Reconstruction of the farmhouse in the Bavarian Forest by Peter Haimerl

The Munich architect approached the reconstruction of the wooden farmstead Arnbruck in the Bavarian Forest in a uncompromising manner. To save the decaying building from complete demolition, he took a radical step by replacing the rotten wooden beams with reinforced concrete. Almost half of the house had to be removed in total. The resulting collage offers a unique atmosphere that combines historical heritage with minimalist elements of frameless glazing. The building, set on a granite base, originally served a family that gave up farming in 1963, moved away, and left the house to the mercy of cows and sheep grazing in the surrounding meadows. The house soon became filled with manure and was attacked by fungi and moss. Peter Heimerl approached the reconstruction in a way that he adopted the grid of 43 x 43 centimeters of basic granite blocks and projected them into the new reinforced concrete structure. The renovation of the house cost 400,000 euros. This resulted in 180 m² of living space offering all the necessities for a modern household, including internet connection. The house is owned by farmers from the neighboring farm and will serve for recreational rentals and hosting professional seminars dealing with the preservation of original agricultural buildings in the landscape. The investor estimated the project's return on investment to be thirty years.