Zischglhof | Pavol Mikolajcak

The Zischglhof

The Zischglhof is a residential house set into the hillside in St. Magdalena in Rentsch. It was built in the mid-18th century and is located at the beginning of the Rivelaunweg within a historic ensemble. The adjacent barn was partially demolished in the 1970s and preserved only as a terrace.

Although the existing structure did not possess heritage qualities worthy of official protection, it was the explicit wish of the clients to preserve the building substance as much as possible. The renovation was therefore not conceived as an orthodox conservation project, but rather as an engagement with the substantial qualities of the old building: the massive stone walls, the timber beam ceilings, the constructive logic, and the spatial generosity.

Certain elements were deliberately reinterpreted – the roof was slightly raised, and reusable materials were naturally integrated. These include old pieces of furniture as well as the interior doors, whose heights were adjusted without pathos.

The house follows the path and the slope – its form is a trapezoidal parallelogram: clear, reduced, almost sculptural. The structural logic of the existing building was preserved, even though the ridge was lifted. The main beams of the original roof structure could be retained and reused in their geometry.

Two children’s rooms are located in the newly converted attic. The gable sides were generously glazed and protected from the sun with adjustable wooden louvers.

The retaining wall on the hillside was soaked and deformed and had to be completely rebuilt. Due to the confined conditions, a rear-anchored soil-nail wall was used; the new retaining wall was executed in exposed concrete. The small side extension replaces a dilapidated former washhouse.

The façade of the existing building was plastered only on the street side, while the side façades were simply coated with lime. The restoration of the masonry led to a unification of the external appearance, while consciously preserving its simple, original character. To improve thermal performance, a 6 cm thick mineral insulating plaster was applied on the interior.

The building is heated by an energy-efficient ground-source heat pump, which is also used for passive cooling through the simple circulation.

Great attention was paid to the choice of natural building materials. Pure lime plaster, lime paints, and lime floors were used; hemp mats serve as impact sound insulation. The floors consist of room-length solid wooden planks mounted without adhesive on a batten structure. OSB boards were deliberately avoided in the roof construction. Steel and wood remain raw and untreated – showing what they are: without surface treatment, without cladding. The metalwork was carried out by Roland Battisti, including the kitchen block made of solid stainless steel and the curved steel staircase.

It is a restrained renovation without grand gestures, but with many small surprises.