Ingrid and Thomas are living their personal American dream home in the middle of Swabia: They live in a log cabin built from 76 local tree trunks.
A piece of North American landscape in the Swabian lilac town of Haigerloch, is how Thomas describes his home. He lives with his wife Ingrid in the 130-square-meter natural log house. When Thomas first saw log houses being built in his neighborhood in 1994, he immediately fell in love with this type of living. However, a few years passed before he found the suitable plot of land, but Thomas worked persistently to realize his goal. In the meantime, he met Ingrid, who shared his dream of living. And in 2011 the time had finally come, the joint log house was erected.
Only unhewn logs were used in the construction. Silver fir from the area. After felling, the logs were debarked with water pressure. Notches had to be cut out with millimeter precision so that they could be stacked precisely on top of each other. The logs were insulated with sheep's wool. Openings for the windows and doors were not cut out until later, when the walls were already standing.
As the wood continues to dry over time, the house settles during the first few years, creating a special indoor climate. Thomas and Ingrid find this special atmosphere very comfortable. They feel very safe and secure within their own four walls, they say. Inside, the logs have been treated with natural wax to make them shine beautifully and prevent dust from settling. On the outside, the logs have merely been sanded down, but not painted any further.
The cost of a log house depends on the particular design and equipment. For a living space of 100 to 150 square meters, you have to expect about 500,000 to 750,000 euros.
In order to be self-sufficient in terms of energy, Thomas and Ingrid have had a photovoltaic system installed on the roof. For watering their plants, there is a cisternet in which the rainwater is collected. Around the natural log house grow - as in North America - redwoods and pines. Wooden sculptures are everywhere, all inspired by Native American traditions: a totem pole, an eagle, two bears. Even though Ingrid and Thomas have never been to North America themselves, they are very fascinated and impressed by the culture of the indigenous people there. The sculptures were sawed and carved by their friend Joachim. The roof beam, the ridge purlin of the house, also bears his signature: The top is a colorful eagle's head.
Ingrid was in charge of the interior design. She had to pay attention to the many special features that come with a log house. Because the house moves ever so slightly over the years, it is not possible to screw to the walls. For this reason, potted plants or decorations such as homemade mobiles hang from the ceiling, for example. When choosing furniture, Ingrid also focused on wood. The warm material is omnipresent in the living room and bedroom. Since Ingrid and Thomas are both passionate bikers, a motorcycle was also allowed to take a prominent place in the living area - an Italian bike from 1994 that still makes Thomas' heart race. In their warm, spacious log home, Thomas and Ingrid are able to live out their vision of freedom-loving, independent makers.
A film by Cécilia Marchat (editor), Oleg Kauz (camera), Mirjam Michutta (camera), Louisa Market (sound), Matthias Wölbing (editor). Production: Production: EIKON Media GmbH, on behalf of SWR.
00:00 Living in the log house
00:38 Entrance area
03:40 Dining area
04:07 Living area
05:13 Kitchen
07:37 Bathroom
08:28 Bedroom
09:02 Balcony
09:52 Outdoor area
21 июл 2024
