In November, students on the Sustainable Heritage Conservation master's degree program at Hochschule RheinMain went on an excursion to northern Italy as part of the Master's Project 3: Heritage and Design module. The excursion was an essential part of the course and enabled an in-depth examination of Construction in existing buildings directly on site.

The Rechsteiner winery as a study location

The goal of the excursion was the Rechsteiner winery in Piavon di Oderzo in Veneto, a historic ensemble from the 17th century that has been owned by the Barons of Stepski-Doliwa for generations. The listed buildings - including the villa, the farm buildings and the wine cellar - offered a variety of starting points for the analysis of historical structures and their development over time.

The imposing wine cellar, which was repurposed as a horse stable by the Austro-Hungarian army detachment exactly one hundred years ago, contains the largest known column-free space of a secular building in northern Italy, measuring 700 square meters.

Transformation and future use

The excursion focused on issues relating to the preservation and sustainable further development of the ensemble. Current plans to expand the winery - including the integration of an upscale restaurant, accommodation facilities and a winegrowing school - served as the basis for design concepts for a possible transformation and sensitive architectural interventions.

By working directly on the building, the excursion combined theoretical content with practical experience. The direct engagement with the site sharpened the understanding of monumental values and provided important impulses for Architecture and the development of the architectural heritage.