jonathan tuckey design transforms 17th century 'nossenhaus' in a swiss village

london-based firm jonathan tuckey design has transformed a historical building in switzerland that dates back to the early 1600s. before falling into disrepair, the ‘nossenhaus’ — the second oldest building in the alpine village of andermatt — originally accommodated several families across four small apartments. meanwhile, livestock would occupy the ground floor with food stored in the roof. after being commissioned to renovate the property, the design team sought to preserve the building’s sense of shared spaces.

image © james brittain (also main image)

after its renovation by jonathan tuckey design, the ‘nossenhaus’ is now a multi-family dwelling on the upper levels and a bar below, with new materials selected to fade into the older elements over time. stone is used on the north and east elevations to protect against strong winds, while the timber on the south and east façades makes use of the sun’s warmth. a central corridor serves as a shared space where the two materials meet, resulting in a wide, internal street for communal life.

image © james brittain

although the building remains typical of the local vernacular, modern day construction methods have been used to reassemble its constituent parts. the result is a three dimensional mix of contemporary design and heritage. monolithic timber structural slabs have been used to stabilize the building and separate internal functions, while the external walls feature sections of new timber woven into the original building. ‘this project demonstrates how you can use modern methods of construction to create a passivhaus structure without compromising the identity and history of the building,’ explains the design team.

image © james brittain

image © james brittain

image © james brittain

image © james brittain

image © james brittain

image © james brittain

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project info:

name: nossenhaus
location: andermatt, switzerland
design: jonathan tuckey design — website | instagram
photography: james brittain — website | instagram