Gründlehof Hornberg

Reading time: 4 minutes
Private residence in Hornberg, Germany
Architect: Hardy Happle Architektur
Collections: AXOR One
Surface finish: Brushed Red Gold, Matt Black

View of the Gründlehof in Hornberg — Copyright: Markus Schwer

Schwarzwaldhof 2.0: Tradition meets innovation

How do you bring an idyllic Black Forest farmhouse from the 17th century back to life? The Gründlehof near Hornberg, a listed farmstead in the middle of the Black Forest, is one example, having been meticulously transformed into a modern family home with a careful hand. It comes to no surprise that this exceptionally stylish renovation project has been awarded prestigious architecture prizes such as Houses of the Year 2023, the Hugo Häring Award 2023 and the Baden-Württemberg Timber Construction Award 2024. A conversation with architect Hardy Happle and client Tobias Kempf reveals the special impact that modern bathroom elements bring to this project.

Kitchen area of the Gründlehof — Copyright: Markus Schwer

Modern accents with respect for the historic building fabric

The Gründlehof near Hornberg in the Black Forest is a listed building constructed in 1683. Yet inside, this largely historically preserved building surprises with smartly-placed modern accents, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Architect Hardy Happle explains the leitmotif of this construction project: "The building was to be renovated and converted into a single family home while largely preserving the historic structure. Our aim was to respect and uphold the historic design of the building, but also to create new impressions."

"We want to uncover hidden potential, remove layer by layer and carefully renovate that which is worth preserving—and then sometimes, combine it in unexpected new ways," says the architect, explaining the joint objective with client Tobias Kempf, who, as the owner of a local sanitary company, brought his bathroom expertise to the table – a convenient stroke of luck for this project.

AXOR ShowerHeaven in Matt Black — Copyright: Markus Schwer

A special highlight: the bathroom concept

A special opportunity arose during construction, as architect Hardy Happle reveals: "One of the two planned sanitary areas is a large room located in the former stable. Unfortunately, we discovered moisture during the construction work, and the upper mountain wall had also lost support due to an external construction project, so we had to completely redesign this area anyway."

This is where the client's bathroom expertise came into play: "The former barn was a large room with an opening all the way to the top, where hay used to be thrown down from. This gave us the opportunity to create an unconventional bathroom with a shower in the middle of the room. The shower is a black box, it almost looks like a spaceship," explains owner Tobias Kempf.

A special highlight of the black box is the archetypal AXOR ShowerHeaven with lighting in Matt Black. The shower offers an extraordinary display of water comprising Rain, PowderRain and MonoRain spray types. The matching AXOR ShowerSelect thermostat, also in Matt Black, services up to five functions and impresses with its ultra-flat design, intuitive operation and selection of spray types at the touch of a button.

Bathroom at the Grüdlehof with AXOR One washbasin faucet in Platinum Matt — Copyright: Markus Schwer

Opening up new worlds with careful modernization

On the other side of the barn, washbasins have replaced the old feeding troughs, a playful expression of the space’s former function and new design. Renovating and preserving Black Forest farms is architect Hardy Happle's specialty: "Both aspects are important: On the one hand, you want to proceed with care, preserve the old vernacular and synthesize and, on the other hand, you also want to take it in a new direction to show that the farm has arrived in the present. That's why we try to respect what is already there while optimizing for a new, higher-quality look."

It is precisely in this style that the surfaces of the bathroom taps have been individualized with the AXOR Signature Service: deliberately considered, sometimes bold or subtle, but always with a meaningful function. One such example is the AXOR One basin mixer in a custom Platinum Matt, which features a slim silhouette, balanced proportions and flat surfaces in this soft color scheme. The faucet impresses with its intuitive operation, by which the water can be turned on or off by simply pressing down the handle and the temperature is increased by turning it clockwise.

Guest bathroom at the Gründlehof — Copyright: Markus Schwer

The natural play of colors

In addition to Brushed Red Gold, which adorns the AXOR One fittings in the guest WC, and the custom Platinum Matt, the Matt Black finish also plays an important role: "It allows you to play with the nuances of dark surfaces. We work with deliberately-placed light and reflections to give dark surfaces more depth. And the black also refers back to the original black of the historic smoke kitchen," says the architect, drawing a connection to the origins of the traditional Black Forest farmhouse.