48°23’26.5”N 10°47’56.7”E Hainhofen is a smaller village 10km west of Augsburg with around 1000 inhabitants. Its situation is between a natural and slow flowing river and the ‘western forests natural park’. On the edge of the village towards the side of the forest lays the Hirtenberg. Its separation from the main road keeps the carnumbers low and keeps the possibilty to use the road as playground and take benefit of its steepness. Right in the middle of the street is the house in which the childhood space, shown in the following drawings, is situated. Separated sleeping and playroom for 2 brothers gave a special touch to the room arrangement as well as the irregular shaped corners within the floorplan.
2 | childhood space(s)
Perspective In the forest close by there was lots of spaces to discover. Remaining funk holes from former battles let us imagine tanks rolling by and the sounds of passing by soldiers appeared when we were hiding inside. The hilly terrain was often used as war playground
Florian H채rle | 3
4 | childhood space(s)
Perspective a: Entrance to the forest Occupied by wesps,the hunters cabin seems to control the entrance to the forest. Climbing it opens a unique view over Augsburg and surrounding. Allthough we did never find a hunter in it. Not even during the night...
Florian H채rle | 5
a
6 | childhood space(s)
Perspective The cornfields were often a good place to play hide and seek in. The feeling of being in a labrynth - the straight raws - no diagonal connections. And always one ear focused on if the harvester is coming.
Florian H채rle | 7
8 | childhood space(s)
Section In the trees few hundred meters away from the garden we had our own treehouse built. The feeling of shelter in the trees arms, above ground, made it a special space to hang out and feel sheltered.
Florian H채rle | 9
10 | childhood space(s)
Plan a: Grassland for horses b: Garden c: Treehouse The whole area where the horses were was surrounded by an electric fence. They were curious and escaped sometimes also. To reach the tree house it was necessary to run fast and pay attention if you wanted to avoid contact with the huge horses.
Florian H채rle | 11
a c a
b
12 | childhood space(s)
Section a: House H채rle b: Farming fields c: Evergreen forest Around the backyard there was no fences. You could basically count the forest as part of the backyard. Walking around 600m up the hill and you were there.
Florian H채rle | 13
a b
c
14 | childhood space(s)
Plan a: House H채rle a2: Garage H채rle b: House neighbour b2: Garage neighbour Allthough the houses are sitting close to each other, the owners are able to walk around it. Ours was connected in a L-shape to the neighbours - but we could walk through their garden any time.
Florian H채rle | 15
a
a2 b2
b
16 | childhood space(s)
Plan (after lots of rain) a: b: c: d:
Temporary river Garden House H채rle Neighbours house
Sometimes it was raining a lot and the whole water from the surrounding fields gathered in our garden to a small river. It was flowing in a small ditch along the border of the gardens. Building this ditch was necessary to keep the water away from the basements.
Florian H채rle | 17
a
b
c
d
18 | childhood space(s)
Section a: Neighbour 1 b: House H채rle c: Neighbour 2 The distance to the neighbouring houses and their fences was not big. Due to the frequent visits between the neighbours kids there was fences to allow shortcuts through the gardens. Also for neighbour 1 to reach neighbour 2
Florian H채rle | 19
a
b
c
20 | childhood space(s)
Perspective a: Bamboo b: Ladder c: Fence Why do you build fences? Connection was the intention. On the border to one of our neighbours there was visible disconnection as well as the physical. But a ladder managed a shortcut for the frequent visits
Florian H채rle | 21
c b
a
22 | childhood space(s)
Plan a: b: c: d:
Entrance room Office room Corridor / Staircase Entrance door
There is a big entrance room in which the people are gathering before entering the house or leaving the buidling again.
Florian H채rle | 23
b
c
a
d
24 | childhood space(s)
Section a: Ruine of a room b: Ruine of another room c: hidden track between trees Close to the best friend there was a hidden ruine of a 3 room building. It was a scary space , undefined because of the wholes in its walls and ceiling, sheltered and framed because it was enough wall left to feel it.
Florian H채rle | 25
a
b
c
26 | childhood space(s)
Perspective a: b: c: d:
Terrace Window dining room Window bathroom Parents sleeping room
The terrace was frequently used during summertime to meet with people. This was the place you could enjoy the orange sunsets and listen to the birds singing summer songs.
Florian H채rle | 27
d c
b
a
28 | childhood space(s)
Perspective a: House H채rle a2: Garage H채rle b: House neighbour b2: Garage neighbour c: Street d: sidewalk Due to the low traffic our playground could be extended to the place in front of the garages and even the street. Some day there was a neighbour giving us a chocolate bar each week we didnt shoot the football to the wooden garage door. The slope in the street was also amazing to drive down by anything that rolls
Florian H채rle | 29
c
d
a
a2
b2
b
30 | childhood space(s)
Perspective a: House H채rle b: Hill of soil from the basement digging For a certain time there was the soil of the basement digging remaining in the garden. It was fantastic! And we were getting so dirty.
