Not rebuilding. Building on.
An old house deserves care, patience and many skilled hands.
Preserve · complement · rethink
First, see what is already there.
An old house cannot be treated like a new build. You need to look closely, uncover its layers and decide what will carry its story forward — and what the house needs today.
The distinctive timber post-and-plank construction, dark original beams and historic proportions meet new timber, a renewed roof and modern building services. Not everything old needs to look new.
A new roof for an old house.
A roof protects what generations before us built — and makes room for what comes next. Between dark beams, fresh timber and precise craftsmanship, the existing structure gained a future.
Beneath the house.
A historic water channel was uncovered during the work. A discovery that makes the story of the old forge visible once more.
Discovery 01
What emerged beneath the farmhouse.
While exposing the foundations, we came across a masonry channel. An unexpected discovery — and a tangible clue to the hammer forge’s past.
Discover the full story →A house gets its skin back
Old meets new.
A roof is more than a finishing touch. It protects what earlier generations built and creates space for what lies ahead.
Wooden windows with glazing bars, solid doors, parquet flooring and carefully chosen materials combine with a modern kitchen, two bathrooms and contemporary comfort. The result should feel natural, not like a period reconstruction.
The farmstead from different perspectives
Water and iron – traces of the old forge
Beneath the house
One channel. Many questions.
During work on the foundations, a masonry watercourse came to light. Suddenly a piece of local history lay right in front of us.
The house history links this site with a water-powered hammer forge. A diverted stream supplied the energy needed for forging. The precise course and function of the rediscovered section still need to be assessed against historic maps and structural evidence.
Water becomes working power
The hammer forge.
Where guests now come to rest, craftsmanship and farming shaped everyday life for generations. Water power drove heavy hammers; smiths made and repaired tools and everyday objects.
Historical sources mention Jakob Mayr, Johann Baptist Hartmann and the Aletsee family, among others. Fires, rebuilding and changes in the water supply shaped the forge’s history.
Read the full house history →434 stories
The stream and the farmhouse.
Historic land surveys and local history research reveal how closely streams, mills and forges were connected in Pfronten. The discovery beneath the house makes this history tangible.
A historical connection is plausible — but the exact age of the uncovered masonry has not yet been established.
Further reading
Forges in Pfronten ↗ · Bläses and Gießbach streams ↗ · Historic land surveys ↗