learning house by max otto zitzelsberger treads lightly on german open-air museum grounds

Max Otto Zitzelsberger’s Elevated Timber Construction in Bavaria

Architect and professor Max Otto Zitzelsberger presents the Learning House, a research project focused on timber construction and environmental education, situated at the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz, an open-air museum in Bavaria. This project, developed in collaboration with Zitzelsberger’s architecture students from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, replaces a main building that was lost to fire, complementing the existing structures of a former four-sided farm. The new lightweight structure, a simple timber-frame building, utilizes wood sourced sustainably from nearby forests, reflecting a commitment to eco-friendly construction practices.

all images by Sebastian Schels

From Stone to Timber: The Evolution of the Learning House

Located on the site of a former four-sided farm, the new building by Max Otto Zitzelsberger and his students replaces the main farmhouse that was destroyed by fire. Constructed as a simple timber-frame structure, it utilizes wood sustainably harvested from the nearby forest. The timber was felled in winter, carefully cut on-site with a mobile saw, and gently dried for over a year. By using materials sparingly, the German architect and his team was able to reduce the cross-sections of the load-bearing timbers due to the quality of the wood. The building is elevated on a few concrete foundation necks, minimizing the use of concrete. This elevation serves not only as a sustainable construction choice but also as an architectural statement. While the new building draws inspiration from the form of the original farmhouse, it deliberately diverges from the historic design at key points, creating a modern reinterpretation of the lost structure.

The original farmhouse, built of heavy stone and brick, evolved over generations, with various extensions gradually altering its appearance. In contrast, the new structure takes a more abstract approach. While the original building sat firmly on the ground, the replacement is lightweight, elevated, and hovers above the site. Its floor plan, completely reimagined for its new role as a seminar space for environmental education, reflects a clear departure from the past. Although the quirky extensions of the former building are echoed in the new design, they are not replicated, but reinterpreted.

the new lightweight structure takes shape as a simple timber-frame building

an ‘Anti-Project’ at Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz

The Learning House at the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz stands as a counter-project to the typical prestige buildings of German open-air museums, which often indulge in excessive use of materials, resources, and space. In many ways, it can be seen as an ‘anti-project,’ challenging traditional notions of construction. There is no fixed schedule—building occurs as materials and capacities become available, making the process an integral part of the result. This approach rejects linearity and finality, embracing a dynamic and fluid process where every stage is both a result and an intermediate step. Inspired by the word collages of Herta Müller, the project reflects a recycling of ideas, exploring alternative futures and the variance of possibilities, with no final ‘finished’ state.

the project settles at the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz, an open-air museum in Bavaria

the project utilizes wood sourced sustainably from nearby forests

the replacement is elevated, and hovers above the site

this elevation serves not only as a sustainable construction choice but also as an architectural statement

the Learning House replaces a main building that was lost to fire

the space is reimagined for its new role as a seminar space for environmental education

the new building draws inspiration from the form of the original farmhouse but deliberately diverges from the historic design

the project reflects a recycling of ideas, exploring alternative futures and the variance of possibilities

project info:

name: Learning House
architect: Max Otto Zitzelsberger | @maxottozitzelsberger
design team: Lorenz Einzinger, Anton Götz, Tobias Hammerl, Eugen Happacher, Gordian Kley, Anton Kraus, Bettina
Kraus, Jonas Maczioschek, Melanie Schlanser, Christian Wundsam, Max Zitzelsberger
students: Kenda Alomar, Tobias Becker, Philipp Buchmann, Adrian Conradi, Kenza Dahbi-Skali, Dominik Diehl,
Katrin Ehrlich, Hong Fenglin, Nina Gusenburger, Aisha Hassan Agha, Frieda Herrmann, Eric Höfer,
Hannah Hüttenberger, Lena Hüttenberger, Julius Isele, Felix Justinger, Nataliia Kovalenko, Pascal
Lange, Claudia Polini, Céline Lauer, Pascal Malschofsky, Lisa-Marie Monreal, Jannis Rickertsen,
Johann Rieß, Linda Ringeisen, Julian Salis, Laura Maria Schinner, Carolin Schreiner, Jonas Schuh,
Tobias Trimborn, Ignahy Ventura Ruiz, Lennart Wagner, Kathinka Wallrabe, Sarah Wanke, Lukas
Wiederstein, Gizem Yaldiz, Ziqi Zhang
location: Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz, Bavaria, Germany
photography: Sebastian Schels | @sebastianschels