Guest Nest

The Austrian village Moschendorf exhibits a strict village structure stemmed from the genetics of its historical agriculturally-driven community. Though, how does such morphology adapt to the village’s social and cultural composition of the present time?

Guest Nest investigates a micro strategy to radically reconfigure Moschendorf’s Streckhof typology. The project anchors itself programmatically as a guesthouse, offering private living entities in scattered ‘satellite rooms’ and a generous communal area for guests as well as the inhabitants of the village.

The potentially growing micro-operations in the existing village pattern activate a perpendicular circulation. Guiding pedestrians through a journey of concealment and surprises into a sequence of gardens, appropriate levels of privacy are provided by intricate material selection.

Using model building as a tool of research as well as communication, the 2x2 meter big model is giving deeper insights into the village’s typologies: usage types, occupation as well as land use were highlighted in the model. Materials: epoxy resin, colour pigments, cardboard, wood chips and sawdust

process mocel

An empty block disrupting the strict village typology of Moschendorf opens up the opportunity to reconfigure the village’s inherent structure stemmed from the historical agriculturally-driven community. The introduction of a perpendicular circulation pattern introduces new spaces of encounter as well as tranquil gardens and private guest rooms nesting in the existing plots.

The selection of two different materials for the wall as guiding element - next to a concrete a honeycomb wall with different thicknesses - enables a differentiated placement of private and public spaces, disguising private entities and opening up communal areas.

Branching out from empty plots, the project expands into neighbouring vacant spaces. In this way, the obsolete historic village structure is redefined and spaces for communal activity and exchange as well as private guest rooms are provided.