Built on the site of a former barn in the heart of the village of Dalheim, this house explores the transformation of rural heritage. Rather than reconstructing the lost building, the project extends its presence by reinterpreting its volume, proportions and selected principles of vernacular architecture through a contemporary architectural language.

The new house occupies the footprint and volume of the former barn, which was attached to a neighbouring rural Art Deco house. It preserves the original scale of the building and its complementary role within the village streetscape. The existing stone basement and its vaulted cellar have been retained as the foundation of the project, a decision also influenced by the presence of significant Roman archaeological remains beneath the site.

The house is organised over three levels. The ground floor forms a continuous sequence of living spaces connecting the street to the garden. The children’s bedrooms and guest room occupy the first floor, while the parents’ suite is located beneath the roof. A large dormer window gives the main bedroom generous proportions and privileged views over the garden.

Clad in untreated Western Red Cedar, the house recalls the materiality of the region’s agricultural buildings without reproducing their forms. The entrance reflects the scale of the former barn doorway, while sliding shutters and panels reinterpret traditional rural elements, allowing the occupants to adjust the openness of the street façade according to their needs.

In contrast, the garden façade opens generously through large floor-to-ceiling glazed openings. The preserved basement, extending six metres beyond the new volume, creates a spacious terrace that naturally prolongs the living areas outdoors. The project demonstrates how contemporary architecture can be integrated into a rural context by reinterpreting its underlying principles rather than replicating its traditional forms.