Farmstead Refurbishment Alkus – Building on an East Tyrolean Farmhouse
An 18th-century farm
An 18th-century farm, bought for summer retreats and the sheep: fine fabric, poor condition, good price – the classic East Tyrolean equation.
The client was not looking for an immaculate country estate but for a real farm: room for summer retreats, land for a few sheep. In Alkus he found the classic East Tyrolean equation – a handsome 18th-century farmhouse in poor condition at a good price, with adjoining stable and barn, enough land for farming and even a mill of its own. An ensemble with everything a farm ever needed. It just had to become one again.
01
The refurbishment began where the existing fabric demanded it most: the entire roof was renewed – traditional materials outside so that the farm remains what it is, modern insulation inside so that it can actually be lived in. The walls received insulation and new panelling, and the complete building services – heating, electrics, plumbing – were newly installed in the old house without pushing themselves to the fore.
02
Two rooms tell the story of the project in miniature. In the kitchen the original ceiling was missing – rather than reconstruct it, the deficit became the gesture: a double-height kitchen, tall and bright, such as no new building could achieve more naturally. And the historic Stube was returned to its original state with restored timber elements and traditional craftsmanship – the memory of the house, rescued piece by piece. Above: the attic as a large, column-free space, open to anything from studio to common room.
Completed in 2025 – and the farm once again has what it had for two hundred years: a future with animals, summers and people.
„It turned out so well that we're starting the next project straight away – on the Weissensee."
Next step
A similar project in mind?
Let us talk about how your existing building, place or project can be developed further in a meaningful way.
Talk about your project
