Refugium Betzenstein

Betzenstein is a small historical town in the middle of the Franconian Switzerland Nature Park. On a slope on the outskirts of the town, you will find Refugium Betzenstein, a modern bio-passive house. A longhouse with a double saddle roof, its design incorporates the traditional forms and materials of the region and interprets them in a modern and linear style. With its uniform slate cladding of the façade and roof, this archetypically shaped house takes on a monolithic appearance.

The dark upper floor is contrasted by the white plastered ground floor. Here you will find two 45 square meter barrier-free apartments, which open out with floor-to-ceiling windows onto the terrace. Each apartment is comprised of a large room with a sleeping area and living area that includes sofa, dining table and kitchenette. Ecological aims and the creation of a comfortable climate were of great importance in the building’s construction: from renewable, healthy and environmentally friendly building materials, through to solar power and natural outdoor designs. Nature also plays an important role in its playful interior design: stairs and room dividers display grass-like visuals and birch trunks and cowhide rugs serve as decoration.