— Schnitzerhaus, Niederried

The tiny chalet in Niederried was built completely manually in the 1970s by a wood carver with a passion for Simmental alpine huts. The building’s most salient feature of are the impressive, meticulous carvings and inlays on the facade, ceilings and doors, which earned it the name "Schnitzerhaus”, meaning “whittler’s house”. In order to bring the aging chalet into the 21st century, a radical intervention was necessary, despite the filigree treasures. A Japanese-minimalist style now serves as the basis and as a counterweight to the ornate style.

A new multifunctional cube functions as the supporting structure which made it possible to remove all partition walls on the first floor. In addition to the laundry room, a tall cupboard element towards the kitchen was integrated into it, as well as a new staircase to the upper floor to replace the old strcture. To improve energy expenditure, the carver's house was further modernized by adding new insulation and an air-to-water heat pump with solar panels on the roof.