Florian H채rle | 31
a b
32 | childhood space(s)
Florian H채rle | 33
34 | childhood space(s)
Section (west- east) a: Garage b: House
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b
a
36 | childhood space(s)
Section a: b: c: d: e: f: g:
Attic Playing room Sleeping room Office room Entrance room Ironing room Washing room
Many of the buidlings in the village are shaped by so called ‘building traditions’ and are basically looking all the same. The rooms have to look according to the outter shape - never the other way around.
Florian H채rle | 37
a b
c
d
e
f
g
38 | childhood space(s)
Section a: Playing room b: Sleeping room
Florian H채rle | 39
a
b
40 | childhood space(s)
Plan (ground floor) a: b: c: d: e: f: g: h: i: j:
Dining room Chimney Living room Office room Kitchen Storage room Corridor Staircase Toilet Entrance room
Shaped by lots of 45 degree angles the combined room between living and dining room was the main place to stay in the ground floor.
Florian H채rle | 41
a e f b c
h g i
d
j
42 | childhood space(s)
Perspective In the ground floor almost all the windows were framed by curtains. Curtains which were not used for shading, but for filling the naked walls around the windows.
Florian H채rle | 43
44 | childhood space(s)
Perspective a: Door to kitchen - always open b: Door to staircase/ hallway The chimney was central part of the connected living room and dining room. Allthough it was always far too warm it was necessary to have it burning. There were small water springs all around the living room to prevent the air drying out too much because of the fire.
Florian H채rle | 45
a
b
46 | childhood space(s)
Perspective a: b: c: d:
Sleeping room Playing room Parents sleeping room Bathroom
In the first level after reaching up the stairs there is an almost round corridor to devide into four rooms. Leaning over the rail you could see whats going on in the rest of the house. Being alone for one night this was then the place to check if there was a burgler around.
Florian H채rle | 47
a
d b
c
48 | childhood space(s)
Perspective Going downstairs into the basement is sometimes a mental contest and quite scary. To switch on the light you have to go down the stairs fully. My father used to tell us about this guy ‘Bullibeißer’ (direct translation ‘pullover eater’) who is living down there. He sometimes might be in the attic also.
Florian H채rle | 49
50 | childhood space(s)
Plan (first floor) a: b: c: d: e: f:
Sleeping room Playing room Parents sleeping room Bathroom Corridor Staircase
Florian H채rle | 51
c
d
e
b
f
a
52 | childhood space(s)
Plan a: Playing room b: Sleeping room : Kork floor Devided into sleeping room and playing room the central aspect was always sharing. The sleeping room is placed on the north- eastern edge of the house, the playing room in the south eastern edge. The kork floor made it soft and warm to play on the ground.
Florian H채rle | 53
a b
54 | childhood space(s)
Plan a: Brothers bed b: Florians bed There was times we didnt speak to each other, there was others silly stories were told before sleeping. The space was objectively always the same. But sometimes there was a connection - other times a big gap.
Florian H채rle | 55
a
b
56 | childhood space(s)
Plan a: Sleeping room b: Playing room
North|Sleep - South|Play North|Small - South|Big The best space to have toy car races was in the northern sleeping room...under and around the bedlegs. Playing in enclosed spaces between objects created imaginary worlds and was sometimes better than having a big room to play.
Florian H채rle | 57
a
b
58 | childhood space(s)
Perspective (sleeping room) a: b: c: d: e:
Florians bed Window to the forest Brothers bed Window to the street Wardrobe
On the kork floor there was enough space to host 3 more friends in the same room.
Florian H채rle | 59
b d c e a
60 | childhood space(s)
Perspective (florians bed) a: ceiling b: florians bed The bed was standing in the corner of the room, right under the 45 degree ceiling. This was cosy when laying but when jumping or standing up you have to watch out for your head.
Florian H채rle | 61
a
b
62 | childhood space(s)
Perspective (sleeping room) During the night the door was always remaining a small gap open to let light from the staircase enter the room.
Florian H채rle | 63
64 | childhood space(s)
Plan (playing room) The amount of toys untidied defined the space available in the playing room. It was mainly toy cars and model planes. The smell was defined by this fast drying model glue. Military bases were build in scale all over the floor.
Florian H채rle | 65
66 | childhood space(s)
Perspective In both children rooms the ceiling is cladded in wooden boards, painted with a transparent white tone. When having a closer look the branches transform into faces or animals.
Florian H채rle | 67
68 | childhood space(s)
Perspective (playing room) Out of sofas and a sofa chair we were buidling a small castle in the corner of the playing room. The sheltered interior left smaller gaps to observe whats goin on around and on top of the sofa chair it was possible to defend from enemies coming.
Florian H채rle | 69
70 | childhood space(s)
Perspective (colour memory) The view from the window of the sleeping room out towards north captures the evergreen colours of the forest.
Florian H채rle | 71
72 | childhood space(s)
Perspective (colour memory) Every year around the mothers day there are yellow flowers flourishing on the field outside the bathroom window. Besides the colours of nature I mainly remember materials like kork floors and wooden furniture that shaped my impression.
Florian H채rle | 73
74 | childhood space(s)
Perspective (model) The cornfield from birds eye view.
Florian H채rle | 75
76 | childhood space(s)
Perspective (model) The space between siblings beds. Connection in a rough but strong way.
Florian H채rle | 77