We've written a lot about barns lately, but not unjustifiably! This simple, archetypal house shape is returning to favor. Architects are faced with the task of rescuing decaying buildings once inhabited by livestock or designing ones that faithfully resemble them. Why this massive "return to the origins"?
Although modern houses are intriguing, eye-catching and sing a fantastic song of the future, there is something appealing about the simplicity of old buildings - four walls and a gabled roof. Among fans of this simplicity, there are amateurs of restored original barns, but many builders today are opting for more contemporary forms. One of them was designed by {tag:Studio}.
old barn, new house
The added part located the entrance area, garage and night area
© YATTA Architects
An old barn located in the vicinity of Lodz was taken to the designers' workshop and transformed into an energy-efficient barn. YATTA Architects decided to add an elongated block to it, resulting in a building with an L-shaped base. The main part of the house remained the former barn - this is where the living room with kitchen and dining room is located. This is the "heart of the house", around which the family life of the residents revolves. In the added part, the entrance area, garage and night area were located.
The architects' goal was to make the two parts of the house equivalent, so that neither would compete with and dominate the other. They believe that together they make a better whole. With the new segment, a courtyard has been created that is sheltered from the street, while open to the forest adjacent to the plot, so that residents can enjoy privacy.
energy-efficient house
thanks to the new segment, a courtyard was created, which is sheltered from the street, while open to the forest adjacent to the plot, so that residents can enjoy privacy
© YATTA Architects
The house was built in accordance with Passive House Institute principles. It has a simple shape insofar as the program guidelines allowed. The largest openings were planned on the south and west sides. The building is equipped with recuperation and a heat pump.
The architects were keen not to disturb the existing greenery too much. They also wanted to preserve the barn's best features - spaciousness and sizeable gates.
