Project status: Completion 2022
Project type: residential building
Location: Murstetten, Austria
Client: Private
Usable area: 46 m2
Materials: Timber frame construction, straw bale insulation
Energy: PV system for heat and energy generation
Architect: Juri Troy Architects

About Studio

Our architectural office deals with the planning and implementation of projects of various scales and functions. Central themes are always the development of sustainable building concepts and the use of renewable raw materials – especially local wood. In addition, our work is driven by the pursuit of a holistic approach to architecture, which attempts to understand building culture as a communal, social process.

The structure sits eerily and naturally in the middle of the historical ruins, playing independently of the nearby buildings.

Wood is used for surfaces as well as structural components.

The house follows a complete sustainable philosophy in planning, use and implementation. — The house follows a completely sustainable philosophy in planning, use, and implementation.

Straw from a local farm, which is also found nearby, is used as insulation for the structure.

The living room is located in the lower, southern portion of the house and has a huge window that can be opened completely to the garden and the property's tiny stream. — The living room is located in the lower, southern portion of the house and has a huge window that can be opened completely to the garden and the property’s tiny stream.

The entrance to the structure is on the north side, which also houses a tiny bathroom and a sleeping gallery.

From the ceiling to the flooring, the inside is entirely wooden in style.

The huge panorama windows provide an unobstructed view and are aligned with the historical and geographic allusions. — The huge panorama windows provide an unobstructed view and are aligned with historical and geographic allusions.

The plan of the house in sketch. — The plan of the house is in a sketch.

The property – the castle park in Murstetten – is an extraordinary place with historical significance and an eventful history. Parts of this history are still recognizable today in fragments. The special location is characterized by the direct proximity to the compact village center in the east and the fields and meadows in the west.

The historically charged site in Murstetten retains its rough, wild appearance and is extended by a small installation in the form of a weekend house. The new building plays free of the surrounding buildings and stands as a solitaire self-confidently and naturally in the midst of the historical remains. The project is conceived as a one-room house, with a height evolving from one to two stories.

In the southern, lower part is the living room with large, completely openable glazing to the garden and the small stream crossing the property. The building is entered via the northern part, where there is also a small sanitary unit and a sleeping gallery. The terrace in the south as well as the entrance stairs can be folded up by means of a pulley, and the facades can thus be completely closed.

The large panorama windows are aligned with the historical and landscape references and offer an unrestricted view toward the church, into the valley, or to the remains of historical statues in the park. Along the two long sides, the exterior walls are extended to the interior by a floor-to-ceiling shelf construction.

On the one hand, they make the load-bearing structure of the outer walls visible, while at the same time offering storage space and room for seating niches and work surfaces. The project follows a holistic sustainable concept in planning, use, and implementation. The house is elevated and only touches the terrain via the eight-screw foundations.

This means that no ground surface is sealed. Most of the materials used come from the immediate surroundings. The wood, both for the structural elements and for the surfaces, comes from the client’s own forests and was processed in the neighboring sawmill.

The building is insulated with straw, which also comes from the immediate surroundings, from a regional farm. Heat and energy are generated by the photovoltaic system on the roof. The project was carried out hand in hand with Caravan Atelier.

Due to the close cooperation, we as an office had the opportunity to be active on the construction site ourselves several times and to work on the straw insulation as well as the façade and furniture joinery.