You probably couldn’t get a more locally produced machine shed than the simple but slender building that stands harmoniously alongside an older, smaller barn in a meadow in the southern German countryside. Together, the two buildings form an ensemble that lends the new building a natural presence on the site, gently nestled at just the right angle to enhance the landscape rather than intrude on it.
The new, larger barn houses farmer Andreas Wach’s machinery and also has a section for selling wood chips. The farm itself was built in 1902 and is located in the middle of the village of Irschenhausen in Bavaria, but there was no room for the new shed in such a central location. The solution was to place it in a meadow a little further away, where the hills and forests on the horizon form a beautiful backdrop. Originally, Andreas Wach had planning permission for a standard prefabricated shed, a large box with concrete columns and glulam roof beams, which would compromise the setting and break up the landscape in a less pleasing way. That was the idea.
»But I started losing sleep at night thinking about what it would look like in the middle of the countryside. The architecture and proportions were terrible, and I really didn’t want to leave something like that to the next generation,« he says.
There was, however, a work of art in the meadow where the shed was to be built. Andreas Wach’s father had installed a tall sculpture made of tree trunks, and through the artist, his son came into contact with architect Florian Nagler, Professor of Design and Construction at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The sculpture prompted Florian to put forward a very different vision.
»He drew a new design and suggested that we build the shed entirely in timber from our own forest, and that’s what we did,« says Andreas.
All work was done within a few kilometres
A total of 200 pine trees were felled, 80–100 years old and ripe for harvesting. The wood was felled in winter, stored, sawn and air-dried in the neighbouring sawmill. It was then cut by CNC milling machine and assembled. Everything was done within a radius of a few kilometres and all the tradesmen came from the area.
On paper, the parameters were fairly simple: to accommodate two machines side by side, the centre spacing needed to be 6 metres, and to accommodate the farm’s long machines, a room depth of 12 metres was required. With this in mind, Florian Nagler Architekten designed a structure made of rough-sawn timber instead of the more commonly used glulam.
»Not using glulam has naturally affected the design. The span had to be bridged much like a traditional wooden structure, with diagonal braces. This limits the floor space to some extent, but it doesn’t affect the use of the building as a machine shed and is actually an advantage in terms of future uses, as the design allows another level to be added at any time,« explains Florian Nagler.
From each long side, six repeating beams run diagonally up to the ridge of the gable roof, where they meet in pairs. Each pair is completed by a horizontal beam – and two vertical ones – giving each part the shape of an A.
Working with a CNC milling machine
»In my work, structure and design are completely interlinked. This is even more important for a wooden structure with few demands in terms of comfort and construction technology. The logic of the structure and the presence of the material define both the interior and exterior appearance of the shed,« says Florian.
Florian Nagler says they were also impressed and inspired by the high level of craftsmanship in Japanese wooden buildings, where incredibly efficient wooden joints are made without any additional fasteners, and they wanted to see if they could do something similar.
»It would be impossible for us to produce such joints by hand in a cost-effective way, especially for a simple agricultural building. We therefore developed joints that could be made with a CNC milling machine. Unfortunately, or perhaps thankfully, the complexity of the connection is almost always hidden inside the joint. However, we did have some trouble with the connections that we developed with our structural engineers. And at first everyone advised us against machining rough sawn timber with a CNC mill, but when everyone pulled together it worked out very well.«
There are two different façade designs: the ends of the building have a simple vertical cladding, with the board joints covered by battens to give the façade some depth. The sides consist entirely of hinged panels – 6-metre-wide barn doors – made of diagonally crossed and interlocking boards, which act as rigid frames and prevent the panels from deforming. Both the types of façade were made by hand. A pitched roof then extends over the whole thing, with generous eaves over the sides, supported by exposed beams and with sufficient depth to protect the untreated wood. The solar panels on the roof are intended to claw back some of the costs incurred.
»We’re very pleased with the result. Professor Nagler chose the precise location and orientation of the shed perfectly, so it blends beautifully into the landscape. The wide eaves invite you to sit comfortably outside in changeable weather and enjoy the wonderful view of the mountains,« says Andreas Wach.
Both the exterior and interior blend function with an understated aesthetic. Flat surfaces are complemented by details such as the lattice façade, and although the shed is currently used primarily for machinery and the sale of wood chips, it has been adapted to take on completely new functions in the future.
A shed made for generations to come
»It was important to us that the shed could later be used in new ways by the next generation, for example as a studio or a combined living space and workshop,« says Andreas.
And it already seems to have become a talking point for the whole village, which has been able to make use of it in various ways. During the construction period, the locals showed great interest and liked to visit the site to see how the work was progressing. The whole village was invited to the opening party so they could see the results. Most people were delighted, says Andreas Wach, although some thought it was a bit too nice for a machine shed, especially with the costs being higher. Local clubs have also been able to use the shed for large events or parties, with weddings and film festivals already having taken place here.
»Finally, there is a place where people can celebrate in style. And every day I walk into the machine shed with a happy feeling. I’m so glad I didn’t go with the first, clumsy version,« says Andreas Wach.