A 250 year old house near the centre of the town was to be converted into a contemporary home for two people.
Central to the planning was the installation of electricity and running water which, up to this point, had come from a cistern under the house.
Te other prerequisite was a restructuring and reallocation of the rooms in the house that were numerous and small.
All the essential inverventions were carried out using traditional building methods (replacement of the defective suspended ceilings, new floorings of waxed, un-bonded, cement screed, masonry fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen and lime plastering and stucco), some details were brought in as contrasting elements (a steel framed skylight above the living area, doors in the porch and the guest toilet). Nearly all the new surfaces were left untreated so that they would show the signs of wear and tear and thus age in a dignified fashion.

Pictures Jens Kirchner Düsseldorf