Nominee for the Award SMALL of the Estonian Association of Architects 2022
Architecture
Peeter Pere, Eva Kedelauk (Peeter Pere Arhitektid)
Interior architecture
Peeter Pere, Eva Kedelauk (Peeter Pere Arhitektid)
Priidu Pärna
Structural design
Heiki Meos
Commissioned by
Priidu Pärna
Construction
Orku Ehitus
Total area
59m2
Design
2021
Completed
2022
Photos
Sten-Erik Remmel

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As times were busy, I didn’t want to bother the architect and only asked Peeter to draw me the proportions as, in my opinion, this is one of the most important things about a building. I wanted it to have no eaves and reflect the volumes and traditions set by the nearby farm buildings from 1930s. Peeter, naturally, didn’t just draw the dimensions but made the entire project. Quite unexpectedly, he turned the shed around, that is, the entrance is at the end of the building, not on the side as in traditional hay barns. In line with traditions, the shed can also be driven through, as in the past it wasn’t too easy to manoeuvre a cart inside. The building is particularly pretty when lit at nighttime. We call it Lusthoone machine and tractor station. The lack of internal structures adds to its uniqueness and the acoustics seems to be good too as the sound reflects from the plastic. As well as providing a home for the tractor, it could also be a good party venue. La dolce vita!
Priidu Pärna, owner

Explanatory note

The work of an architect begins with the brief. The clearer the brief, the better the result for the client.

Some extracts from the development of this brief:

“I’m coming back to the topic I’ve mentioned earlier. Would you have time to draw me a considerably larger shed for Sõrve Lusthoone? Would it be easy or conceivable at all? Let’s skip the gallery.

…I drew a line on the ground with my heel, I’ll give you the measurements. Perhaps 6 m x 10 m, the ridge height of the 90-year-old annexes is ca 7 m…

…I thought if we could reuse the solutions in Taga-Sõrve, it wouldn’t take too long, then again, the larger volume could be quite impressive. No windows for the front façade, there could be a narrow strip of windows on the rear facing the forest for some natural light…”

Our reply: “Designing for you could be risky – the bar is set dangerously high.”

The client’s eventual instruction: let’s take it easier this time…

And so we did.

We used the old hay barn typology where the horse-drawn cart with hay loads was taken in through one gate and after unloading it out through the other.

The form is highly simple. The timber frame is covered with polycarbonate. The tractor must be exposed.

The external vertical covering reflects the traditional cladding of the main building.

As a result, we have a simple farm annexe based on strong traditions. A lot of light, mortise and tenon timber and tensioned cables.

And a nice lighting solution for darker periods by the owner.

* MTJ – machine and tractor station. The Soviet state agricultural company providing mechanised agricultural services for collective farms.