Old Barn Transformed into a Small Cottage for a Young Family

Project: Small Cottage
Architects: Alp’Architecture
Location: Sarreyer, Switzerland
Area: 90.0 sqm
Project Year: 2014
Photographs: Christophe Voisin

Located on the beautiful sunny slopes of the village of Sarreyer, Switzerland, this old barn of 25 m2 of floor area has been transformed into a small cottage for a young family. The project was designed by Lausanne-based Alp’Architecture.

Description by Alp’Architecture: Initially built in 1792, this barn was used to shelter cows during the winter and to dry hay and cereals. Bought 200 years later by a young couple, it was renovated and turned into a cozy three-story apartment.

The specifications called for the integration of two bedrooms, a living room and a large living space on the upper floor. The very limited access to the site asked complex technical solutions in order to carry out the project. Special attention was given to detail in the interior fittings and numerous pieces present on the original cottage were reused and integrated into the decoration. In order to do so, the existing volume was entirely measured by a surveyor and the planks were numbered by a carpenter to be replaced at the exact same spot before the barn was demolished.