Positions

There are places that have fallen into a deep sleep or have never been on the tourist radar. Photographer Olaf Unverzart presents one such place in his new photo book: the Upper Palatinate. An unflinching portrait of his homeland.

Travelling by campervan taught Caro and Nils Fröhlich how little it takes to be free and happy. Back home, they translated their experiences into architecture. The result: holiday homes without ballast.

Founded in 2020, the Netzwerk Zukunftsorte e.V. association supports and connects people involved in rural, third-space rejuvenation projects. URLAUBSARCHITEKTUR sponsors the association. We interviewed its team to find out more about the underlying concept and their plans.

Sometimes it is precisely the imperfect that makes something appear perfect. In architecture, there are clever approaches that play with the unfinished, the authentic or the minimalist and impress with their own aesthetics. A consideration.

Vacancy is a word that wants to be filled with relevance. With the “Happening Places”, Munich's idea architect Gregor Wöltje not only created exciting projects in the Bavarian metropolis, but also made lasting statements with them.

With rural exodus, vacancy and stagnation in daily life, what are the options? An interview with town planner, visionary and ex-journalist Frederik Fischer, who has been revitalising rural areas for years.

In this essay, the writer and philosopher Alain de Botton explains in an entertaining and pointed way what sense a vacation home makes, especially when seen as something other than pure vacation accommodation.

Shape and colour affect our sense of what looks good. Yet this means that design is far more than merely a stylistic device or a designer’s idea. It is also a response to social trends, which in their turn influence the further development.

How vacations looked like and which vacation concepts and typologies the SED regime developed over the decades describes architectural historian Prof. Daniela Spiegel.

In this interview, Mark Robinson reveals why the British initiative is still setting standards after more than 15 years, what exactly it is and why it is more than just ‘an affair’.

When did we actually start taking holidays? And how has the concept of ‘free’ time changed over the centuries? A short (cultural) history.

For more than a decade the platform has been the guide par excellence to modern house museums worldwide. In this interview, founder Natascha Drabbe explains what else the network can accomplish.

An architectural firm has demonstrated how to build a house from used, recycled and reusable materials. Due to the scarcity of data, this required a flexibility that is likely to change the planning process in the future.

Many people want to build sustainably. But the materials for this are not always easy to find. Private builders can mainly make use of existing materials. A guide to the relevant criteria and suppliers.

Reiner Nagel, Chairman of the Board of the Federal Foundation of Baukultur, in interview on golden energy, the cultural relevance of tourism architecture and his personal holiday preferences.

In the first part of our series on circular economy, urban mining and cradle to cradle, we start with a current overview of the transition in the building sector.

Interview - Guiding Architects has been an institution for 20 years when it comes to exploring cities and regions under the expert guidance of architects.

Again and again we are asked by future hosts what to consider when building and designing a holiday home or what mistakes should be avoided at all costs. There is no secret recipe, but we do have some advice.

What role can holiday homes play in times of crisis and what could a “new” holiday architecture possibly look like? We talked about this with Andrea Gebhard, President of the Federal Chamber of Architects in Germany. And we also found out what true holiday happiness means to her.

The Swiss Foundation for Holidays in a Historical Building has been working at the interface between tourism and the conservation of historical buildings by promoting the preservation of historically significant buildings. Threatened architectural monuments are revived as holiday properties after gentle restoration.

Postmodern minimalism - in Tiny Houses you can often live carefree with a lot of comfort and design in the smallest of spaces. Or at least get ideas for more reduction and sustainability in your own everyday life.

In the 1960s, Danish architects Arne Jacobsen and Otto Weidling planned a modern holiday complex on Fehmarn, and we ask ourselves: Is it still contemporary today?

In this article, we use design and architecture to show two countries that, at first glance, seem to have little in common: Finland and Japan.

We repeatedly receive enquiries from partners regarding the preservation of buildings worthy of protection. Here you will find a compilation of initiatives and organisations in Europe that are committed to preservation and after-use.

Interview: Artist and photographer Olaf Unverzart in conversation with URLAUBSARCHITEKTUR about photography, freedom, distance and architecture.

Interview with German garden designer Rainer Elstermann about "the" perfect garden, the special requirements in the rental sector and the "New German Style".

A conversation about the experiences and challenges of owning a holiday home, the dimension of vacation beyond the mere "recreational setting" and the happiness of harvesting olives.

Luca Giannini is a creative cosmonaut. At home in Sicily, Rome and Bologna, his travel experiences and a deep empathy for places manifest in meaningful yet silent works and projects.

Regional building culture strengthens the local identity. Locals and guests alike benefit from this. Yet architecture does not have to remain in the past, says our author Tina Barankay.

The kitchen is not only where every good party ends. It is now often the central room of the house. And through its design, functionality and equipment, it sometimes makes a decisive contribution to vacation happiness.

Travel can inform and educate, but many destinations no longer want visitors at any cost.

What really is luxury? The change in meaning of a term in the course of recent history.

Guest comments may reflect subjective impressions, but for us they are valuable signposts. And the other way round: guests also have a responsibility, personal taste cannot be delegated.

Whether one's own holiday home is more of an anchor or a prison is a matter of widely differing opinions, even among the HOLIDAYARCHITECTURE team.

Travel and ecological responsibility are by no means mutually exclusive. However, there are no simple answers - the topic requires honesty, self-critical reflection and yet often remains complex.

Great freedom or double workload? When and how it makes sense to combine work and private life on holiday.