What pure passion can create – A unique bijou

When good things come into being …

In addition to expertise, craftsmanship, and talent, time-honoured houses also require courage and passion, without losing vision and patience. A few years ago, a married couple dared to take on such a challenge. Their vision was to renovate a venerable and historic house from the 18th century with a great deal of expertise and attention to detail.

The starting position …

… would have put some of us off. Black and rotten beams, low ceiling heights, straw in the walls, mould in the cellar and narrow stairs. An open fireplace as a kitchen and sanitary facilities that are more inviting than inviting. A screed, well ventilated because not insulated. An almost watertight roof, an intermittently watered cellar and surroundings that first need to be brought into shape. Most of us would have condemned the house to demolition. The classic procedure would have been followed. Remove parts worthy of protection by the monument preservation authorities, gut the house, pour in intermediate concrete floors, integrate underfloor heating, insert steel beams, apply insulation and seal everything as airtight as possible. Probably relieve the statics of the old house and install new load-bearing elements. All this was accompanied by discussions, compromises, and struggles for contributions from the preservation of historical monuments. The result would certainly have been worth seeing, but the history, the character, and a lot of knowledge about traditional building craftsmanship would have been destroyed. Ancient building material that had served its purpose for centuries and would have stood the test of nature for centuries to come would have been disposed of. A waste of material, energy, and time.

The vision

The basic idea of the new owners was quite different. They recognized that in the original construction of this property, materials were used, and structural knowledge applied that was optimally coordinated. This was the only way it could withstand centuries of wind and weather, earthquakes and hurricanes, war campaigns and plague, modern architecture and changes in local planning. The vision: to preserve old durable substances, to integrate sustainable materials to increase comfort and to make the areas accessible to sustainable use again. At the same time, the architectural beauty and original appearance of the property and its building craftsmanship should be preserved. The goal: to make the property fit for the next centuries by reusing as much of the existing building materials as possible. Preserving sustainability.

The procedure

So they began to remove, number and map board by board. All components were cleaned, restored and of course treated. Defective parts were either replaced by alternative old beams or solid wood.

The foundation wall was dried out and all mould spores exposed and removed. The basement was lowered. This created a generous room height by today’s standards, both in the basement and on the ground floor. Drained drainage channels allow for easy maintenance and make water penetration a thing of the past. The old stone walls can “breathe” again and provide the best indoor climate in every season. The detailed dissection of the property revealed old craftsmanship and processing methods that were used during the restoration. Enthusiastic specialists played their part in solving the many little puzzles.

Monasteries, parish halls, churches, and old manor houses that had been demolished formed the pool of replacement material. Oak buttresses from Basel Cathedral, components from the town hall of Freiburg in Breisgau, a stone staircase from northern Germany, granite stones and terracotta slabs from various manor houses and monasteries from all over Europe. Each of these components was reworked by hand and fits seamlessly into the building. As if they had never stood anywhere else. The character of the house was preserved as good as possible, and in some cases even supplemented with one or two historical touches. Surrounded by contemporary witnesses of the last 400 years and every detail perfectly staged.

The straw in the walls was replaced by hemp and clay. Organic materials, whose benefits have been known for centuries. Cosy warmth is provided by heating elements laid in the walls. Alternatively, the renovated tiled stove can be used. It distributes the warmth throughout the house.

Restored floor planks were brought together to form magnificent parquet floors. However, not before the best possible insulation against impact sound was installed underneath. Historic glass windows that open up a new view of things. In combination with wooden shutters, they were already optimized in those days, but by no means tight. In summer rather less, in winter rather more. A house in office, the best prerequisite for a healthy climate for humans and animals. In the end, the old substances were put together and stylishly supplemented with exceptional bathrooms and modern showers. The open fireplace was retained, but optimized for fire protection. A cooking cooker in classic design was supplemented with modern appliances.

Ecology & Sustainability

“We are very proud not to have installed any chemical products.” We relied entirely on sustainability for the comprehensive renovation. Only historic building materials and solid wood from the local sawmill were used.

Inside, floors, walls, ceilings, windows, and doors have been carefully renovated. The materials already used in the past for this purpose, such as hemp, clay, sandstone, solid wood, clay tiles and trass, spread the original charm, down-to-earth ness and an honest expression. Sustainability for the future from the 18th century.

The energy balance of this renovation, compared to demolition and subsequent new construction, is clearly in favour of the renovation. The durability of the materials used exceeds that of modern concrete buildings. Not to mention the flexible spatial concept and the multiple uses of the building.

The history continues

The Canton of Aargau’s Department for the Preservation of Historical Monuments describes the house, which is steeped in history, as a wide-span, steeply-gabled Freiämter house with architectural-historical value. It is an architectural monument that was built in 1710. As early as 1772, the house was extended and adorned with the beautiful painting on the south façade. The Büchler family acquired the house around 1800, which is why it is also documented as the “Büchler House”. Later, it housed the largest private banqueting hall in the region. The generous lighting through two tripartite windows in the lower attic enabled it to be used as a hall-like room. In 1854, a second residential building was added and later further alterations were made until the house passed to the current owners in 2017. Their goal was to restore the historic house to its original character with a great deal of passion for antiquity and to adapt it to today’s needs. The owners put a lot of care into the detail work. It is a house with history and life. Perfection has been achieved through the careful handling of the existing and the use of the selected materials, which radiate pure life. And that is exactly what you will see, feel and experience when you enter this house for the first time.

Would you like to learn more about this unique property? Get in touch, we will be happy to share the story with you.