I could argue with you. And if I did, the numerous articles written on these subjects in only a little over a year would contradict me. So I'm not going to try to find an explanation for the fact that I'm going to write again about an old house in the Swiss Alps. Basically it's a 1792 barn that has been converted into a cozy cottage, retaining most of the original structure.

The 25 square meter building was located in the village of Sarreyer, Switzerland and was used as a cattle shelter and hay storage. At the request of a young family, it has been transformed into a vacation home with 2 bedrooms, a dining area and a living area. The project was done by a local architectural firm, which has done such conversions of buildings in the area, Alp'Architecture sarl.

The renovation involved complete disassembly of the structure, piece by piece. Each element was dismantled and numbered so that, after the necessary repairs and refurbishment, the construction could reproduce the original model as closely as possible.

Alp'Archtecture's project was based on a footprint of 25 square meters, building 3 levels and reaching almost 90 square meters. The first level, a stone structure on which the barn was built, was maintained and rebuilt. That became the first level of the building, below the access level to the cottage.

Levels 2 and 3 were built mainly of reclaimed barn wood. Level 2 is the entrance to the cabin because that is where the street is. The bedrooms are on levels 1 and 3. The bathrooms are also located there. On Level 2 the kitchen was built along with the dining area, and on the top level is the second bedroom and living room. On the top floor there is also a balcony where you can admire the beauty of the mountains in peace.

When restoring the structure, special attention was paid to every detail and an attempt was made to use every object or piece of wood that reminded of the past. The result is a cottage with all the necessary utilities, spacious enough for a young family with a child, but without detracting from the look and beauty of the area.

I like such renovations precisely because the main concern of architects and builders, but especially of owners, is not to build chaotically, not to stand out, to keep the area authentic. And above all, not to cut the roots, not to forget the past.