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Location: Radebeul, Germany
Project size: 2,400 square feet

Program: This country house dating back to the end of the 19th century in the vineyards of Radebeul, near Dresden, had become in need of repair over time. Structurally, it was damp, rotten, and drafty. It still relied on an old oil heating system, and it had lost its large roof overhangs as well as many other ornamental details. The architectural task was to make it usable as a residential building, while also returning some of the vibrant energy the building once had—not to reconstruct what had been lost, but rather an optimistic and joyful continuation of its complex history.

Design Solution: SUMMACUMFEMMER refurbished the house and turned every reparation detail into a small design task. In the case of a rotting window frame, for instance, the project team not only replaced it with one that was structurally sound but transformed it into a small bay extension that connects two rooms along the facade. To address the house’s energy needs, the firm used fully insulated timber constructions and implemented a highly efficient log-fired central heating system. A wealth of vibrant detail was also added throughout the house during the repair work.

Photos © SUMMACUMFEMMER

Structure and Materials: The primary material in the conversion was wood. Rough-sawn boards were used for the new facade cladding; planed timber for the solid wood floors; CNS-milled beams for the cornice profiles; and carpenter-joined CLT for the complex roof truss and the timber-frame extensions. Wood is also the sole source of energy for the heating system.

Additional Information
Completion date: December 2023
Site size: 2 acres
Total construction cost: Withheld
Client/Owner: Withheld

Photos © SUMMACUMFEMMER

Images courtesy SUMMACUMFEMMER; click to enlarge