Sustainable Historic Architecture in Rural Areas – Concept for a sustainable and low carbon retrofit of a Bavarian farmhouse

Abstract

The paper will show a real case project that has been retrofitted in a sustainable and energy efficient way to promote sustainable development in rural areas. The historical farm house “H14” (built up in 1858 and located in North Bavaria) is a typical Franconian three-sided building. The building has been vacant for over 30 years and the renovation was founded by the Bavarian Federal Office for the Preservation of Monuments and Historical Buildings. The paper will give an overview about the retrofit of the historical farm house into a two-family house with event and seminar rooms and its integration into the rural environment. The renovation concept pursued the following goals: low carbon retrofit and renewable energy solutions, resource efficiency, use of existing, historic and renewable building materials, life-cycle costs, buildings physics as well as integrating regional flora and fauna.