The Renovation And Extension Of An 18th Century House To Include An Office

Oppenheim Architecture + Design have completed the renovation and extension of a farmhouse, built in 1743 in Muttenz, Switzerland, to include an office and private residence.

The architect’s description

The design of this adaptive re-use project was born initially out of a design competition initiated by the City of Muttenz/Basel. The design was based on the renovation of an historic farmhouse situated within the historic center core of the city. The original farmhouse was constructed in 1743.

Today the converted farmhouse serves as an office for an architectural design company, provides community meeting space, and serves as a compelling link to a new, adjacent private residence.

The new design aimed to provide a fresh interpretation to the existing traditional features of the historic farmhouse building and it’s interior.

This is achieved by creating new openings for natural daylight and by using a crisp white finish in the interiors, which juxtapose against the texture of the old wood and through the way in which the spaces open up, overlap, and merge together with one another.

The sustainability considerations included maintaining an energy-efficient building through the use of current MINERGIE (energy efficiency) construction standards, solar roof panels, a sustainable choice of materials such as reclaimed wood used for the facade, and the restoration of existing architectural elements where possible.

The project also included the design of a new single family house adjacent to the adaptively re-used historic farmhouse that was converted into the office. This elegant contemporary residential structure juxtaposes with the historic building.

The new and old share commonalities of materials and colors, yet have distinctly different expressions with the interplay of modern and historic delighting the senses.

The 3-floor house is organized with the master bedroom and guest bedroom on the top floor; the kitchen, dining and living spaces on the ground level; and the children’s bedrooms below ground with a ramped outdoor backyard terrace leading up to the ground level.