Barn Retrofit · Alois Durand

01Build-up

drag to turn · cut to see inside the walls

01cut none

02About

CONCEPT
The conversion of a Tenne, the threshing barn of a traditional South Bavarian farmstead, into a family home. The ~200 m² shell is left fully intact; a second, climate-neutral envelope is built inside it, from wall to ceiling, as a house within a house. It holds four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a 90 m² living-dining space with kitchen, and a living room, with a suspended mezzanine over the kitchen breaking the 4.2 m high volume.

MATERIALS
Timber structure, straw and wood-fibre insulation, clay building boards with clay base and finish plaster.

MY ROLE
I modelled the insert in 3D and stayed involved throughout the build, working out the timber-framed partition walls in the model, supplying dimensions on site, and sketching quick solutions as questions came up. I then worked hands-on with the structure, fitting the straw and wood-fibre insulation and the clay boards. The build is ongoing.

03On site

The suspended gallery, plastered — gallerysuspended above the kitchen

Plastered wall under the roof slope, stair opening below — wall under the roof slopestair opening below

wall under the roof slopestair opening below

Room with the window and plastered walls — windowready for paint

October 2026: the clay boards are plastered in two coats with a fine finish; only the paint is left.

Straw packed between load bearing timber trusses — load bearing timber trussesstraw packed between members for insulation

load bearing timber trussesstraw packed between members for insulation

Timber beam frame under construction — build of timber beam frame6x16cm beams are used

build of timber beam frame6x16cm beams are used

Suspended mezzanine — suspended mezzanineself-supporting timber frame carried by its own triangulated structure