Three Generations of One Family Call a Renovated Farmhouse Home

Three generations of one German family wanted to do something that's become an increasingly popular housing trend in recent years: live under one roof. They were looking for a home in Darmstadt, a city south of Frankfurt, when they found an early 20th-century farmhouse that had been converted into three apartments in the 1960s. It looked as though it could work, but the structure needed renovations. So, the clan hired architect Anja Thede and her namesake firm for the task — but instead of simply modernizing it for current styles, she also wanted to honor the past. "It is important for us to uncover and preserve the characteristic elements of old buildings while complementing them with modern fixtures," she noted. Her first priority was to fix the fragmented floor plan by opening up its many dark spaces, including a former passage and stables that had been converted to a garage and storage. Thede also wanted to showcase the site's original materials — like its stone walls and wood beams — while incorporating new elements that would improve energy efficiency. When the work was completed, Thede and her team had created three functional residences intertwined by a glass entrance hall. "It was inspiring to discover what was lying beneath," she said.