Our project New Life for a Peat Shed, Schechen has been selected by an international jury of experts as a finalist in the Large Adaptive Reuse Category for the MARCH Materials Awards 2026.

A basketmaker and a blacksmith, in collaboration with ZRS, dismantled a historic peat barn in Kolbermoor, repaired it throughout, and rebuilt it in Schechen — largely by their own hands. Through the addition of a new highly insulated building shell, the barn becomes a home and workshop for basket weaving.

All materials used—reclaimed timber, new timber-frame walls with cellulose insulation, earth brick and earth plaster, and soaped fir flooring—are bio-based, circular, and locally sourced. The MARCH Award recognises outstanding architecture making use of bio-based, circular, and local materials.

Public voting – Vote by June 11: marchmaterials.com

 Photo: ZRS Architekten Ingenieure (1), Malte Fuchs (2, 3, 4) | Plan: ZRS Architekten Ingenieure