Erika and Willi’s Barn: A Hands-On Experiment in Architectural Renewal

Set within the quiet vineyard landscape of Albisheim, surrounded by Riesling and Chardonnay fields, Erika and Willi’s Barn is a compelling example of adaptive reuse through self-built renovation. Designed by Piertzovanis Toews, the project transforms a centuries-old agricultural structure into a contemporary home while preserving its material honesty, spatial memory, and handcrafted character.

Originally part of an ensemble formed around an 18th-century mill, the barn had undergone multiple alterations over time. Yet its essential structure—thick stone walls, oak timber framework, and clay roof tiles—remained largely intact. Recognizing the value embedded in these elements, the architects approached the renovation not as a complete transformation, but as a careful dialogue with the existing building fabric.

What makes this project particularly remarkable is its process. With limited financial resources and minimal construction experience, the owners carried out nearly all stages of the renovation themselves. Guided by illustrated, step-by-step manuals prepared by the architects, Erika and Willi became active participants in shaping their home. Aside from heating systems and window installations, the entire conversion was executed by hand—embracing uncertainty, mistakes, and learning as part of the architectural journey.

The renovation began with sandblasting the original timber, revealing the nuanced grain, color variations, and structural wear accumulated over centuries. This process allowed the team to assess material quality and damage while celebrating imperfections as records of time rather than flaws to be concealed.

At the heart of the house lies a vast L-shaped space beneath the original barn roof, once used for hay storage. Instead of subdividing this volume, the design preserves its dramatic height differences and warped roof trusses, maintaining a sense of openness and continuity. Within this large space, a series of “houses within the house” introduces function and intimacy without compromising spatial clarity.

Each inserted volume is defined by color and use:

• a yellow loggia, visually resembling a greenhouse that blurs interior and exterior boundaries;
• a green kitchen, set apart as a distinct functional core;
• a pale red stairhouse, anchoring vertical circulation;
• and a lilac glass walkway connecting to the courtyard.

Bedrooms are positioned at the far ends of the L-shaped plan, allowing the central space to remain uninterrupted and communal.

All photographs are works of Simone Bossi