Multipurpose House in Dingenhart
- Barbara Zettel
A masonry brick house, bordered by a threshing floor and a timber stable, lined up underneath a long ridge beam: Multipurpose farm buildings are typical to the Swiss Canton of Thurgau. The same is true for the hamlet of Dingenhart near Frauenfeld. A Dutch couple from Frauenfeld purchased the farmhouse in the village centre with the intention of turning it into a residence. Following years of vacancy, the building had become decrepit. New construction seemed unavoidable. A delicate task, considering the edifice is located in an agricultural zone. New construction is only permitted for agricultural functions – including stables, storehouses or accommodation for farmers. However, the volume is integral to the settlement structure, and thus, the Canton of Thurgau permitted new construction exclusively for housing only after long negotiations.
