Schwollbachhof
Historic Renovation & Circular Timber Architecture
Family-owned since 1840 and located within the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park, the historic Schwollbachhof — formerly a mill, bakery and inn — has been comprehensively renovated into an eco-friendly guesthouse and community hub. The intervention sensitively preserves the site’s multi-layered heritage while integrating modern building performance and an uncompromising ecological concept.
The material strategy is rooted in regionality. A major portion of the timber originates directly from the owner’s adjacent forest, harvested in winter and kiln-dried using excess heat from a biogas plant. Structural, untreated Douglas fir trunks support the new balconies and form the exterior cladding — rough-sawn on the lower level and planed above to mirror the historic façade. Processed in a neighbouring village, native cherry, ash and oak were crafted into custom furniture and interior fit-outs, reducing transport emissions and reinforcing the local economy.
The architecture prioritises mono-materiality and reversible, demountable connections — screwed or slotted — while avoiding composite materials. Existing furniture and historic building elements were systematically restored and reintegrated to extend material lifecycles. Additionally, the new timber façade incorporates specialised nesting and roosting niches for the farm’s long-standing resident swallow and bat colonies.
Engineered for maximum self-sufficiency, the farm features an upgraded thermal envelope, heat pumps, a photovoltaic system, underground rainwater harvesting and unpaved terrain to encourage natural infiltration. The programme offers flexible, accessible spaces, ranging from self-catering units to shared communal rooms, seamlessly bridging historic rural heritage with contemporary, nature-focused living.
