Architecture

Austrian house swallowed up by larger new wooden exterior

Austrian house swallowed up by larger new wooden exterior
Haus Hohlen has had a new building "envelope" built around it
Haus Hohlen has had a new building "envelope" built around it
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Haus Hohlen has had a new building "envelope" built around it
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Haus Hohlen has had a new building "envelope" built around it
The original structure of Haus Hohlen was gutted and unwanted fixtures removed
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The original structure of Haus Hohlen was gutted and unwanted fixtures removed
After being gutted, the original structure of Haus Hohlen was then enclosed by a new exterior
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After being gutted, the original structure of Haus Hohlen was then enclosed by a new exterior
Haus Hohlen was extended by 4 m (13 ft) at the gable end and 1.5 m (5 ft) at the sides
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Haus Hohlen was extended by 4 m (13 ft) at the gable end and 1.5 m (5 ft) at the sides
Haus Hohlen is located on a hillside above Dornbirn, Austria
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Haus Hohlen is located on a hillside above Dornbirn, Austria
A lot of glazing is now used in Haus Hohlen to take advantage of the surrounding views
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A lot of glazing is now used in Haus Hohlen to take advantage of the surrounding views
The original structure of Haus Hohlen is now visible as part of the building's interior
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The original structure of Haus Hohlen is now visible as part of the building's interior
The new exterior of Haus Hohlen was built out of lightweight timber
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The new exterior of Haus Hohlen was built out of lightweight timber
All glass is triple glazed to help insulate Haus Hohlen
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All glass is triple glazed to help insulate Haus Hohlen
Inside, the original structure of Haus Hohlen remains recognizable, but features have been reappropriated in places
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Inside, the original structure of Haus Hohlen remains recognizable, but features have been reappropriated in places
A view between the original and new exteriors of Haus Hohlen
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A view between the original and new exteriors of Haus Hohlen
Orignal exterior doorways are now used, in places, as internal passageways
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Orignal exterior doorways are now used, in places, as internal passageways
The new wooden construction helps to insulate Haus Hohlen
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The new wooden construction helps to insulate Haus Hohlen
A view along the side of Haus Hohlen
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A view along the side of Haus Hohlen
One of the newly created spaces within Haus Hohlen
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One of the newly created spaces within Haus Hohlen
A bedroom inside Haus Hohlen
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A bedroom inside Haus Hohlen
The kitchen inside Haus Hohlen
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The kitchen inside Haus Hohlen
A stairwell between the original and new exteriors of Haus Hohlen
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A stairwell between the original and new exteriors of Haus Hohlen
The hillside on which Haus Hohlen sits
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The hillside on which Haus Hohlen sits
The dark new exterior of Haus Hohlen
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The dark new exterior of Haus Hohlen
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When houses are extended, it's generally the case that an additional section is simply added on to one part of the building. A house in Austria, however, has had an entirely new exterior built around it. The existing building of Haus Hohlen is now part of the house's interior.

Haus Hohlen is located on a hill above Dornbirn, Austria, and was originally built in 1961. In 2012, it was decided that the 85 sq m (915 sq ft) building was too small for the four residents, and an approach for renovating and extending it was formulated.

The only part of the building deemed worth preserving was the existing stonework. Other than that, the house was gutted and unwanted fixtures removed. The original structure was then enclosed by a new building "envelope" or exterior. Inside, the structure remains recognizable, but features have been reappropriated in places. Some windows, for example, have become passageways, a pass-through and a niche for a basin.

The original structure of Haus Hohlen is now visible as part of the building's interior
The original structure of Haus Hohlen is now visible as part of the building's interior

The new exterior was constructed out of lightweight timber, so as to take advantage of the potential for prefabrication, quick construction, the use of an environmentally-sound material and internal temperature benefits once the building was completed. The building was extended by 4 m (13 ft) at the gable end and 1.5 m (5 ft) at the sides, with a new roof being built immediately above the existing roof.

"We used the old house's tiles and mixed them with new ones," explains project architect Jochen Specht to Gizmag. "This is a traditional technique, when stables or other buildings are expanded."

The new wooden construction helps to insulate Haus Hohlen
The new wooden construction helps to insulate Haus Hohlen

As well as adding a lot of windows to take advantage of Haus Hohlen's surrounding views, the heating and insulation of the building were also improved. All glass is now triple-glazed, the existing oil heating system has been replaced by a heat pump with geothermal probes, and underfloor heating has been installed. New wood fiber and foam-glass insulation has also been used. These factors have reduced Haus Hohlen's heating energy use to 45 kWh/sq-m (4.2 kWh/sq-ft) a year.

Haus Hohlen was completed earlier this year. The video below is a time-lapse of the building's transformation.

Source: Jochen Specht

Austrian house swallowed up by larger new wooden exterior

View gallery - 20 images
3 comments
3 comments
Steve Smith
Why is the modern look always so stark and cold in its ambiance? No warmth at all.
Rehab
Great to see a new face for an old house, nice job.
Windsor Wilder
Very Japanese. I like it.