lukas lenherr transforms 1850s barn into residence with all-wood interior in switzerland

‘Six frames’ barn renovation by Lukas Lenherr

Zurich-based firm Lukas Lenherr Architektur has installed an intricate wooden support structure within an existing 1850 barn in Mannedorf, Switzerland. Six wooden frames stabilize the original construction, while a series of slabs clad the interior in its entirety. Within the original structure, new spaces are created with various openings and sightlines that form a fluid spatial sequence. The renovated residence can now be experienced like an ‘American shotgun house,’ as the architects mention.

the exterior of the barn before the intervention | all images by Florian Amoser

a charred wood façade that will last for several generations

Lukas Lenherr Architektur (find more here) installed spruce frames during construction to support the existing structure. The same frames were later preserved, remaining visible to define the redesigned spatial layout, giving the project its name, ‘Six Frames.’ Across the three floors of the building, the alcoves are now openly connected and together form a single large living space from the first floor to the roof. The more enclosed spaces have visual connections, internal windows, or flaps that communicate with the living space.

In terms of its basic volume and the shape of the roof, the barn looks like it used to. The fact that the barn is a residential building becomes clear only through the window openings. A new shingle façade made of silver fir wood was charred using the Yakusuzgi method. This technique makes it possible to preserve the wood cladding for several generations. On two sides of the façade, the windows are no longer visible behind manually adjustable black wooden slats, depending on the viewing angle.

the exterior of the barn after the intervention