At a former medieval mill in Ennenda, Switzerland, Atelier Lando Rossmaier begins with careful deconstruction, peeling back layers to reveal and renew the building’s original structure. The adaptive reuse project rebuilds the house using materials sourced within roughly ten miles, including local timber, lime and hemp-lime walls that help regulate moisture in the ageing masonry. Through this restrained approach, the once-abandoned mill is revived as a home and goldsmith’s workshop while preserving the character of its historic fabric.
Hidden behind larger houses and barely visible from the street, a former medieval mill in Ennenda, in eastern Switzerland, has been carefully transformed into a residence and goldsmith’s workshop. Rather than erase its scars, the architect embraces them. The renovation reveals how adaptive reuse can preserve the layered history of a building while delivering a sustainable, contemporary home.
For decades the small mill beside a fast-moving village stream had stood empty. Its yellow render was fading, its windows covered with timber slats, with many alternations over time. Inside, the spaces had been subdivided and cluttered with later additions that obscured the building’s original proportions.
Atelier Lando Rossmaier began with an extensive process of deconstruction. Using a detailed digital point-cloud survey, they set out to unpick layers of internal alterations one by one, revealing the building’s historic fabric beneath. Thin partition walls were dismantled, fixtures removed, and rooms gradually returned to their earlier scale. This methodical approach not only clarified the original spatial organisation of the house but also exposed evidence of past interventions – including structural damage likely dating back to the nineteenth century, when part of the building was cut down to improve views toward the nearby Glärnisch mountain range (at least that’s the assumption for the added openings).
Instead of concealing these imperfections, the renovation preserves them. The worn surfaces of natural stone, soot-stained plaster and rough timber beams remain visible, communicating the building’s long industrial life.
The adaptive reuse strategy extends beyond aesthetics to environmental performance. By retaining the majority of the existing structure, the project avoids the carbon impact associated with demolition and new construction. The design also prioritises low-impact materials sourced locally. Lime from nearby Netstal, solid fir and larch from the valley and a distinctive regional stone known as red Risi were used for elements such as sinks, basins and kitchen surfaces. Limiting the palette to materials available within a short radius strengthens the building’s connection to place while reducing transport emissions.
New interventions are intentionally restrained. Only the kitchen and bathroom were newly constructed, designed not as freestanding furniture pieces but as masonry installations that feel embedded within the historic fabric. Rough plaster finishes and concrete worktops reinforce the sense that the additions have grown organically from the existing structure.
Environmental performance was also addressed through passive strategies that work with the building’s conditions rather than against them. The lower level sits close to the groundwater table, creating constant moisture within the structure. Instead of sealing the floor with impermeable concrete, the renovation introduces a breathable rammed lime floor and hemp-lime interior walls to help regulate humidity and prevent mould. These traditional materials allow moisture to move naturally through the building envelope.
Upstairs, a large void was retained to create a flexible seasonal space. Removing ceiling boards allows daylight in, while a long sliding glass wall connects the area visually with the kitchen. It’s a space envisioned as a light-filled interior garden room that can function as an orangery or summer space once greenery is added.
Externally, the house is wrapped in a shingle façade inspired by historic structures found elsewhere in Ennenda. The timber cladding provides insulation while maintaining the historic interior character of the original rooms. The layered shingles resemble feathers, giving the small building a faceted presence and reinforcing its tactile relationship with craft.
The transformation of Mühle Ennenda shows how adaptive reuse can extend the life of historic buildings while addressing contemporary sustainability goals. By prioritising conservation, local materials and breathable construction methods, the project reduces embodied carbon while preserving cultural memory.
Atelier Lando Rossmaier revels in the imperfections of an old building, and the character that could never be replicated anew.
Credits
Architecture and interiors: Atelier Lando Rossmaier
Photography: Rasmus Norlander
