Bringing nature indoors
Down in the valley, the Sulz creek babbles. Fruit trees are scattered across the meadows and coniferous forest stretches down the slopes. Around the Fehrenbacher Farm guesthouse, you can experience the Black Forest in its authentic form. At the historic Black Forest farmhouse, you not only enjoy the beautiful side of nature while outside. Natural building materials such as earthen clay and wood were used to bring nature indoors when renovating to create a place for recharging and reconnecting.
Living, meeting and celebrating in the old farmhouse
The almost 100-year-old Fehrenbacher farm is a typical Black Forest farmhouse. You can recognise it by the mighty half-hipped roof and its large dimensions. These dimensions were necessary because everything used to be located under one roof: living quarters, workrooms, stable and barn.
The Moosmann family has transformed the historic farmhouse into an eco-friendly guesthouse. Relax in the holiday flat or in the guest rooms in the former hayloft. Hold a meeting where the cows were once cared for, or celebrate in the former stable.
Wall design with clay earth – for an indoor feel-good climate
Outside, at an altitude of 700 metres, you can breathe the good Black Forest air. The indoor climate is in no way inferior. The reason: almost all the walls are plastered with clay earth.
The natural building material can store moisture from the air when humidity levels are high, and release it again later. Odours are also neutralised and even allergens are bound in the clay plaster.
In addition, the building material earthen clay is 100 percent natural. Theoretically, clay earth can be processed just as it comes out of the ground.
Wall heating and earthen clay – bringing the sun into the house
The typical large roof of farmhouses in the Black Forest is no accident. The design affords protection from snow and wind in the winter. If you visit the Fehrenbacher farm in the colder months, the rooms are cosily warm thanks to the in-wall heating.
Especially in combination with earthen clay, the in-wall heating becomes a pleasant source of warmth. The clay earth stores the warmth and gives it off in the form of radiant heat. This does not heat the air, but the body directly – comparable to the warmth of the sun. So close your eyes and soak it all in.
Read more »Wall building materials from Claytec – building with nature
People have been building with clay earth for thousands of years. It was regionally available, easy to work with and extremely versatile. All this is still true today. What’s more, the practical advantages, such as short delivery routes and low energy consumption during production, also pay off from an ecological point of view.
For the Moosmann family, environmental considerations and flexibility were decisive factors in choosing earthen clay as a building material. This allowed them to create a natural and appealing ambience in their guesthouse.
When the historic farmhouse was converted into guest rooms, a holiday flat, a conference room and a banquet hall, the walls were plastered with a clay base coat – including the areas with in-wall heating. This was followed by a fine-grained clay top plaster, which was designed as a decor plaster.
Some of the surfaces were given a finish with YOSIMA clay designer plaster. The clay colour plaster is available in 146 colour shades, all of which are created by mixing the natural colouring of different clays. At the Fehrenbacher farm, you will find light, earthy shades as well as a strong red.
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