Residential House in the Uckermark by Peter Grundmann

In a small settlement in the Uckermark, Berlin architect Peter Grundmann has converted an old settler's house. The building was constructed around 1900 and repeatedly extended until the 1990s. Over the decades, its original length of 9 m grew to 25 m. A couple with a child now lives in the 186-m² property. The architect based his design on existing features such as the openings in the exterior walls. These were retained and fitted with windows or sliding doors.

A steel walkway, approximately 10 m long, runs through the attic between spacious air spaces. © @pg.architektur

The two rooms in the oldest part of the house, along with the entrance area, new cloakroom and bathroom, were retained. The former now serve as a bedroom and a guest room. Behind these rooms, the kitchen, playroom, dining room, music room and living room form an open-plan space. To achieve this, the architect removed the floor slab and the old interior walls. Four sloping wooden frames, connected to the old roof structure, serve as cross bracing. A steel staircase in the room leads up to the attic, where a 10 m long steel walkway runs between spacious air spaces.

The existing exterior wall openings were retained and closed with new windows. © @pg.architektur

Most of the attic comprises open galleries arranged around air spaces. There is also an inner terrace on the gable end that faces the garden, complete with a balcony at the front. In addition to this, there is a master bedroom, a children's room, a toilet and a study. The exposed screed on the ground floor and the old brick walls, some of which are lime-plastered, are defining elements of the design, as are the pine plywood panels. These can be found in the furniture, as well as in the cladding of the sloping ceilings and interior walls. There are also frosted glass walls in the bathroom, toilet, kitchen and study, which further emphasise the contrast between old and new.