Architect Michael Klauser created an ideal setting for one Austrian couple to quietly live out their days.
A couple years ago, two elderly doctors approached Abendroth Architects to design a country bungalow, just outside Althöflein in Austria's wine country, in which they could enjoy their old age. Their south-facing plot sat next to a small stream with bucolic views of rolling hills. Herbert and Monika's wishes for it were simple: they wanted the house to be single-level and handicap accessible, with a private, outdoor garden that didn't require too much work.
"They showed me examples of realized homes they liked, and together we developed the layout of their new residence," architect Michael Klauser explains. He brought their dream to life with a rustic 3,283-square-foot wooden ranch house with an expansive patio and inner courtyard built for ultimate comfort. The thoughtful dwelling is filled with simple luxuries, from the nostalgic wood-burning stove that warms the home's occupant's in winter to the extra mudroom with shower they use when coming in from a summertime hike with the dog. All in all, not a bad place in which to live out their retirement.
