Reconstruction and conversion of the mill for residential use
Breathtaking New Life
From the very first meeting with the owners, it was clear what requirements their future home had to meet: "It should be unconventional yet unpretentious." This clear description reflected the life attitude and charisma of the humble married couple. At the beginning of the collaboration, none of us knew that in the end, there would be a breathtaking new life breathed into the house, which would emerge from an amazing partnership. We were just at the beginning of the search for a suitable place for the house to stand. The desire for a secluded home was fulfilled by the location and genius loci of an ancient mill by a vanished pond. After the first visit, the decision was made: "Here, in this house; it won't be built, but reconstructed."
The age of the mill had taken its toll. Years without care, moisture, and unsuitable layout led to a radical solution. Instead of a "facelift", a drastic "transplantation". Not a superficial rejuvenation, but a healing of all essential structures so that the charm of the centuries would not be lost.
The main task was to bring air and light into the interior of the house. However, no one wanted to disturb the gable, so we "amputated part of the torso". In the original volume of the building, a patio was created, through which sunlight entered the interior via the glass "cut through the house". The main gable was exposed from both sides, and the flow of fresh air rid it of the perpetual moisture that would have multiplied with the restoration of the pond.
The existing roof trusses were dismantled, renovated, and returned to their original position. From the living room with the kitchen and dining area, one can still enjoy the work of ancestors; the space is opened by removing the ceiling over two floors.
The entrance to the mill remained in its original place. Only the footbridge, which could no longer be renovated, was restored using contemporary materials. Hot-dip galvanized beams and pororošty serve their function well. The mill wheel was made in the traditional artisan manner. The entire ground floor, including the patio, is paved with basalt tiles. In this careful manner, we gradually restored or replaced individual parts of the mill to meet the set goal of not taking away the beauty of the house's age.
Figuratively speaking, we can compare our work as architects and all collaborating craftsmen to doctors who treat their patients. Just like in their work, more is needed for healing. That breath of life, that healing was the habitation by the new owners. The house found its function again, the sense of life of the house. Through the reconstruction, the house did not become an exhibit in a museum but a home in which one lives.
From the very first meeting with the owners, it was clear what requirements their future home had to meet: "It should be unconventional yet unpretentious." This clear description reflected the life attitude and charisma of the humble married couple. At the beginning of the collaboration, none of us knew that in the end, there would be a breathtaking new life breathed into the house, which would emerge from an amazing partnership. We were just at the beginning of the search for a suitable place for the house to stand. The desire for a secluded home was fulfilled by the location and genius loci of an ancient mill by a vanished pond. After the first visit, the decision was made: "Here, in this house; it won't be built, but reconstructed."
The age of the mill had taken its toll. Years without care, moisture, and unsuitable layout led to a radical solution. Instead of a "facelift", a drastic "transplantation". Not a superficial rejuvenation, but a healing of all essential structures so that the charm of the centuries would not be lost.
The main task was to bring air and light into the interior of the house. However, no one wanted to disturb the gable, so we "amputated part of the torso". In the original volume of the building, a patio was created, through which sunlight entered the interior via the glass "cut through the house". The main gable was exposed from both sides, and the flow of fresh air rid it of the perpetual moisture that would have multiplied with the restoration of the pond.
The existing roof trusses were dismantled, renovated, and returned to their original position. From the living room with the kitchen and dining area, one can still enjoy the work of ancestors; the space is opened by removing the ceiling over two floors.
The entrance to the mill remained in its original place. Only the footbridge, which could no longer be renovated, was restored using contemporary materials. Hot-dip galvanized beams and pororošty serve their function well. The mill wheel was made in the traditional artisan manner. The entire ground floor, including the patio, is paved with basalt tiles. In this careful manner, we gradually restored or replaced individual parts of the mill to meet the set goal of not taking away the beauty of the house's age.
Figuratively speaking, we can compare our work as architects and all collaborating craftsmen to doctors who treat their patients. Just like in their work, more is needed for healing. That breath of life, that healing was the habitation by the new owners. The house found its function again, the sense of life of the house. Through the reconstruction, the house did not become an exhibit in a museum but a home in which one lives.
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Omasta
06.12.18 01:19
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