At the edge of the Nördlinger Ries, where a meteorite impact around 14.5 million years ago shaped one of southern Germany’s most distinctive landscapes, lies the village of Niederaltheim. The gently undulating crater, with its fertile loess soils, continues to define the character of this cultural landscape. Situated at the edge of the protected historic streetscape, the new House at the Ries integrates into the sequence of traditional farmhouses and barns. The ambition was to create a building that settles quietly and naturally into this evolved village structure.

The new building follows the logic of the region’s vernacular architecture. A long, barn-like volume with a generous roof forms the backbone of the house. Its proportions and geometry draw on the typology of the surrounding farmsteads while translating them into a contemporary dwelling. The result is a house that is equally rooted in the village and in the surrounding landscape.

The construction follows principles of reduction and economy. A solid concrete slab, serving as thermal mass, supports a single-leaf masonry wall of insulating clay blocks, finished inside and out with lime plaster. The pigmented exterior render anchors the house within the landscape, while a lime wash on the interior leaves the raw texture of the brickwork perceptible.

Within the masonry shell, a finely articulated timber structure supports the roof. A lightweight framework of solid timber replaces large beams, creating spatial richness with a minimum of material. Concrete is used only where it is structurally necessary.

The floor plan is organized around a freestanding built-in core rather than conventional rooms. Instead of a series of enclosed spaces, the house is arranged into zones: a generous living area forms its center, while the more private spaces are conceived as compact retreats. A corridor only 80 cm wide connects everything, placing the human scale at the heart of the design.

Large south-facing glazed openings connect the interior to the landscape. Barn-like sliding doors made of rough-sawn larch provide shading while reinforcing the building’s agricultural character.

Timber, brick, and lime wash remain exposed, defining the atmosphere of the interior.

A simple open-sided shed completes the ensemble. The result is a quiet, enduring building that brings together place, landscape, and construction into a coherent and seemingly effortless whole.