Award ceremony Landbaukultur-Preis 2021

Sustainable, modern and well designed - these are the winners of the Landbaukultur Prize 2021

A new cattle barn made of local wood, a house for the old farmer family in retirement (in German: Altenteiler or Austrags-Haus) perfectly integrated into the landscape and harmonizing with the existing farm ensemble, and a barn converted for contemporary living that preserves the character of the historic farm building - these are the three main prizes of the Landbaukultur Prize 2021. Former EU Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Franz Fischler, patron of the competition, presented the prizes to the owners and their architects today at Gut Havichhorst in Münster..

The LV Münster Foundation, which belongs to Landwirtschaftsverlag, announces the € 30,000 prize every two years and has awarded it this year for the fourth time. For the first time, properties from Austria and Switzerland were also honored.

A total of 105 builders applied with their objects for the award. „The quality of the submitted objects is consistently very high,“ said Susanne Wartzeck, President of the Association of German Architects (BDA), pleased with the results of the competition. Wartzeck headed the jury of experts, which consisted of five architects and three representatives of the agricultural sector. In the end, eight objects (four new buildings and four conversions) were awarded prizes in three categories: three main prizes, two awards and three recognitions. Four prize winners came from Germany and two each from Austria and Switzerland.

The award-winning properties impressed the jury above all because they allow contemporary use, fit perfectly into the surrounding cultural landscape, harmonize with existing buildings, and because the builders and architects took the requirements of environmental and climate protection into account when selecting building materials and during construction.

„For this very reason, the Landbaukultur Award is for me an important signal for the appreciation and future viability of rural areas,“ Franz Fischler emphasized in his laudatory speech. Agricultural buildings - old and new - are a showcase for agriculture and thus a real image factor for life in the countryside, he said. „Modern and sustainable construction is also taking place in the countryside,“ Fischler said. That deserves much more attention, he added.

About the prizes in detail:

Main prizes

New construction of a cattle barn in Atzbach (Upper Austria), Austria

A high-quality barn for high-quality cattle. This is the motto of the Huemer family from Atzbach in Upper Austria, who built a new barn for their Wagyu cattle using wood from their own forest. Architect Herbert Schrattenecker designed a stable for the world's most expensive cattle, which originally come from Japan, that is reminiscent of a Japanese pagoda and thus combines Upper Austrian timber construction tradition with Japanese country house aesthetics. This was worth € 6,000 in prize money to the jury.

Conversion of a barn for private residential purposes in Vlotho (North Rhine-Westphalia), Germany

On the Daube family's traditional arable farm in Vlotho-Exter, an unused barn has been converted into a modern apartment for the farm's successor and her family. As a result, it has been possible to preserve the compact farmstead. The ideas of architect Johannes Schmersahl are convincing. The barn is outwardly recognizable as a decidedly modern building that blends in almost naturally with the entire farmstead and its open spaces. The jury found the transfer of the old design to the new use particularly successful. For example, the vertical, translucent sun protection panels are reminiscent of the old barn doors. The main prize is endowed with € 6,000.

New construction of a house for the old farmer familiy in retirement in Selzach (Canton of Solothurn), Switzerland

The Altenteiler or Austrags-Haus of the Scholl family from Selzach in Switzerland is an outstanding example of the successful combination of a new building with a listed farmhouse. Designed by the architects Meier Unger, the Auszugs-Haus, as Altenteiler or Austrags-Häuser are called in Switzerland, is cleverly set and, with its greened flat roof, really immerses itself in the landscape. Thus, despite its modern design, it does not compete with the historic main building. It also impresses with its use of natural, sustainable and ecological building materials. The jury also honored the successful implementation with € 6,000.

Awards:

Reconstruction and design of the exterior of a farm in Weikersheim (Baden-Württemberg), Germany

Martina Klärle and Andreas Fischer-Klärle „rescued“ an already rather dilapidated historic and local farmstead in Weikersheim-Schäftersheim. With the ideas of architect Rolf Klärle, who is also a member of the owning family, a harmonious ensemble has been created that combines the original natural stone with new wooden cladding. The ambition to make the buildings self-sufficient in terms of energy has been achieved. With its photovoltaic roofs, the farm produces more energy than is needed for electricity and heat in a year. The multifaceted utilization concept consisting of commercial, residential and areas for the village community is also convincing. The jury awards a prize of € 4,000 for this project.

Conversion of a barn into several apartments in Münchenwiler (Canton Bern), Switzerland

Andreas Geser's old barn, converted into a total of seven apartments, is part of a historic castle complex. The office Bernath+Widmer Architekten succeeded in completely preserving the exterior façade and thus preserving the original character. This was implemented by a completely second thermal envelope, which was created with large glazing behind the historic facade. The jury also awarded € 4,000 for this new perspective on the future.

Recognitions

Conversion of an ensemble of farmsteads into a tailor's shop in Schleedorf (Salzburger Land), Austria

Monika and Stefan Wimmer from Schleedorf in Salzburger Land have revitalized old village buildings and integrated a tailor shop there. The architects from LP architektur ZT have managed to integrate the shop window required for the new function and also handle the historic building fabric very carefully in other respects. For this the jury awards a commendation.

New construction of a chicken coop in Schönberg (Bavaria), Germany

New construction of a bee house in Riedering-Heft (Bavaria), Germany

Max Egon Hartinger's chicken coop and Stephanie Forster's bee house are two examples of small-scale structural measures in rural areas that are often underestimated. The architects Maximilian Hartinger and Tobias Küke manage to give new life to a pile of forgotten boards (chicken coop) or to revive forgotten building methods and the ancient craft of beekeeping (bee house). The jury considers this worthy of imitation.

Information on the German Agricultural Culture Prize

With the German Landbaukultur price outstanding architectural buildings and external arrangements on agricultural estates and thus the tendency of the farmers after a harmonious connection of new and old, living and working on the country are appreciated. The nationwide prize was awarded for the fourth time in 2021.

The sponsor of the prize is the LV Münster Foundation, the foundation of the Landwirtschaftsverlag in Münster. The German Farmers' Association as well as the Association of German Architects and the Association of German Landscape Architects provide non-material support for the prize.

Contact for your queries:

Kirsten Uenning
Foundation LV Münster
Hülsebrockstr. 2-8, 48165 Münster, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 25 01 801-1870
Mail: Kirsten.Uenning@lv.de
Web: www.stiftung-lv-muenster.de