Inspired by the original 19th Century design, a rundown farmhouse on the east side of the River Glomma – Norway’s longest and largest river – has been brought into the 21st Century by LINK architects.
Article source: Eek en Dekkers (Piet Hein Eek Architecture)
In June 2014 we were asked to devise a plan for the renovation of a historic farmhouse (1904) in the Friesian town of Woudsend. The client wanted to turn it into a vibrant meeting place, in which the handicrafts and food from the surrounding area play a central role. The milk and meat come from the Friesian cow, the flour from the mill in the village, the wood from the adjacent mill and you can catch your own eel and smoke it in the smokehouse down the road.
Some projects are more particular than others, so when my brother asked me to design his house, the personal stakes were great. As a young farmer his financial supports are limited, but he has regular opportunities to build and maintain buildings on the farm. In most cases, they are made of metal fabrics delivered in kit. This know-how combined with its working time flexibility allowed to conceive the project in self-construction.
Surrounded by wheat fields on a high-altitude plateau stand a small glass house and a solid, traditional barn. The owners, inspired by Philip Johnson’s Glass House, wanted a refuge that opens up to the prairie and mountains. The structures are conveniently close to each other and enjoy a sense of isolation at the end of a long country road. The roof of the wood-frame barn, which houses farm equipment below and guest rooms above, was inspired by the local vernacular and is echoed in the shed roof of the glass house.
The project is an extension of a 17th century farmhouse and wine cellar in the countryside of La Mancha, which creates a centre devoted to wine culture. A new star–shaped piece is placed in the ancient courtyard, connecting old buildings and new ones. Its large scale is fragmented into smaller open spaces, each of them linked to the new functions around it. The courtyard, centre of the activity of the old farmhouse, is transformed by this star–shaped construction but maintains its character as an exterior space. The peaks of the star open towards the landscape giving entrance to the new complex. In this way the complex acquires a new relationship with the surroundings.
At the site of the original farmhouse from the late 19th century, in the village of Javornice in southern Bohemia, there is a new, partially reconstructed area Javorník distillery. Its owners, thanks to the neighboring farm, which has long been their property, could create a farm with all the necessary facilities. It is not only a newly built small fruit distillery, but also other reconstructed building like former pub with a dance hall, stables and a barn. New to the buildings there is a shop, fruit store, refrigerated fermentation plant, a customs warehouse basement, wood house, garage and there is accommodation for family members and guests. There is also an extensive orchard and garden as part of Javorník distillery. Homestead stands under the ruins of Helfenburk in the picturesque hills between the towns Bavorov and Vlachovo Brezi at an altitude of 480 m. The surroundings are mostly forests, grasslands and farm fields.
Masseria Grottone, part of Masserie Maresca Farm-Hotel, built between 1812 and 1860 is an agricultural complex a few miles away from Ostuni. Dipped in 40 acres of centenary olive trees and Mediterranean scrub: a natural context of extraordinary richness.
Abandoned for several years, the restoration and extension project has been assigned to the firm Schiattarella Associati having a long history dating back to 1970s and a know-how linked to some of the most significant projects of the last years such as the Seoul Metropolitan Museum, the Children Museum in Kyonggi, the Art Center in Addirriyah and many relevant projects in Italy as well such as the Spanish School of Archaeology, the Cube House in the Olympic Village and the Pediatric Ward of the Umberto I Hospital in Rome.
Among the grapefruit garden of a large farm, Mian Farm Cottage has a fine view of Ba Vi mountain range. The owners of the farm aim to create a place far away from the city which produces fresh food, has a green space, a great landscape and for families gathering.
Canards Maurel-Coulombe is an artisanal farm that produces the finest Foie Gras in Quebec.
The clients wanted to create a space where customers could have a total gourmet experience of duck foie gras. Like a Japanese tea room, this project is a space where art, nature, tradition & gastronomy becomes one. The contemporary exterior screen porch is an extension of an old traditional wooden house. The wood timber structure is placed in a way to make a visual connection between the farm and the products boutique. The tasting room faces the landscape from where you can see the ducks in the field. By night, the screen porch becomes a lantern.
The ancient architype of The Castle as an Outpost or Fort is rarely articulated in the modern world. This New Zealand farmhouse project explores this typology by being both commanding and defensive in one form.