Switzerland

For his firm's first project, Swiss architect Benjamin Krampulz of Bkarch gave new meaning to a barn-raising. A pair of avid cross-country skiers asked the architect to convert an 80-year-old livestock barn—once the home of sheep, cattle, and mounds of hay—into a modern getaway for themselves and guests.

The barn is located on a plateau in the alpine village of Gluringen, Switzerland. Due to the resiliency of the original larch-wood frame, Krampulz found the abandoned shed in remarkable condition; only the roof demanded repairs. But to comply with the local fire code, Krampulz moved the building away from adjacent ones by an additional 16 feet. The architect also elevated it on a concrete base to augment the ceiling height on the ground level.

While maintaining the building's integrity, Krampulz nestled an inner, irregularly shaped shell in the square barn for both insulation and to create unique functional spaces. “It's like a box in a box,” he said, “except you can experience the voids where needed.”

The original entryway leads into a space between the new and old structures and provides an area for skiers to shed their gear. The lower level also contains the bathroom, the master bedroom, and storage. Upstairs, the former hayloft was transformed into living, dining, and kitchen spaces. A loft above is used as a guest bedroom.

To maximize the pint-sized floor plan (about 500 square feet), Krampulz cleverly integrated storage into the inner skin. The architect brought in light with existing openings, but also added strategic cuts where appropriate. “I love working with the existing framework because constraints generate the project,” Krampulz said. “For me, it's more evident to give reason to things, rather than do things because the end result is beautiful.”

People

Architects:
Benjamin Krampulz/ architect dipl. ing. Sia

Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit:
Benjamin Krampulz

Architect of record:
Benjamin Krampulz

Photographer(s):
Roland Halbe

  

Products

Structure:
Insulated wood frames (walls and roof structure)

Exterior finishing materials:
Fir wood cladding ext
Moisture barrier film
Fir wood cladding int

Roofing
Eternit cladding

Windows
Wood frame

Glazing
Glass: 2 layers, val. U: 1.1

Doors
Entrances: Glass: 2 layers, val. U: 1.1

Wood doors:
fir wood

Hardware
Locksets: glutz

Closers: glutz

Exit devices: glutz

Interior finishes
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Fir wood cladding

Wall coverings:
Fir wood cladding

Flooring:
Fir wood cladding

Furnishings
Cabinets: Fir wood cladding

Lighting
Interior lighting:
regent tool 5

Energy
Energy management or building automation system:
wood stove, with electrical floor heating (only used if absolutely necessary

Other unique products that contribute to sustainability:
Existing outer structure, former stall.

Add any additional building components or special equipment that made a significant contribution to this project:
• moving an existing stall to a new location (fire protection reasons, floor height from 187 m to 2.24 m)
• new concrete foundation
• using the existing larch wood structure as fa'ade (monument conservation. Etc.)
•rebuilding the interiors in fir wood framing, trying to create a dialog between the old and the new structure.